Microsoft Surface devices are now easier to fix
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Microsoft has been sparing no effort to make its Surface line of laptops easier to repair. The repairability of these devices is a major consumer pain point today. But with the unveiling of the much improved Surface Laptop 3 last October, it appears that the world’s leading software maker has started to address the problem.
The main issue with irrepairable Surface devices
According to a professional assessment by iFixit, Laptop Surface 3 predecessors are not designed to be opened or fixed. These devices have a zero repairability rating on the website.
You can’t get inside without inflicting a lot of damage. The CPU, RAM, and onboard storage are soldered to the motherboard, making upgrades a no-go.
With Surface laptops facing stiff competition from devices like MacBook Air, Dell XPS 13, and HP Spectre x360, Microsoft had to do something to remain competitive. The company had to find the perfect balance between elegant design, performance, and repairability. Laptop Surface 3 appears to address these three issues.
What makes Laptop Surface 3 easier to fix
Laptop Surface 3 features several detachable parts, something that lacked in its predecessors. For example, it has removable storage. Instead of soldering internal components to the motherboard, Microsoft uses simple magnets to hold these parts together.
The new Laptop Surface design is music to the ears of hardware technicians and DIY computer repair enthusiasts since it makes it easier to replace or fix removable components. The device is expensive, so lowering its maintenance costs by making it repairable endears it more to many Surface users.
As if to give the thumbs up to the latest Surface design, iFixit gave the device a repairability score of five. That’s way better than any score that Mac devices have ever got on the website. Many users still consider MacBooks to be a lot difficult to open or fix.
Microsoft is undoubtedly on the right path toward reaching the laptop repairability standards that rivals like HP or Dell have set.
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