Surface Pro 3 update targets Wi-Fi problems

Microsoft has promised a fix for Surface Pro 3 users suffering from unreliable Wi-Fi.

The hybrid tablet device has been marred by complaints over connectivity issues since its release in April, but Redmond said a forthcoming update will solve the problem.

In a TechNet blog post, Microsoft employee J.C. Hornbeck announced that the impending patch will also address issues including how and when the device wakes from sleep and a bug affecting the system clock when battery is low.

He wrote that updates to the Wireless Network Controller and Bluetooth driver would ensure the Infra scan list is not empty while connected to a wireless display adapter, and will resolve an issue the Surface Pro 3 has in connecting to Cisco 1242 access points.

The update will also add customer-requested functionality to prefer 5Ghz connections when both a 2.4ghz and 5ghz connection are present with the same SSID.

Another fix will target the Home Button driver, preventing the device from accidentally waking up from sleep while being stored or carried around.

Microsoft recently slashed UK prices for the Surface Pro 3 by 10 per cent for education buyers, a move that tied directly into the promotion of the tablet as a laptop replacement for business users and schools.

Last month, the company was compelled to reiterate its commitment to serving enterprise customers with the Surface Pro line, with Brian Hall saying:

"Most businesses are buying Surface when their employees need a laptop and want to avoid having to buy and carry an iPad too. Surface Pro 3 serves as a full-powered business PC and a tablet, making for happy employees as well as happy CIOs and CFOs. One device means less to buy, deploy, manage and secure."

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella added: "With Microsoft Surface Pro 3 we are now offering an enterprise-class device that can deliver great end user productivity. Microsoft is putting its full and sustained support behind the ongoing Surface program as one of a number of great hardware choices for businesses large and small."