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Consumer Reports Refuses To Recommend Microsoft Surface Book 2 (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the something-to-know dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Earlier in the year, the review group said that problems with reliability meant that it was impossible for it to recommend any Microsoft laptop or tablet. Now Consumer Reports says that this extends to the Surface Book 2, meaning that the device will not be recommended. Microsoft is likely to be similarly disappointed with Consumer Reports' statement about the Surface Book 2. Speaking to Benzinga, Consumer Reports' spokesperson James McQueen said: "We will evaluate the performance of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 once we get it into our labs next month for testing, but we will not be able to recommend it. Our decision to withhold our recommendation of all Microsoft laptops and tablets is still in effect."

11 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. I don't get CR process. by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why bring up a recommendation when you haven't tested it.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    1. Re:I don't get CR process. by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They didn't change anything. Their stance is "We don't recommend Microsoft Hardware" (or there about). There is no change, and they announced they haven't changed. This is a non-story about a non-story.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    2. Re:I don't get CR process. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      It's based on their survey results. In order to jump from buggy POS to solid gold turd will take a lot of polishing from a company not noted for releasing polished or reliable products.

      https://www.consumerreports.org/laptop-computers/microsoft-surface-laptops-and-tablets-not-recommended-by-consumer-reports/

    3. Re:I don't get CR process. by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The real story here is that an organization that does professional reviews is unwilling to give a product an opportunity to convince them their preconceived notions regarding it are wrong.

      An honest reviewer must always be willing to dismiss their preconceived notions regarding a product should the real thing either exceed or fail to live up to them. They need to be able to set aside their petty tribalism, their personal preferences, and any rumors they may have heard about the product, instead judging it based purely on what it actually is.

      Pre-announcing your decision before you even have the product in your hands is a way of indicating that you're unwilling to do that. That you won't allow yourself to be convinced. That you're being intellectually dishonest with yourself. Why would anyone trust that reviewer?

    4. Re:I don't get CR process. by Solandri · · Score: 5, Informative

      CR typically doesn't get a big enough sample size (from its subscribers during their annual survey) for a single product within a single year to generate a reliability score within a statistically significant confidence interval. Consequently, they use a multi-year sliding window average of reliability to build up sample size. This has the unfortunate effect of conflating different year models, but the operating premise is that a brand's attitudes towards quality and reliability stays more or less consistent.

      By pre-announcing that they're not going to recommend Microsoft Surface this year, they're basically saying the product's reliability in previous years was so low that even if the new model turns out to be 100% reliable in their survey, its multi-year sliding window average will still be so low that they can't recommend the product.

      You can see this in action in their auto reports. In deference to their subscriber base (who is typically clueless about statistics) they won't throw around terms like confidence interval and standard deviation. But some of the less-popular cars will have an asterisk saying they have an insufficient sample size. Even if they do have a big enough sample size, I actually prefer the sliding window method (with decreasing weighting the older the data is). It avoids the situation where with the new year, everyone's slate is wiped clean. If you have a history of making crappy products, it makes it harder for you to pull yourself out of the pit you've dug yourself into.

      Personally, I really like the specs of the Surface of Surface Books. But I won't touch them for the simple reason that they're impossible to repair. If you're gonna buy one, make sure you get a multi-year extended warranty with it.

    5. Re: I don't get CR process. by orlanz · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Mod parent up please. The post makes more sense than almost all the others here so far.

  2. Credibility by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 3, Funny

    Consumer Reports has credibility and a dedication to science and the truth; if they don't recommend a product, they have damned good reasons backing that up.

  3. Re:Where's Half the article? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The reason is given in the first sentence, where it says they won't recommend due to hardware reliability problems with past Surface models. Once they receive concrete reliability data for this model, they may change their stance on recommendation if the reliability measures well. Until then it's fair to not recommend it.

    Also, I'm going to make fun of your "ect, ect" where you misspell a simple, common, three-letter abbreviation wrong not once, but twice in a row.

  4. Re:who got them butt-hurt by Ichijo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As long as they explain their reasoning, I think not recommending it at this time is a good alternative to waiting for a year's worth of repair data before publishing the review.

    --
    Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
  5. Re:They recommended my exploding Samsung washer to by kamapuaa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not really. If Toyota releases a mid-range commuter car you can assume it will be reliable due to the company's history and that the vehicle is based on established technology. Likewise, if Ford releases a fuel-cell sports car, you can assume it will be less reliable.

    Microsoft has a history of making shoddy hardware, and the fact that they've upgraded the latest model doesn't mean they get to start with a completely clean slate.

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  6. Re:Well... kinda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    As a Ridgeline owner, I can say that all of those "truck things" you mention are not a problem for it. It has a total passenger+cargo+towing capacity of 7000 lbs, which is quite enough for most people. For those that need more, Ford is going to sell you an F250 or F350, not an F150.

    Specifically:
    - Sheetrock lays flat in the bed of a Ridgeline. It hangs out the back. But it does that in an F150, too, and won't lay flat on the ones from 11 years ago, when the Ridgeline first hit the market.
    - The bed cleans just fine with a hose.
    - The tiedowns work like tiedowns, and quite well, TYVM. From 2006-2008, there were only 3 pairs of tie-downs, from 2009 onward there are 4 pairs.
    - It can quite easily carry tools. Then again, so can a 1992 Ford Escort. Tools aren't heavy or large, typically.
    - It can go off-road, as the mud/sand/snow isn't too deep (deeper than 15 inches and you're pretty screwed, especially in mud) and you're a decent off-road driver. This is the same as any other work truck.

    That all said, the Ridgeline is an Accord on a tall frame. And yes, there are F150's that are just as comfy and spacious. But none of that makes that particular CR recommendation a bad one.

    TL;DR: Parent poster passed judgement without evidence. News at 11.