Frustrating piece of...

[ronnyb29]

Hardware and software. I'm on the 4th day of ownership and wondering if I should return and keep my yoga 2 pro. I love the form factor but it seems like issue after issue. The display is beautiful (at least until you have to deal with a VDI/TS session or external monitors.) And just to clarify more I don't use many "win8 apps" so most of the below is based in desktop mode.

1. The resolution is too high for a small screen; the resolution is non-standard so you can't choose a lower one with full screen and without the DPI scaling looking bad
2. The touchscreen is difficult with fingers or pen - see point 1. Let me specify a bit more - in desktop mode everything is so small it's nearly impossible to get the pointer where you need it to be with a finger. The pen would solve that if it would actually click when you touch the screen the first time. I'll probably adjust to this over time...
3. Why does the pen not attach somewhere on the device? It doesn't have to go in it but a magnetic adapter on the top or side would have been perfect.
4. Windows 8.1 keyboard is full featured but it's difficult to type on. This is a problem with all Win 8 tablet devices.
5. Why am I having to deal with app-by-app and multi-display DPI scaling issues even in 8.1 with external monitors. This is especially evident when you use it with external monitors.
6. the WIFI sucks, it connects maybe 1/2 of the time, 3/4 the time since last night's update - this is a very known issue with these devices and it's a firmware issue. Granted I have 802.1AC 5GZ router @ home and the known to have issues Cisco wireless routers at work.
7. I have the I5/8gb and it seems slower than my yoga 2 pro with an i3/4gb. This is subjective but the first set of windows updates (38 total) took well over 2 hours to install and reboot when I brought it home. With an external monitor hooked up (24" 1980x1080) the video will lag a bit every now and then.
8. .net framework 3.5 didn't want to install; took me a couple hours of googling to fix that. This is a known issue with Windows 2012 and 8, i'm just surprised it's still here in 8.1
9. The keyboard doesn't pop up when needed, but pops up a ton when not - this one stands - in fact it just happened again when i was using the down arrow on the touchpad to write this line.
10. Chrome doesn't work properly - not MS's fault but still a problem nonetheless
11. Windows 8 apps are all basic and suck compared to desktop/apple/android. Examples: Facebook, Horizon view client, Kindle app, Evernote...pretty much all but OneNote which is great. Not directly MS's fault.
12. When the type-pad is attached you can't easily touch the taskbar since it's so small.
13. At first glance the pen should make the low resolution ok but even if you put the dot on a spot you want to click it doesn't work; drag and select just doesn't work 90% of the time. I'm not the only one complaining of this.
14. The dock mDP port doesn't work with a startech adapter that works fine on the surface itself. At first glance you would think bad dock but 1 out of 3 that we have works. It's not the dock that is the issue it's the surface itself as 1 out of 3 of our SP3's works fine on all 3 docks.
15. The sp3 is not seated securely in the dock; i can easily bump it out.
16. 8 hours battery life seems....questionable...If you want to be a tablet you should have an easy way to see the battery usage. Running a powercfg /batteryreport is a workaround
17. WIFI is slow, but I can't prove it because Win 8 masks the connection speed from the charm


Come on - can you not get this stuff right on the 3rd generation of a device?

 

[Cambo]

I would say take it in and replace it.or before you do make sure all the updates are done.sorry I haven't seen any of the issues you are mentioning also some of your points are a little vague.

 

[jnjroach]

Hardware and software. I'm on the 4th day of ownership and wondering if I should return and keep my yoga 2 pro. I love the form factor but it seems like issue after issue. The display is beautiful (at least until you have to deal with a VDI/TS session or external monitors.)

1. The resolution is too high for a small screen; the resolution is non-standard so you can't choose a lower one with full screen and without looking like crap.
2. The touchscreen does not work properly with fingers or pen - see point 1
3. Why does the pen not attach somewhere on the damn device?
4. Windows 8.1 touch sucks, the on-screen keyboard is difficult
5. Why am I having to deal with app-by-app and multi-display DPI scaling issues even in 8.1 with external monitors
6. the WIFI sucks, it connects maybe 1/4 of the time, 1/2 the time since last night's update
7. I have the I5/8gb and it's slower than my yoga 2 pro with an i3/4gb
8. .net framework 3.5 didn't want to install; took me a couple hours of googling to fix that
9. The keyboard doesn't pop up when needed, but pops up a ton when not
10. Chrome doesn't work properly
11. Windows 8 apps are all basic and suck compared to desktop/apple/android
12. When the type-pad is attached you can't easily touch the taskbar since it's so damn small
13. At first glance the pen should make the low resolution ok but even if you put the dot on a spot you want to click it doesn't work; drag and select just doesn't work 90% of the time.
14. The dock mDP port doesn't work with a startech adapter that works fine on the surface itself
15. The sp3 is not seated securely in the dock; i can easily bump it out
16. 8 hours battery life seems....questionable...
17. WIFI is slow, dock with cable speeds are fine


Come on - can you not get this stuff right on the 3rd generation of a device?

I would return it personally.... once you gone that far down the frustration path it is hard to return. I will say your experience is not the norm. I've used or owned every Surface device is I believe it is the best product on the market. Your issue with Chrome is Google's issue not Microsoft's.

 

[Garry9600]

Hardware and software. I'm on the 4th day of ownership and wondering if I should return and keep my yoga 2 pro. I love the form factor but it seems like issue after issue. The display is beautiful (at least until you have to deal with a VDI/TS session or external monitors.)

1. The resolution is too high for a small screen; the resolution is non-standard so you can't choose a lower one with full screen and without looking like crap.
2. The touchscreen does not work properly with fingers or pen - see point 1
3. Why does the pen not attach somewhere on the damn device?
4. Windows 8.1 touch sucks, the on-screen keyboard is difficult
5. Why am I having to deal with app-by-app and multi-display DPI scaling issues even in 8.1 with external monitors
6. the WIFI sucks, it connects maybe 1/4 of the time, 1/2 the time since last night's update
7. I have the I5/8gb and it's slower than my yoga 2 pro with an i3/4gb
8. .net framework 3.5 didn't want to install; took me a couple hours of googling to fix that
9. The keyboard doesn't pop up when needed, but pops up a ton when not
10. Chrome doesn't work properly
11. Windows 8 apps are all basic and suck compared to desktop/apple/android
12. When the type-pad is attached you can't easily touch the taskbar since it's so damn small
13. At first glance the pen should make the low resolution ok but even if you put the dot on a spot you want to click it doesn't work; drag and select just doesn't work 90% of the time.
14. The dock mDP port doesn't work with a startech adapter that works fine on the surface itself
15. The sp3 is not seated securely in the dock; i can easily bump it out
16. 8 hours battery life seems....questionable...
17. WIFI is slow, dock with cable speeds are fine


Come on - can you not get this stuff right on the 3rd generation of a device?

WOW ... that's quite the list! I would definitely say return it. I love my SP3 and can honestly say I've never really experienced any of the issues you describe (except with Chrome, which has been said isn't Microsoft's fault). I know others here have mentioned WiFi issues, but my SP3 connects perfectly every time and always has. My pen also seems to work perfectly virtually all of the time. Sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time with your unit. The pop-up keyboard used to appear a few times when it wasn't needed, but that hasn't happened for several months now.

 

[spinachpie]

I think a lot of what you say is true but over exaggerated. Maybe it's because you came from the Yoga 2 Pro which is a similar-ish concept.

The onscreen keyboard doesn't always show up that's right, but that's mainly in desktop view where it is not optimised for touch so these slight niggles can occur.

WiFi never been an issue for me, maybe it's faulty?

I think the resolution issues have been improved with the latest updates, even Chrome.

 

[silkrooster]

When in desktop mode, the onscreen keyboard normally does not pop up when selecting a text box. There is an icon on the taskbar to bring up the keyboard.
When an app is full screen, sometime the taskbar does not pop up when the cursor is at the bottom of the screen. In that situation, I found if I move the cursor to the very top of the screen, the then move the cursor to the bottom of the screen, then the taskbar would pop up. This maybe the fault of the running program.

 

[note3]

I totally agree with your first point (software problems).
And yes, the SP3 is far away from being a really satisfying device.
But it is a new concept, so we have to dare it and to suffer and wait.
The SP3 is ok for my hobby but not in my work.
And I don’t like Win_8 and the touch concept.
Touching is ok for playing games or using phones but not for serious work.
I know a lot of people who agree to this.
I’m not on the way “back to the roots, eating with the fingers”.
What I need (for technical drawings as an example) is a much better pen
and a screen (or a button for that) that recognizes a pen tip but not a finger touch.

 

[hughlle]

Half your issues seem invalid e.g. with keyboard attached, dock is too small, if too small for your liking (eith keyboard attached you do have a mouse btw) you csn change its size, change its location..

The other half seem like faults with the sp3, not features, and a lot of them are just subjective, you say touch sucks on 8.1, yet myself and many others have absolutely no issue with it.

And 8 hours battery seems questionable, why? In what manner? I've certainly achieved this when being cautious.

 

[raqball]

I'll address some of the OP concerns from a tablet only users perspective.

1. I agree with this. The font is so tiny in desktop mode it's unusable to me. Even with reading glasses on or contacts in I struggle. The desktop font is just tiny, tiny, tiny.

2. Disagree. Touchscreen works fine for me.

3. Agree kind of. The SP3 is so thin where would it go? Also, if you use a bag to transport it, there is more than likely a slot somewhere on it for the pen.

4. Disagree. All I use is touch as I don't have the typecover.

6. WiFi is rock solid for me.

7. Maybe you have a faulty unit as my SP3 is fast, responsive and speedy.

9. I only use the on screen KB and it pops up when needed and has never popped up when not needed in MUI that is. In desktop mode it never auto pops up and I believe that's intended.

11. I think many of the Windows store apps are absolutely gorgeous. MSN Sports, MSN News, MSN Weather, Tweetium, Nextgen Reader, ect. are just some examples of high quality and beautiful apps in the store.

16. I get about 7 hours of battery time which is not bad in my opinion.

17. As previously stated, my WiFi has no issues at all and the connection speeds are as advertised by my ISP.

 

[ronnyb29]

first post updated with less frustrated state of mind. This was really just a warning to those that are on here and thinking about purchasing the device. Maybe I have a faulty one but I'm also reading of people on here that have returned their's 2 or 3 times to get one that works right. That's not a good solution!

 

[Kif]

I'm confused doesn't the Yoga Pro 2 suffer from the same resolution and chrome issues. It sounds like your trying to justifying returning it since you already own a Yoga Pro 2 which is a similar device.

 

[ruinah]

I'd say return it if you came across all those issues that you deem faults. I personally only really ever was frustrated with the scaling issue but once I sized to 1440x900 it solved those for me. I may try the Intel driver and set it to 1440x960 to fill the whole screen. My wifi has been solid, I use it in desktop mode for 8 hours a day and probably another 2-3 in tablet mode and have not had the same experience. Maybe the device isn't right for you. It is the perfect device for me. I use it for my work device and home/personal stuff too. I used to have a heavy laptop, android tablet, and android phone. I now just have the SP3 and a phone. Maybe you got a faulty device and should exchange it.