The Surface Pro is doing almost perfectly in reviews so far. That’s a good thing, since it looks like the potential for repairs is not so great. iFixit has recently released their assessment of the Surface Pro, complete with an assessment of its reparability. Let’s just say that this didn’t go nearly as well for the new tablet as Microsoft would like people to think was the case.
The Microsoft Surface Pro tablet got the lowest possible score on the ten point scale employed by this site, in fact. Between the use of huge quantities of adhesive and over 90 screws, it just isn’t made to be dissected by pretty much anybody. Not many tablets could expect to receive a 1/10 from iFixit.
The screen was only able to come loose after some very professional poking with guitar picks and heat guns. Apparently it took quite a while. Even then, it’s safe to assume that anybody who performed similar acts on the Surface Pro would end up completely destroying the device. The amount of adhesive used was a subject of note on multiple occasions and the consistency was compared to tar throughout the teardown.
The biggest point in favor of the Surface Pro is the SSD. Technically this is the most easily exchanged part of the whole device. Because of the incredibly secured design of the whole package, unfortunately, there is very little chance of getting to the drive without causing damage. It is likely that any efforts to access the storage will result in major damage to essential parts of the device before you get there. This means that most users are stuck with what they purchase even if the desire to upgrade is strong.
When it comes to tablets, there isn’t really supposed to be a lot of room for upgrades. These are devices that should not be purchased with such things in mind. That said, there is little chance that anybody besides Microsoft’s support department is going to be performing repairs on there with positive results. It’s a particularly bad sign when even the iPad is rated more accessible than anything else, but that’s what we’re dealing with right now.
If you want the greatest possible security for your device, it’s probably best to make sure you buy it directly from Microsoft. Getting Microsoft Complete for the Surface Pro will cost another $99, but it’s fairly complete coverage and will do a lot to ensure that you’re never without your device for the first two years you own it. This isn’t the sort of thing you can take in to anybody else, including Microsoft’s retail partners, so it’s best to cover yourself in any way you can.
