In recent months, major manufacturers have made efforts regarding the right to repair, to allow users to repair their devices in the event of a problem. And the latest in this area is Microsoft, which is nevertheless coming a long way: In a press release sent to iFixit, the Redmond company explains that the latest Surface Pro 9 is designed to be repairable.
guides and parts
Microsoft says that guides for repairing the product will be publicly available and that the following parts can be replaced: screen, battery (which is no longer glued), motherboard, cooling system, SSD – this was already the case in several previous models, although the M. 2 2230 format is not the most common —, the back support, the various connectors and buttons, the back cover and the two cameras. The parts will be available in the United States in the networks approved by the company in early 2023 and to independent repairers and the public a little later in the year. The new Surface Pro 9 tablet has also achieved a pretty decent score from iFixit: 7/10.
You may have noticed the absence of one component on the list: RAM. The reason is simple: Microsoft, like Apple and the majority of laptop manufacturers, uses LPDDR memory in its computers. This memory uses less (LP means low current) and offers higher performance than classic DDR, but it has one flaw: it has to be soldered to the motherboard and is not available in the form of rods. It is therefore impossible to update it.
It remains to be seen how Microsoft will handle repairs with the public and (especially) how much the parts will cost. In the case of Apple, for example, the various tasks require the rental of a tool kit (at $49), and certain operations are no more financially interesting than going to the store.
Apple’s self-service repair program extended to M1 Macs
.