ibook durability

[Soybomb]

I'm starting to seriously consider getting an apple laptop for a change so I can use osx. The powerbooks are cool, but pretty expensive so I figure I'd be getting an ibook. I just wondered if any ibook owners wanted to voice their opinions as to durability. I'm pretty rough on my laptop and my thinkpad has spoiled me by being built like a tank. If I get a ibook do I need to worrk about cracking the case or something? For example I knocked the thinkpad off the arm rest of my recliner onto the floor earlier by accident. It fell lid side down but was still running and no damage after the fall. I just don't want to have to buy another laptop in 6 months because I'm clumsy

 

[sk560]

what kind of floor r we talking here? concrete or carpeted?

 

[IgoByte]

Forget about it. Apple's notebooks just aren't built for that. The iBook's shell will scratch up if you don't take really good care of it. It's beauty over functionality for Apple. I've had two iBooks in the past and that was my experience. I actually had a ThinkPad T23 back then too and the iBooks just didn't compare.

 

[sk560]

yeah i do agree that ibook is not make for rough usage. i got it to run OS X.... i'm still having fun w/ my icebook. i'll get a powerbook later this yr

 

[hellomcfly]

ok apple laptops are not durable .. i worked as an intern at a mac store during my senior year .. i cant even begin to tell you how many people came in with trashed laptops.. (sooo many stories for each kind)

- the ibooks are covered with thin plastic that gets scratched very very easy !
- the older Ti-Powerbooks where not bad but had several come in with bent corners and scratches all over..
- the new Powerbooks are made from aircraft grade aluminum. they seem to be just ok... (this one guy dropped a paper weight on one with it lcd closed... dented it and smashed the lcd from the inside)
- all newer apple laptops have fairly flemsy neck joints on them and the clasp is also very weak ! make sure nothing is in the way when closing

- i own an ibook (i wanted powerbook but i just had to get one quickly for the internship and did not have the funds) and i treat it as though it was a peace of glass. it is always toted around in its case and i leave the peace of foam it comes with inbetween the keyboard and lcd when closed (keeps the finger oils off the screen)

- in closeing BUY APPLECARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- also if your laptop is dropped / knocked of a desk / powercord was tripped over ripping out the jack / ect ect .. it is considered abuse and will not be covered under warrently and basicly it is cheaper to get anew one.

- any questions or comments just ask
- and im not trying to make mac laptops sound bad .. i love mine .. you just have to really really treat them with care . enjoy

 

[GL]

I bought an iBook two months ago. I bring it a lot of places in a laptop bag and it's fine. Fingerprints easily get on the case and it can get scratched up. To be fair, mine is not scratched but it just seems like it is made of the type of plastic that could easily get scratched (due to its glossy finish). Besides that, I think it feels pretty sturdy. I've heard of a guy who chucks it in his schoolbag while he rides to school on his bike. It's in there rattling around with all his textbooks and it is fine. Apparently it fell out of his bag once and got pretty scratched up but still worked fine. YMMV. My suggestion is to buy a proper laptop bag with it. In fact, if you buy before the end of June you get a bag and a printer with your iBook I think. Though new Macs are heading our way pretty soon, I don't think the iBooks will be upgraded (they were just speed-bumped in April). Keep in mind that's always a possibility (hence the promotions going on with them).

 

[addragyn]

Which iBook?
There have been 2 different iBooks. The current white dual USB models, and the earlier rounded colored clamshells. Maybe some of the folks here are talking about the earlier model. Because the white iBooks are tough machines. I'm not familiar with the colored toilet seat models since I never bought a Mac until OS X.

For School, in School
Right from Apple.com, the iBook was designed for the inside of a backpack. I've been inside of one and it was very well constructed. The iBook was designed to be used by school children and it's adoption by many school districts bears this out. Henrico County purchased 23,000 iBooks for its students in the first volume iBook purchase. This has been followed by schools in ME(36,000), NC, CA and NJ. It they couldn't hold up it would've been in the press and there would not have been any other big iBook purchases.

Wear
Somebody mentioned scratches. That's wear, not a durability problem. If you don't want scretches just keep it away from edges and case it when not in use.

Laptop Durability
While good solid design definitely makes a difference in durability there are so many individual factors to consider. Some people are just harder on their stuff. Maybe the reason the laptop failed is that the disk was seeking when it hit the floor. There are so many variables to consider when something fails. Consider also that most laptops and their internal components are made by a few companies in Taiwan.

Saw Broken iBooks @ a Shop
So you worked at an Apple store and saw broken computers. Unless you saw a trend of the same problems within the same model it's hardly a damnation.

IMOHO
Apple builds some nice notebooks. Very pleased with the iBooks and the 17" PowerBooks. Not so impressed with the TiBooks in comparision. We now buy our notebooks from 2 companies, Apple & IBM. I've also had experience with Dell, Sony and Compaq. Apple and IBM both have a solid heft to them that feels like quality in my hands.

A Seperate Peace
Peace in the Mideast has not yet been found. Fortunately we can forget about things when we get a piece. If not maybe you can find peace by watching it happen on a piece of glass.