I get what you are saying with the Surface and the nature of that idea I found a lot more troubling when their old policy was to send a “serviceable unit” which was not always in the same condition as the one you sent them, if you were careful with your gear.
The current policy, which is to usually exchange with new (built specifically for exchange) or truly refurbished as Apple does with their phones is far more friendly to the user and makes the form factor much more appealing than in the past.
Instead of sending it in and waiting for parts as you do with Apple, you can do an advanced exchange.
That’s still not to say it is a substitute for easily repairable onsite service as you would get with Lenovo, Dell, etc. but it is at least a bit more equitable than some of the tales I have heard of people waiting weeks for a top case from Apple.
That and Apples high deductibles on top of the Apple + is ridiculous. It is kind of like paying $600 for an auto club membership and then having to pay an additional $99 to $200 per call if you get a flat or need a tow.
