Just a few weeks after the launch of the
Surface RT tablet, some owners of the device are beginning to notice flaws in the both its operation and its hardware. A number of threads on Microsoft's support forums point out random muting and audio stuttering on some units while Surface is in use or in on standby. Other users have reported that the Touch Cover attachment -- one of Microsoft's main selling points for the device -- may be prone to splitting and fraying. Retail sources close to Microsoft tell
Electronista that the return rate on Touch Covers could be as high as one in five.
Electronista's source, a Microsoft retail employee, said that the tablet had seen brisk sales in the weeks since its release. Recently, though, customers have begun returning the Touch Cover, and internal service documentation seems to indicate that about one out of every five Touch Covers is experiencing this hardware issue.
Microsoft
according to
The Guardian, is replacing faulty covers for free. In a statement to
ZDNet, Microsoft
acknowledged the issue, saying that they are aware of "a small number of instances of material separation."