Microsoft Now Sells Surface Replacement Parts, Including Displays, Batteries, and SSDs (theverge.com) 18
Microsoft is starting to sell replacement components for its Surface devices. The software giant now supplies replacement parts in the Microsoft Store, allowing Surface owners to replace their displays, batteries, SSDs, and more. From a report: "We are excited to offer replacement components to technically inclined consumers for out-of-warranty, self repair," says Tim McGuiggan, VP of devices services and product engineering at Microsoft. "When purchasing a replacement component, you will receive the part and relevant collateral components (such as screws if applicable)." Tools to help you repair a Microsoft Surface device are sold separately by iFixit, which Microsoft partnered with in 2021 to sell official Surface repair tools. iFixit supplies tools like battery covers to protect against punctures during repair, debonding cradles to help cut the adhesive that holds screen glass in place, and a tool to properly replace a screen.
Lip service (Score:2)
You shouldn't need to be technically inclined to replace a battery. Remember when you could buy a new laptop battery and just swap it out with a click?
Design your products with sustainability in mind from the get-go and you can avoid all this "right to repair" lip service.
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And the cost of the battery is five dollars less than the price of a new tablet.
It looks like it's about about $2140 less than the price of a new tablet given what the batteries cost and what my current Surface Pro does. I hope you were being facetious, that we can deal with, but shame on the moderator who gave you an insightful mod.
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We seem to have lost the war over batteries in phones - which seems odd given the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.
But anything electronic with a fan should be user-serviceable.
I'm not much of a laptop guy but I would recommend a not 'sexy' business laptop, such as a Dell Latitude that basically lets you self-service with a screwdriver.
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You shouldn't need to be technically inclined to replace a battery. Remember when you could buy a new laptop battery and just swap it out with a click?
Yeah I do. I remember the laptop taking up 1/4 of my backpack. I remember it being so heavy that it had to sit on my lap rather than being held in one hand.
There's two things I don't understand:
1. Why do you romanticize that horrible time. I have no inclination or desire to preference my older laptops over my Surface in any way. If I did, I wouldn't have bought a surface.
2. What makes you think that highly complex modern electronics manufactured in ways that would blow the mind of 20-year-ago-me should be d
Surface users thrilled (Score:2)
Both of them.
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Both of them.
That joke stopped being funny when the Surface line started significantly contributing to Microsoft's net profits.
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Everyone I've ever known with a Surface device loves their device, both tablet and laptop. That's a couple dozen.
So, there.
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Too little/too late (Score:3)
There. That felt good. Mod down to your heart's content but you gotta buy my dead Surface.
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Too late for what? You have a dead Surface? Why not fix it. It's not hard. I've swapped out the batteries on 3 of them. Microsoft isn't doing anything ground breaking here other than offering people a 1st party alternatives. The Surface devices are repairable. You just need to have skill, or consider paying someone with skill. The service industry exists for a reason. You don't do most of the things you take for granted in life yourself.
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I'm not going to rush out and buy one, but it's good that companies are now marketing reparability as a desirable feature.
The original Surface devices were made of glue. They have come a long way and I think it's worth encouraging that.
Extremely expensive (Score:2)
Just the back cover ($400) and the screen ($350) for the Pro 9 costs more than a pre-owned one on eBay ($650).
This is just to let Microsoft say "yes we offer replacement parts, but we don't actually expect you to use them".
The same parts are much cheaper on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item... [aliexpress.us]
And I am sure the process is not for everyone:
https://www.ifixit.com/News/68... [ifixit.com] (They give a very liberal 7/10).