Mahjongg Freezes

[reach]

Hi all,
it's not that my SP2 doesn't have bigger issues than this one, but it really annoys and puzzles me:
the 2nd replacement= 3rd device I have, has the issue that the Mahjongg game freezes after some moves. The background wobble continues, it just doesn't accept any Input. After some time it works again. Can be accelerated by tipping on the Screen like crazy.

Pls don't laugh, but I have first re-installed the game 2-3 times, then used the "refresh OS" option and then I completely re-installed the whole device. Still the same.

It's not a big deal, I will just ask for another replacement, but I'd still be interested if anybody else has this very strange issue. Besides the billions of Win8.1 bugs and crappy build quality it works normally apart from this behavior.


Cheers,
reach

 

[fonzman78]

Just trying to understand here. Because a game freezes on your Surface, you are going to asks for a replacement?

 

[reach]

Just trying to understand here. Because a game freezes on your Surface, you are going to asks for a replacement?

If the issue doesn't go away, of course!
What's your objection? Just because it's a game and not... Photoshop?
There's obviously something wrong with my device. I haven't found any other reproducable issue than this game, but I don't care. I don'T see it'S my Job to find out what else is wrong.

 

[CreativeLemming]

This really is going too far, and in my view is an abuse of the replacement process over and above some of the other stories I've read in this forum. Sometimes applications hang, fact of life - I have many apps from the app store that do the same. If this was a desktop PC you'd bought from a shop (which effectively it is, just in a tablet sized form factor) would you replace it because of this?
You could always buy the real physical board game

 

[reach]

Sorry to disagree.
Imagine this was your device and is wasn't a game, but Photoshop. Always when you select the unsharp mask menu it would freeze for 2 minutes.
Would you accept that?
It might be just one tiny issue, but it's reproducable and it works on any other device out there.

What tells me this isn't a defective RAM and just this game always adresses the defect storage area, while other Software, by luck, doesn't?

Nope, I do know two or three things about computers and this is NOT normal.
If the SP2 was a sophisticated product with hardly any bugs and reliable Quality control, I would think twice, test all the other stuff I need and maybe wait if it gets worse, but given my history with the SP2 I have not the smallest doubt if this justifies an exchange.

 

[chmsfor]

Sorry to disagree.
Imagine this was your device and is wasn't a game, but Photoshop. Always when you select the unsharp mask menu it would freeze for 2 minutes.
Would you accept that?
It might be just one tiny issue, but it's reproducable and it works on any other device out there.

What tells me this isn't a defective RAM and just this game always adresses the defect storage area, while other Software, by luck, doesn't?

Nope, I do know two or three things about computers and this is NOT normal.
If the SP2 was a sophisticated product with hardly any bugs and reliable Quality control, I would think twice, test all the other stuff I need and maybe wait if it gets worse, but given my history with the SP2 I have not the smallest doubt if this justifies an exchange.

Is the the windows 8 app store game? The one that also works on the surface rt? Do other applications work correctly? The game only freezes? You're kidding right? A lot of the apps are crappy and freeze ...even desktops apps can have issues ...nothing to do with the hardware ..Would you replace ipad if app was bad?

 

[oion]

There are a small number of recent reports of the MS Mahjong (assuming that's the one you installed) being unstable on their systems. You have to realize that the app may have been updated between your last replacement and this one. Perhaps something else you have installed may not like it.

So the most logical question: Did you try other mahjong app games? Because you're right--this is absolutely not the same as Photoshop for which there is no true industry standard analogue and is used for work.

But, OP, given your luck with the other exchanges and now something like this (I also think exchanging "just for that" is over the top), especially given that it seems you don't even like the device, you really should just move onto another device entirely.

 

[CreativeLemming]

Sorry to disagree.
Imagine this was your device and is wasn't a game, but Photoshop. Always when you select the unsharp mask menu it would freeze for 2 minutes.
Would you accept that?
It might be just one tiny issue, but it's reproducable and it works on any other device out there.

What tells me this isn't a defective RAM and just this game always adresses the defect storage area, while other Software, by luck, doesn't?

Nope, I do know two or three things about computers and this is NOT normal.
If the SP2 was a sophisticated product with hardly any bugs and reliable Quality control, I would think twice, test all the other stuff I need and maybe wait if it gets worse, but given my history with the SP2 I have not the smallest doubt if this justifies an exchange.

Methinks you and many others are confusing the 'Surface Pro 2' hardware with the 'Windows 8' OS and maybe other devices such as the 'iPad' (or numerous other tabletty consumption devices out there)

If you want something that works 100%, perfect experience, no problems ever then return your surface and get one of those other dumbed down devices.But good luck with any of those working.

Sorry to disagree.
Imagine this was your device and is wasn't a game, but Photoshop. Always when you select the unsharp mask menu it would freeze for 2 minutes.

Why would I want to imagine that. PhotoShop works fine, as does Matlab, Octave, Visual Studio, VMWare and all the toold I need to do my job. Crappy apps like Flipboard, Facebook, and several games do stall but they're cheap and often poorly written. Wouldn't return my device for that.

Just because the SP is in a tablet form factor, does not mean that it is not a PC, and a PC with all the faults that all windows PCs have had before them (although you must admit, things have improved a lot). This isn't an iPad. This isn't a Samsung Galaxy whatever. This is a pc in a small form factor. And this might be Microsoft's undoing - they tried to target this to professionals who might actually understand and accept the limitations, but instead draw in the consumption generation kids who are only interested in absolute perfection and if something goes wrong all hell breaks loose.

...here ends my second rant of the evening

(BTW, stating that you know two or three things about computers, while at the same time suggesting that Mahjong always addresses an area of defective RAM is, let's say, contradictory to say the least)

 

[reach]

Guys, I'm afraid you have no clue. A computer is a computer and has to work. If it doesn't, there is a problem, full stop. Unlike some people think, computers, even Windows ones, are solid things and there is no such thing as coincidence.
It can be a RAM issue, or the display (unlikely because it happens for stylus as well as touch) or the image on my device is corrupt, or whatever, I don't care.
You fixate on the fact that the abnomaly happens in a game, but that doesn't matter. It's reproducable, it works stabile on any other device (I play the daily challenges on different devices, plus the 2 SP2s I had before) BTW: I don't mean the usual instability of the game, that it crashes right after start, this happens with all MS Games on all devices. The problem I mean only happens here.

You're right, I don't like the SP2 any more. There's just no other option for me. Returning them isn't fun for me either because thanks to the rubbish paint I applied a design-skin for 20EUR to protect it, so I have to buy another one for the next device. However, I wont keep something that's obviously broken.

 

[fonzman78]

If the issue doesn't go away, of course!
What's your objection? Just because it's a game and not... Photoshop?
There's obviously something wrong with my device. I haven't found any other reproducable issue than this game, but I don't care. I don'T see it'S my Job to find out what else is wrong.

I have no objection. I'm just... Incredulous? Dumbfounded? Astounded? Bewildered? Shocked? I'm not even sure what word describes it. Some folks on this forum find reasons to criticize. I think they are being over reactive but, hey, to each his own. What bothers one and not another is not for me to decide. I respond to some and others I ignore because there just isn't any helping them. When you dislike a product to the extent that I've seen on this forum, then sell it and be rid of your problems. At what point does one simply give up?

Does the SP2 have issues. Sure. I don't deny it. Do I dislike the fact that my IE freezes up. Yep. Enough to return it? No. Do I dislike that fact that my CPU usages goes to 25% when idling (yes, I did test this). Yep. Enough to return it? No. (BTW, if you just sit and watch the CPU usage while idling, yes it does get up to 25%. However, if you just open a program and use it instead of just watching it, then your CPU usage will drop down to 2-4% when idling. I think most people who don't see this issue is because they actually use the SP rather than just watch it while idling). Do I dislike that sometimes my keyboard gets stuck? Yep. Enough to return it? No. Do I dislike that my SP has backlight bleeding? Yes. Enough to return it? No.

I could go on. But, as I stated, who am I to decide what bothers one and not another. However, I can't see how one can justify returning a device because an app doesn't work. When do you stop? What's next? IE freezes? Return it? Office crashed? Return it? Paint opens to slowly? Return it?

Sigh...

 

[oion]

Guys, I'm afraid you have no clue. A computer is a computer and has to work. If it doesn't, there is a problem, full stop. Unlike some people think, computers, even Windows ones, are solid things and there is no such thing as coincidence.
It can be a RAM issue, or the display (unlikely because it happens for stylus as well as touch) or the image on my device is corrupt, or whatever, I don't care.
You fixate on the fact that the abnomaly happens in a game, but that doesn't matter. It's reproducable, it works stabile on any other device (I play the daily challenges on different devices, plus the 2 SP2s I had before) BTW: I don't mean the usual instability of the game, that it crashes right after start, this happens with all MS Games on all devices. The problem I mean only happens here.

You're right, I don't like the SP2 any more. There's just no other option for me. Returning them isn't fun for me either because thanks to the rubbish paint I applied a design-skin for 20EUR to protect it, so I have to buy another one for the next device. However, I wont keep something that's obviously broken.

You're the one who's fixating. You need to take a step back and try to be a smart consumer: ascertain your options and priorities. So again, did you try other mahjong games? Or is this ultimately about those tracked daily challenges? Mahjong takes up 50% of your SP2 use case?

Why exactly is there no other option for you besides SP2? Can't you resell and buy a Dell or Sony or Other hybrid? Or a regular Win8 laptop? Or get a cheap SP1? Or maybe your use case is actually more appropriate for an RT device? Those are the real questions. Sticking with a product you don't like is the ultimate head-scratching conundrum and symptom of bad consumerism unless it's being deployed by your company. (In which case, the exchange bit doesn't matter, go for it.)

I would say "good luck," but your attitude is very much determined to be unhappy, so that doesn't matter. If you have specific problems with an app on SP2, you should go to the official MS boards anyway.

 

[Pottersauce]

I am having the same issue with my brand new Surface Pro 3. I find that it is only on the "Classic" type of game. It is unfortunate to find that there didn't seem to be a real solution here - but I will try updating the game.