Rant 1 – The Microsoft Support Saga
Tech Supplement 1 - The Microsoft Surface Book
Though there isn’t a single redeeming aspect of the warranty support chronicle, the product is sound. I will elaborate slightly on those specifics and allow you to determine if the appeal of the Surface Book is worth the pain and suffering of a possible interaction with the labyrinth of inanity that is the Microsoft Support network:
Aside from the unsightly gap generated between the closed screen and keyboard, which nearly every review of the Surface Book notes (and it is indeed weird, not so much bad, just weird), the laptop feels well built and thoughtfully designed. Its full metal construction and truly excellent keyboard will make you throw that MacBook pile right in the trash wondering why you needed to suffer with poor business software compatibility for so long to get quality feel in a personal computer. The screen has more than ample resolution and is capable of brightness levels to cause a blindness similar to staring at the sun. Separating the screen/ tablet from the keyboard base creates a convincing iPad alternative with excellent pen recognition though sadly, with a disjointed two piece battery between screen and base, once you separate, you will only get a small fraction of longevity. The Surface Book’s performance remains more than acceptable when using basic productivity software and web browsers. I even had it run the first few minutes of Doom 3 BFG maxed out for shits and giggles which surprisingly caused it no major performance hiccups (however, don’t take this as license to play games with a base spec model because you shouldn’t). The Surface Book emits a quiet confidence in nearly all personal computing capacities.
When I first purchased the computer at the end of 2016, I researched everything in the segment and reviewed many in person (the Yogas, Spectres, and XPSs in particular). Only the Dell XPS 13 and 15 were of comparable style and perceived quality to the Surface Book but lacked the tablet form factor of the other mentioned competitors. In contrast, the performance of either XPS is superior to all in the ultra portable class. The XPS is a better laptop, so if the tablet/ pen mode is of zero interest, go pick up one of those carbon fiber clad bombshells. However, if the ability to digitally draw is of any relevance, and you need a posh, do-everything-except-gaming ultra portable, the Surface Book should be at the top of your list. Be warned: any hardware specification beyond the least expensive base model has dramatically diminishing returns such that it destroys the appeal of the product. If you need more than the 8gb of RAM, 128gb SSD storage space, and the Core i5 CPU integrated graphics processor, the Surface Book should quickly fall from consideration. Furthermore, like most ultra portables, upgrading of hardware is nigh impossible so you are stuck with what you buy for the duration (hence why Microsoft confidently sells with such a skewed cost-benefit ratio across the hardware spec range).
If you remain undeterred, my final recommendation would be to take a trip to the nation’s favorite dealer of bulk, Costco, to pick up your new Surface Book. As mentioned earlier, this is where I purchased my unit. They have been a long time seller of the computer and offer a doubling of the manufacturer’s warranty on the spot and an additional factor of two if you purchase with your Costco Citi card. Such a quadrupling of warranty coverage on something I needed entirely replaced after just six months absolutely warrants any threat of bodily injury imposed by the rabid masses at your local warehouse. That being said, the coverage is a bit of a double edged sword: do you have the mental tenacity to last through 4 years of Microsoft Tech Support to even take advantage of such length? My suspicion is few do…
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