Consumer Reports Ditches Microsoft Recommendations

A blow for Microsoft: Consumer Reports says it can't currently recommend any of the company's laptops or tablets. Four Microsoft Surface laptops used to have the publication's "recommended" designation, but those recommendations have now been pulled. The magazine says it made the decision based on an annual subscriber survey that examined more than 90,000 tablets and laptops, with individuals deeming Microsoft Surface laptops significantly worse at "predicted reliability" than most other brands. The publication says Microsoft's laptops and tablets have breakage rates (meaning something will happen that keeps the product from working as expected) of 25% within two years of being purchased.

Microsoft responded to the news via email to USA Today, saying that "every generation of Surface surpasses its predecessors in performance and in reliability" and asserting that "return and support rates are in line if not lower than industry average for devices in the same class." Microsoft also gave a statement to Consumer Reports questioning the accuracy of the survey results. The survey found Apple to be the most reliable brand, Reuters reports. (More Microsoft Surface stories.)