Very Dissatisfied With SP4

[Planetbrian]

After 10 days of the SP4, I can't take it anymore.

My Surface Pro 4 is a joke...even after doing the 11-2-15 update and I check multiple times a day for updates hoping for fixes. After 10 days, I can't even use it anymore. Outlook 2016 suddenly won't open after a sudden BSOD which happens frequently.

Wireless range is not very good.... my wife's new Dell E7450 has great connection in the other room while my SP4 connection is almost non-existent and drops. I ended up buying a second Netgear R7000, both configured as access points in our house configured with the same SSID's, same passwords, different channels and my wife's laptop will switch automatically between the two AP's for the strongest signal....the SP4 just stays connected at 40 Mbps to the weakest AP...won't automatically switch. I guess that's what we get with the horrible and cheap Marvel wireless chipset. For MS flagship they should be using Intel.

Light bleed at the bottom of the screen.

Random popping sounds from the audio.


I can't un-dock the SP4 and re-dock it with out rebooting because the screen flickers non-stop even after doing the 11-2-15 update.

My touch screen suddenly stops responding so I attach my Type Cover, which I like, to finish my work so that I don't lose hours of research by manually rebooting right away.

Our Surface Pro 3's had some issues when they came out, but this is HORRIBLE! I bought the SP4 to replace my office PC and SP3 and this thing is going back....it's junk.

I tried, Microsoft failed.

 

[jbowden]

After 10 days of the SP4, I can't take it anymore.

My Surface Pro 4 is a joke...even after doing the 11-2-15 update and I check multiple times a day for updates hoping for fixes. After 10 days, I can't even use it anymore. Outlook 2016 suddenly won't open after a sudden BSOD which happens frequently.

Wireless range is not very good.... my wife's new Dell E7450 has great connection in the other room while my SP4 connection is almost non-existent and drops. I ended up buying a second Netgear R7000, both configured as access points in our house configured with the same SSID's, same passwords, different channels and my wife's laptop will switch automatically between the two AP's for the strongest signal....the SP4 just stays connected at 40 Mbps to the weakest AP...won't automatically switch. I guess that's what we get with the horrible and cheap Marvel wireless chipset. For MS flagship they should be using Intel.

Light bleed at the bottom of the screen.

Random popping sounds from the audio.


I can't un-dock the SP4 and re-dock it with out rebooting because the screen flickers non-stop even after doing the 11-2-15 update.

My touch screen suddenly stops responding so I attach my Type Cover, which I like, to finish my work so that I don't lose hours of research by manually rebooting right away.

Our Surface Pro 3's had some issues when they came out, but this is HORRIBLE! I bought the SP4 to replace my office PC and SP3 and this thing is going back....it's junk.

I tried, Microsoft failed.

I am about to return mine as well. I have several issues. Display driver stops responding and does a recovery- this happens a lot. I have had screen freeze several times and required me to hard reset. I also experience audio popping/distortion when switching songs in iTunes. This is sad that we have these type of issues...

 

[Planetbrian]

I am about to return mine as well. I have several issues. Display driver stops responding and does a recovery- this happens a lot. I have had screen freeze several times and required me to hard reset. I also experience audio popping/distortion when switching songs in iTunes. This is sad that we have these type of issues...

Especially after spending $1600 on a non-working device and knowing we have cheap Marvel chipset's...AGAIN! and light bleeding screens along with all the driver issues, which how do we know if a driver fix will fix it? MS sure did screw the pooch on this one.

I thought that this being their 4th generation tablet that MS would have their act together...what was I thinking in putting my trust in MS?

With all the time I spent setting this up and putting up with it....yeah I'm very pissed off!!!

 

[Carolv]

I can't un-dock the SP4 and re-dock it with out rebooting because the screen flickers non-stop even after doing the 11-2-15 update.

My screen flickers also. I don't use Edge. This is on the display. I get some lines about 1/2 inch down from the top and that section flickers. After a while it finally stops but if it goes to sleep, it happens again on wake up. Also when this is happening, if I click on the start button or open an App or Program, I get a transparent screen with the desktop bleeding through. Very annoying.

 

[mtalinm]

yikes, just traded my SP3 and an S2 for an SP4 today. screen has already frozen once, and I've seen the display driver crash. oh no...

unfortunately, if I return it they'll only give me back the small amount of cash I paid for the device and not the two devices I traded for it. guess I should have thought about that...

 

[Philtastic]

I had to do an exchange within the first week because my keyboard port failed. Other than that, the screens have been great, no issues with wireless range so far, no flickering, no hard resets required. You probably have a malfunctioning unit.

I wonder if there's high rate of hardware defects this time around.

 

[nachonadal85]

Wich models have you got?

 

[No_ax_to_grind]

yikes, just traded my SP3 and an S2 for an SP4 today. screen has already frozen once, and I've seen the display driver crash. oh no...

unfortunately, if I return it they'll only give me back the small amount of cash I paid for the device and not the two devices I traded for it. guess I should have thought about that...

If you haven't done the 11/2 firmware update, do so. If that still doesn't fix it, reboot into UEFI. That fixed mine.

As for the other three unfortunate individuals in this thread, looks like they got bum units, particularly the OP.

Most of us have not had the problems cited though there's enough individuals with issues out there, including this thread, and on previous generations that one would have though MS would examine the manufacturing quality of their line.

 

[laestrella]

I too am on the fence about returning. I was very happy with my SP3. I just wanted more RAM and little or no fan noise. I've had a ton of issues with the SP4 and most issues have been fixed. However, my biggest complaint is battery life and just plain old instability, Everytime I turn on my computer there is some propblem. The problem is never consistent though. One day it's my display driver crashing, the next it's that my surface won't boot up with the keyboard attached, then my notification shade stops working, or touch stops working or requires a reboot. Sometimes the machine sleeps and sometimes it doesn't. I feel like I've fixed one problem and then another creeps up. I spent too much on this device and I don't want to regret my choice in a month.

My only concern is what to replace it with if I do take the device back.

 

[RichBrownsDesk]

After 10 days of the SP4, I can't take it anymore.

My Surface Pro 4 is a joke...even after doing the 11-2-15 update and I check multiple times a day for updates hoping for fixes. After 10 days, I can't even use it anymore. Outlook 2016 suddenly won't open after a sudden BSOD which happens frequently.

Wireless range is not very good.... my wife's new Dell E7450 has great connection in the other room while my SP4 connection is almost non-existent and drops. I ended up buying a second Netgear R7000, both configured as access points in our house configured with the same SSID's, same passwords, different channels and my wife's laptop will switch automatically between the two AP's for the strongest signal....the SP4 just stays connected at 40 Mbps to the weakest AP...won't automatically switch. I guess that's what we get with the horrible and cheap Marvel wireless chipset. For MS flagship they should be using Intel.

Light bleed at the bottom of the screen.

Random popping sounds from the audio.


I can't un-dock the SP4 and re-dock it with out rebooting because the screen flickers non-stop even after doing the 11-2-15 update.

My touch screen suddenly stops responding so I attach my Type Cover, which I like, to finish my work so that I don't lose hours of research by manually rebooting right away.

Our Surface Pro 3's had some issues when they came out, but this is HORRIBLE! I bought the SP4 to replace my office PC and SP3 and this thing is going back....it's junk.

I tried, Microsoft failed.

I'm a little puzzled as to why, if you were going back to the store any way, to get a new router to fix the problem, why you didn't just exchange the Pro 4 for a different one? That's a bit confusing to me.

 

[robertcan]

The SP4 is a brilliant piece of hardware, WHEN IT WORKS. That's saying a lot coming from an Apple guy. I believed enough in the SP4 to not give up when the first unit crashed beyond repair. So I replaced it. The experience with the second SP4 is far better, but it's still frustrating. Display driver crashes, slow wi-fi, intermittent pen disconnects and screen freezing. When it all works its a fun experience. When it doesn't work, I'm ready to return it.

MS blew the launch of SP4 and SB. Both platforms are experiencing their fair share of problems. Too many to be considered a successful product launch. The question remains, will MS make it all right for the consumer? I sure hope so. I'm counting on them to do the right thing and resolve the issues as quickly as possible.

Disappointed? Yes.
Ready to give up? Not yet.

 

[GreyFox7]

Actually I believe what you're dissatisfied with is Windows 10. Many of these issues are also being reported on other devices as well, that points to the software as the problem. Unfortunately, in a practical sense, the SP4 and Windows 10 are inextricably linked.