Microsoft strongly defends the Surface against Consumer Reports

File photo: A sign marks the Microsoft office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. January 25, 2017. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Consumer Reports earlier this week came out with a survey that says Surface owners are more likely to discover failures and errors as their computer approaches its two-years anniversary. The consumer advocacy group pulled the Surface's "recommended" rating as a result. After disputing Consumer Reports' findings in a short statement, Microsoft posted a blog post to defend the Surface line.

Penned by Microsoft Devices vice president Panos Panay, Microsoft's blog post is titled "We stand behind Surface," which is exactly what we'd expect from Microsoft. That's not to say that Consumer Reports is wrong in its findings, although the company was wrong before when reviewing certain devices. But it's definitely expected for Microsoft to strongly defend what's arguably one of the best Windows family of computers in town.

The Surface laptops and desktop propose users a high-end experience akin to what's available on the Mac, at least for Microsoft.

"The Surface Team's mission is and has always been to make devices that deliver great experiences to our customers and fans," Panay said. "It's the motivation for everything we do, and we are proud of the Surface devices we have built."

"This is why today's Consumer Reports survey is disappointing. While we respect Consumer Reports, we disagree with their findings," he continued."

He then explained that the Surface team tracks quality constantly, using metrics that include failure and return rates. He said that Microsoft's predicted 1-2-year failure and real return numbers are significantly lower than Consumer Reports' 25% claim, at least for two particular models, including the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book.

The exec also said that Microsoft is tracking incidents per unit, a metric that has improved from generation to generation and it's currently at record lows of well below 1%.

"We are proud of our products and the amazing things our customers are doing with them," Panay added. "We stand firmly behind the quality and reliability of the Surface family of devices, and I can confidently tell you there has never been a better time to buy a Surface." Microsoft blog post is available here.

What's interesting to note is that Consumer Reports removed its recommended rating from all the new Surface devices that Microsoft launched this year, including the Surface Pro, Surface Book, and Surface Laptop -- read the full report at this link.