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iFixIt's teardown of the Surface Pro reveals that it's even more difficult to service than Apple's iPad.Our diabolical friends at iFixIt gave Microsoft's Surface Pro notebook/tablet the teardown treatment, and as always, they documented the surgery with plenty of pics every step of the way. It's a given that you need nerves of steel to tear into some of the devices that end up on iFixIt's operating table, and that's especially true of the Surface Pro, which scored a measly 1 out of 10 on iFixIt's Repairabilty scale (the higher the score, the easier it is to service).
That's worse than Apple's fourth generation iPad tablet, which scored a 2 out of 10, though woe is the user who attempts to service either device on their own. It can be done, though there's a high amount of risk involved.
On the bright side, the battery in the Surface Pro is not soldered to the motherboard, and the solid state drive is removable, though you risk killing the tablet by trying to open it. Those who brave opening the Surface Pro will find 90 screws inside the device.
"We're proponents of mechanical fasteners, but this number is a tad crazy," iFixIt says.
The real challenge, however, is removing the display assembly, which is comprised of a fused glass and LCD. iFixIt says it's "extremely difficult to remove/replace" because of the amount of adhesive holding everything together.
"Unless you perform the opening procedure 100 percent correctly, chances are you'll shear one of the four cables surrounding the display perimeter," iFixIt warns.
Lest anyone make a mountain out of a mole hill on this one, tablets aren't exactly known for being easy to repair at home. At the same time, it's something to consider with the Surface Pro, which is positioned as a full fledged notebook that pulls double duty as a tablet. If you're concerned about component failure, you may want to think about an extended warranty.
Image Credit: iFixIt
Comments are closed on this article
Eoraptor
February 14, 2013 at 2:38pm
wait... 90 screws inside, and yet the one component that's actually _likely_ to fail is the one item they decided to glue together...
I smell the unmistakeable stench of planned obsolescence at work here.
mhouston100
February 13, 2013 at 6:59pm
Does this mean that the SSD is potentially upgrade-able? I'm pretty sure that would be worth some people's time in the coming years..
Warrior247
February 13, 2013 at 5:34pm
C'mon really? Why does this matter and who the hell cares? Who is gonna tear open their Surface Pro or iPad anyway? This is just an attempt to pile on hate for the Surface Pro with a worthless review from a site nobody serious gives a damn about. If you spend money on electronics and you DON'T get yourself a good warranty to go with it then you have to do stupid stuff like this. Take that crap back and get a new one.
Engelsstaub
February 13, 2013 at 6:28pm
"Bwaaaa..."
If only the conclusion would have been that it is easier to service than the iPad...
"...a worthless review from a site nobody serious gives a damn about." You've been registered on this site for over four years.
Warrior247
February 13, 2013 at 7:08pm
Ummm...The "site" was "iFixIt". and NOTHING beats a good warranty against sh!tty electronic devices. Nice fail. Lots of clowns here.
Engelsstaub
February 13, 2013 at 8:55pm
Cool. You got me on the site mix-up. I thought you were talking about "this" site. I apologize.
...I still am not convinced that it's just "hate for the Surface Pro." They take all kinds of stuff apart and it's debatable whether this is important to anyone or not regardless of which device they deemed harder to repair.
I get what you're saying about the warranty, but don't most people who read MPC find things like user-repairability relevant?? I mean this is a site that caters mostly to DIY PC builders.
Warrior247
February 13, 2013 at 10:34pm
The Surface Pro has been receiving alot of hate lately for basically stupid sh!t. Complaints about the battery are unfounded when compared to the iPad 3's battery that won't even charge when it's plugged in with the supplied cord! I have an iPad 3 and can tell you first hand that battery life sucks (You want that pretty screen then it'll cost you in power). Now there are complaints about how hard it is fix? C'mon, some stuff just needs to be ignored and this is one of them. These companies didn't design these products with "you" going inside them in mind. Fixing it yourself is just as dumb. It'll cost you more in parts ("if" you can get em') labor and time, then it will if you just pay the warranty and get whole new tablet! It's just a REALLY stupid complaint.
Engelsstaub
February 14, 2013 at 1:08am
Alright, fair enough. Sorry for the tone in my original response. (I really thought you were talking about MaxPC and you weren't.)
Warrior247
February 14, 2013 at 1:22am
The only problem that I have with MaximumPC is that they seem to be behind the power curve when it comse to reporting news. Valve just fired a bunch of people. It's all over the web yet not here....hmmmmm. Of course Gabe is acting like Gabe in his response.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/14/layoffs-hit-valve
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/391101/steam-boss-jason-holtman-leaves-valve-amid-group-layoff-rumours/
fung0
February 13, 2013 at 11:46am
Batteries, especially on a pricy item like the Surface Pro, should always be user-removable/replaceable. There's a huge benefit in usability and longevity - and no huge design compromise required. For example, the new BlackBerry Z10 has an easily-removable battery, yet manages to be about as slick and sleek as Apple's latest phones. It can be done.
Baer
February 13, 2013 at 10:41am
The extended warranty is not that expensive and it covers everything including dropping it in the toilet.
Look, I build my own rigs but there are a few things that make no sense to try and repair yourself and a Tablet is one of them.As for one upping Apple, they are excellent innovators and then they ride the "cool" wave to get their fans to constantly upgrade but eventually the other very good consumer tech company's do one up them and the wave starts to hit the shore. Apple has to keep coming up with new waves (devices) in order to maintain their growth. I bought one of the first iPods, then I got the next generation, then I skipped a generation and now I have no intention of ever getting another one. iPhones seem to be going the same way. Someone who just traded their iPhone 4s for a 5 would probably skip the 5s this Summer, unless they are an idiot or a hyper fanboi.
So, how many of you are lusting over an Apple TV or an Apple watch? :-)
Peanut Fox
February 14, 2013 at 12:35am
Sony has already been doing an Android based watch for quite a while now. It'll be interesting to see if the release of an Apple watch will be much more popular, and if by extension it increases interest in the Sony product. Or you know, spawns a ton on clones.
This is more of a me thing, but I've always felt that if I feel like I need to purchase an extended warranty or insurance, it' probably not worth buying the actual product. As always you have to weigh the cost of the purchase, and the clumsiness of the individual ;)
