30 day is all it took to break the glass

[leeshor]

Virtually all of the tablets had some type of hole either for a camera or some other sensor as did most of the phones. Having a peecision hole in the glass is no reason for cracking by itself. And to be clear, they ARE holes, not components mounted behind the screen/glass.

 

[Henning]

Since this happened to me, I gave it some thought: Would it be a design flaw, then we would probably see it more often. So far I found the three cases reported here, and one elsewhere on the web.

Nevertheless, I know that I did not mishandle the device, I just held it with my fingers at the wrong spot [note: I have 1st generation Pro, and treated it just the same]. My best guess is a manufacturing problem, where the glass can move a little too much at the wrong spot, due to some mild misalignment, for instance. It's a bit annoying that microsoft seems to implicitly assume that I don't tell the truth.

Well, ask yourself whether you dare to give your device a good press at that microphone hole. You might be lucky . . . or not.

 

[stonecold]

The way I look at is if Microsoft change the screen ratio so that it is more usable in a portrait position, and then put a hole near the middle of the right hand side of the screen (when held in portrait) then clearly they are asking for trouble. To properly balance a tablet in the hand you will hold it in the middle, if you are right handed and have the tablet positioned so that the windows capacitive key is at the bottom you are going to have your hand directly over that area on multiple occasions.

This should have been caught in product testing and moved the mic hole elsewhere. Such as in the magnesium casing. It should have never been in the glass itself. I've owned multiple touch screen devices over the years (6 tablets including the sp3, 5 smart phones, 2 media players and my nvidia shield). Never had a cracked or damaged screen on any of the other devices, always taken great care as I'm sure the other people who have reported this have.

The fact that this cracked just due to holding it while opening the kickstand is a flaw no matter how you look at it. Yes, some people haven't had the issue (yet), some may not have mentioned it online. This does not mean the issue does not exist and should not be brushed under the well padded carpet that Microsoft dropped their demo unit on.

 

[gtext]

The way I look at is if Microsoft change the screen ratio so that it is more usable in a portrait position, and then put a hole near the middle of the right hand side of the screen (when held in portrait) then clearly they are asking for trouble. To properly balance a tablet in the hand you will hold it in the middle, if you are right handed and have the tablet positioned so that the windows capacitive key is at the bottom you are going to have your hand directly over that area on multiple occasions.

This should have been caught in product testing and moved the mic hole elsewhere. Such as in the magnesium casing. It should have never been in the glass itself. I've owned multiple touch screen devices over the years (6 tablets including the sp3, 5 smart phones, 2 media players and my nvidia shield). Never had a cracked or damaged screen on any of the other devices, always taken great care as I'm sure the other people who have reported this have.

The fact that this cracked just due to holding it while opening the kickstand is a flaw no matter how you look at it. Yes, some people haven't had the issue (yet), some may not have mentioned it online. This does not mean the issue does not exist and should not be brushed under the well padded carpet that Microsoft dropped their demo unit on.

Totally agree. The issue itself is bad enough but the refusal of MS to recognize and accept the issue is totally inexcusable.

The iPad also has a camera on the screen side but it's not a hole in the glass but a clear window in the blacked out rim of the screen.
They would have realised that having a hole close to the edge weakened the glass.

I'd be taking that to consumer affairs (ACCC) if that happened and a refusal by MS here in Australia.

 

[GreyFox7]

The First house I bought was *new*, they forgot to uncap the sewer pipe... so the sewer backed up... the plumber broke a window when the snake whiplashed trying to unclog it and they had to dig up the concrete driveway to fix the sewer pipe, and replace the window and the carpet. stuff happens. I don't know if there's a time limit on when or how soon.

 

[note3]

If the Surface Pro 3 has a hole drilled in the glass screen for the microphone, I would see this as a design flaw..

I totally agree.
It is dangerous to drill a hole in a thin plate of glass unless the boundary of the hole is reinforced
(ring of metal). If the boundary is not reinforced, it's a very risky construction.

I think it is the bending moment that causes the first crack. And after the first little crack
it's over, each glazier knows this. And the first very tiny crack can occur when the hole is drilled.

Is it known how thick the glass is?
Perhaps a student of civil engineering can calculate the plate with a FEM-Program and give advice how to hold the SP3

I will get my SP3 in about 2 weeks and then I will do some calculations.

With greetings from .de

 

[ctitanic]

I totally agree.
It is dangerous to drill a hole in a thin plate of glass unless the boundary of the hole is reinforced
(ring of metal). If the boundary is not reinforced, it's a very risky construction.

I think it is the bending moment that causes the first crack. And after the first little crack
it's over, each glazier knows this. And the first very tiny crack can occur when the hole is drilled.

Is it known how thick the glass is?
Perhaps a student of civil engineering can calculate the plate with a FEM-Program and give advice how to hold the SP3

I will get my SP3 in about 2 weeks and then I will do some calculations.

With greetings from .de

Welcome aboard! Well, but that's common practice meaning many OEMs have that same design.

 

[m06w41]

Cracked right at the microphone while I was holding it...as stated above, in my arm like a notebook.

Thanks for posting Henning. Glad to know I wasn't the only one.

As Henning said, don't grab the surface by the top...period...ever...

 

[m06w41]

I'm not trying to make light of the cracked screen issue but I just checked 2 other forums where I am on staff, one a phone forum, one a tablet forum. One had 832 threads about cracked screens, the majority blaming it on a manufacturing defect, the other had 232 posts mostly claiming the same exact thing, at least 7-8 different manufacturers.

The only thing common to the complaints is that all were touch screens. I can't count the total number of threads that had a cracked screen tite on yet a 3rd forum but I can count on at least 1 new one every day.

All touch screens can crack but just because it happens to quite a few people doesn't automatically make it a manufacturing defect. Just my .02

I tend to agree with you. I think my assumption was the Surface was too durable and therefore I wasn't overly concerned about a case until I found the the right folio...it wasn't as it I was throwing the thing around though...not whatsoever, perhaps not a manufacturing defect then but a design defect.

We grab the surface by the top margin...to pick it up, pull it out of the keyboard...that appears to be where the glass is weakened because of the holes.

 

[note3]

I think one can pull it out that way in a vertical position, but it is bad to turn it into the horizontal position with only one hand.

Anyway, it is really nice that you guys in the US make all sort of tests and experience for us.
First I thought why do we get this awesome device so late, now I'm happy. Now I know which SP3 suits me, how to hold it and so on

 

[Arizona Willie]

I've always dreaded dropping my SP Pro 1 and about a week ago I was sitting on the throne reading and reached to pet the cat and somehow the darn thing slipped off of my legs and landed face down on the tile floor with a loud WHAM!

My heart sank 'cause I was sure it was a goner. It had landed absolutely flat on the screen.

But, I picked it up and it worked fine. Been using it every day with no problem.

I wonder what happened to yours. I hold mine by either the top or bottom edge all the time.

That is one thing I don't like about the Surface products. They make them slipperier ( sp ) than a Republican politican. Really why can't they use a surface that isn't so slick?

My old Xoom tablet ( which still works fine ) was slippery too so I glued a strip of elastic to the back to slip my hand under and that works wonderfully. But, unfortunately due to the design with the kickstand where it is ... that isn't an option for the Surface. I < could > put one on the top half but not on a diagonal like I have on the Xoom and it wouldn't be comfortable to carry / use with the " handle " placed where it would have to be.

Fairly robust Surface Pro 3 user. I used a SP2 and my daughter uses an SP1 for school.

Replaced my work laptop with a Surface Pro 3 just over a month ago and found it incredibly flexible and it dropped right into the workflow I always wanted with my laptop.

It completely integrated into my work life through Office 2013, OneNote and OneDrive for business. It allowed me remarkable capabilities to simply remove the paper from my life...the various notebooks for different projects and different things going on at the office. I travel a few times a month and the SP3 made my work life so much more seamlessly integrated. I took copious notes using OneNote metro all the time. When I say I haven't used a notebook in the past 2 weeks for anything, that means everything I've written down has been in OneNote. It's been a fantastic little piece of hardware.

I did not have a folio nor a sleeve yet. When moving around I had it in my laptop briefcase, it it's one special section and was simply looking for a folio that would work...Maroo was the preferred one, but they are on back order so I've been simply waiting. My use of the SP3 was kind of what I would classify as normal, non-abusive and what it seems the tablet was designed for.

Today, though, was a bummer.

I picked up the SP3 out of the keyboard, separated them as normal and walked to a meeting. 20 feet. Held it in a manner that you would hold a notebook. The same way I've been holding the darned thing for a month, same thing I did with my SP2...nothing unusual, nothing unique. 30 seconds later when I went to log into the SP3, this had occurred: http://1drv.ms/1qau9qm

The break originated around the microphone, as you can see. As if pressure in that area either finally caused it to break or it was a weak area to begin with and normal use just exposed this inherent weakness.

I'm still a little stunned actually because I had really come to rely on it. Microsoft regular warranty doesn't cover it the additional $149 extended warranty does cover 2 screen breaks for an additional $50 fee. The cost isn't the problem really...it's being without it for the next couple of weeks (I hope that's all it takes)...and my concern is that somehow it will not come back in immaculate condition...or that this is a bigger problem.

 

[kristalsoldier]

They make them slipperier ( sp ) than a Republican politican.

You mean with the exception of "slick Willie" aka Bill Clinton...