Microsoft Loses Consumer Reports Recommendation on 4 Laptops

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) took a hit on Thursday after the consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports said that it would be pulling its recommendation for four Microsoft laptops. This opposition was the result of poor predicted reliability in comparison with most other brands, not to mention consumer complaints lodged against the products.

This decision specifically deals with Microsoft devices with detachable keyboards, such as the new Surface Pro released in June and the Surface Book, as well as the company’s Surface Laptops with conventional clamshell designs.

According to the consumer advocacy group:

To judge reliability, Consumer Reports surveys its subscribers about the products they own and use. New studies conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center estimate that 25% of Microsoft laptops and tablets will present their owners with problems by the end of the second year of ownership.

Keep in mind that Microsoft is relatively new to the hardware business, and this is the first year Consumer Reports had enough data to estimate predicted reliability for the company’s laptops.

Microsoft’s estimated breakage rate for its laptops and tablets was higher than most other brands’ and the difference was statistically significant enough to warrant this response.

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Microsoft defended its products in a statement:

Microsoft’s real-world return and support rates for past models differ significantly from Consumer Reports’ breakage predictability. We don’t believe these findings accurately reflect Surface owners’ true experiences or capture the performance and reliability improvements made with every Surface generation.

Shares of Microsoft were last seen down 0.6% at $72.05, with a consensus analyst price target of $80.19 and a 52-week range of $55.61 to $74.42.