Consumer Reports is no longer recommending several Microsoft Surface laptops and tablets, reporting that approximately a quarter of the machines experience problems within two years of ownership.
Consumer Reports pulled recommendation of the 128GB and 256GB versions of the Microsoft Surface Laptop and the 128GB and 512GB versions of the Surface Book. Consumer Reports also said it won’t recommend other Microsoft laptops or tablets because of “poor predicted reliability in comparison to most other brands.”
Consumer Reports forms its recommendations through lab tests of products and surveys of subscribers who purchased 90,741 tablets and laptops between 2014 and the beginning of this year. Since Microsoft is somewhat new to hardware, this is the first year Consumer Reports has been able to measure reliability among Microsoft laptops.
In a statement to Consumer Reports, Microsoft defended the reliability of its products.
“Microsoft’s real-world return and support rates for past models differ significantly from Consumer Reports’ breakage predictability. We don’t believe these findings accurately reflect Surface owners’ true experiences or capture the performance and reliability improvements made with every Surface generation.”
Consumer Reports noted that the Surface Pro, whether in the form of tablet or with keyboard attached, performed very well in its lab tests.
Microsoft released the well-reviewed Surface Laptop in June, and it stands out due to its increased battery life and striking design. The Surface Book, a hybrid laptop and tablet, made its debut in 2015.
