-
I’m not vouching for Microsoft, mind you, but if the latest official assertion about the Surface Book 2 battery is true, it’s a game changer.
Since the dawn of Surface time, there’s been no way to have a battery replaced: Your only option was to swap out the entire unit, an expensive proposition. A recent post by a Microsoft employee on the official Microsoft Answers Forum raises a glimmer of hope that batteries in the Surface Book 2 can be replaced.
Surface owners have complained about short-lived batteries and their expensive replacements going all the way back to the original Surface and Surface Pro. Way back in February 2013, poster Hyperlexis described his interaction about a bad Surface Pro battery with a Microsoft Surface rep:
[Microsoft]: you asked about the cost of a battery replacement after the warranty expires. Individual components can't be replaced, so what we do is replace the entire unit. Even after the warranty expires we still offer replacements for less than the cost of buying a new unit. For the Surface Pro that would be $449.99 if done through the self-serve site I mentioned earlier, or $469.99 if done with an agent's assistance.
[Hyperlexis]: OK. But honestly — Apple charges $99 for replacing worn out iPad batteries with refurb units. Does MS REALLY charge almost $500 for the same service? Apple, I mean sends out an entire refurb iPad with a new battery, that is.
And so it has continued to this day. If your Surface/Pro/Book battery goes bad, your only choice is to have Microsoft swap out a full refurb replacement — with the cost in the nosebleed range.

2 batteries in Surface Book 2 — and one can be replaced?

Yesterday, poster Alex09160 on the Answers Forum had an interesting battery question:
I am asking a question about the Surface Book 2. Does it have 2 batteries, and if it does, how long will it take for both batteries to charge? Last question, is the a way I can make it automatically switch and start charging the second battery when battery 1 is done?
In fact, the $2,500 Surface Book 2 does have two batteries — a 62Wh one in the base, one rated at 22Wh in the detachable top — and the software is supposed to handle charge balancing automatically. Charging time estimates vary all over the place and depend on whether you’re using the proprietary charger or USB-C.
Consider the answer. Microsoft’s Emmylou Gac said in response:
The device contains a built-in battery. The battery in this device is not user replaceable and should only be replaced by Microsoft or a Microsoft Authorized Service Provider. Surface Book 2 is built for performance. It delivers up to XX hours of battery life. To get your questions answered, we suggest you to contact or visit our Microsoft Store near you.
That is quite astounding on several levels. (Not sure how to express “XX” in decimal.)
Is Microsoft signaling a change in its “disposable laptop” policy? Can you plan on using your new Surface Book after the warranty is over — without spending $500 or so to get a refurbished one?
It's like a Festivus miracle.
Celebrate American Turkey day on the AskWoody Lounge.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
We have no way of knowing why Microsoft released the driver updates last Friday or what they’re supposed to accomplish. What we do know is that the last set of patches came just 10 days earlier, on July 11, when  Microsoft added support for the new Surface Pro Type Cover and Signature Type Cover . With two dozen major firmware and driver updates pushed onto the Surface Pro 4 since its release in October 2015, and a new Surface Pro 2017 currently on offer, it’s noteworthy that Microsoft is still trying to get the SP4 and SB drivers right. Commenter Bespin on the  OnMsft forum  has a screenshot of the drivers just installed on his Surface Pro 4: Surface driver update for Surface Management Engine Surface driver update for Surface Pen Pairing Marvell Semiconductor Inc. driver update for Marvell AVASTAR Bluetooth Radio Adapter Surface driver update for Surface UEFI Microsoft driver update for Surface Accessory Device Surface driver update for Surface Embedded Co...
Read more
-
Image
Windows 10's rapid release machinery and short-lived support schemes showed some strain in 2017, as Microsoft reduced the number of annual feature upgrades and felt enough pressure to extend the lifespan of a 2015 version well into next year. But the radical release-and-support strategy, which Microsoft asserts has transformed Windows into a service, has not resonated with every customer. Windows 10 upgrades come too frequently, leaving too little time for adequate compatibility testing of critical applications. Support is too fleeting, with each upgrade maintained for just 18 months, theoretically requiring seven migrations during the same timespan when previously only one was necessary. Microsoft can, and should, address the stress, industry analysts said in interviews and emails, by sanding off the sharpest edges of its policies. The result? A more palatable "service" that would retain the benefits of a commercial operating system able to respond to an evolving d...
Read more