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Cykon · 04:48 PM

A little while ago, I dropped my iBook. Here's what happened:

I was sitting at my desk, and as I was getting up, my right foot got caught in the ethernet cable that was hooked into the iBook. I didn't really notice that it was caught, so I stood up, turned around and took my first step. The cable tightened and pulled on the iBook, yanking it off the desk. The cable caused me to trip, and the iBook went onto the ground. It was turned on at the time this all happened. The iBook landed flat on the bottom and the screen was still opened at the same angle it had been when it had been sitting on my desk.

Now, the iBook didn't really make a noise when it hit, and I think it may have hit my foot during the fall, slowing down the impact some, so I don't think it hit all that hard. It fell from a height of a little over 2 feet. Also, the room I'm in has carpet, but where the iBook hit happens to be the plastic rolling pad that my chair sits on.

As to the iBook itself, right after it hit, everything seemed fine, nothing appeared to be out of place at all. The screen was still working as it should, and everything else seemed perfectly functional too. I picked it up, turned it off and shook it a little to see if anything had loosened or broken off inside at all. It's still solid as a rock. The iBook starts up and shuts down just fine, and all operations appear perfectly normal as if the event never happened. There are no weird noises and the screen is in perfect condition... basically it appears and functions the exact same way it had before it got pulled off my desk.

Do any of you think it might have been damaged in some way that I can't see or detect here, or is it's perfect functionality a sign that I'm probably the luckiest person alive right now?

Ω · Jan 17, 2005, 04:55 PM

I would assume it is fine.

Maybe do the hardware test on it if you are paranoid, but most accounts on the iBook are that they are very robust machines.

KianD · Jan 17, 2005, 04:55 PM

I've dropped mine similar heights twice at this stage. Remember an iBook is basically made out of carbon fibre and magnesium - its pretty tough and can take a battering.

Kyros · Jan 17, 2005, 07:13 PM

About half a year ago, my dad did the same thing to his powerbook, probably same height, onto a concrete floor. The corner was a bit dented, but it still works fine. I think it's less luck and more apple doing a darn good job.

Phiber · Jan 19, 2005, 06:21 PM

Carbon fiber? Where?

KianD · Jan 19, 2005, 07:15 PM

Originally posted by Phiber:
Carbon fiber? Where?

Polycarbonate = Polymer of carbon fibres
Carbon Fibre = Polymer of carbon firbes

Different terminology, same meaning really. Minor differences, but the iBook is still made out of carbon fibre. And I believe the subframe is magnesium.

Phiber · Jan 19, 2005, 07:19 PM

Very nice. So are they painted white over the carbon fiber? Or is it a plastic covering? I would trade my left testicle for a carbon fiber iBook (in the nude.)

Learn something new every day.

discotronic · Jan 19, 2005, 07:42 PM

Originally posted by Phiber:
Very nice. So are they painted white over the carbon fiber? Or is it a plastic covering? I would trade my left testicle for a carbon fiber iBook (in the nude.)

Learn something new every day.

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Phiber · Jan 19, 2005, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by discotronic:
01100011011011110110111101101100001000000111001101 10100101100111

Isn't it? Awesome! Highly reccommended for anyone who has not read.

I want to change my name to Da5id. I figure it wouldn't be a huge change as my native name is already 'David.' <_< Although I am a geek like that.

KianD · Jan 20, 2005, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by Phiber:
Very nice. So are they painted white over the carbon fiber? Or is it a plastic covering? I would trade my left testicle for a carbon fiber iBook (in the nude.)

Learn something new every day.

Its smoothed and painted in the same way an F1 car is.

A bare carbon fibre casing would be cool but would probably be more brittle than a painted one.

KianD · Jan 20, 2005, 07:57 AM

I should probably point out that Polycarbonates are chemically simulated carbon fibre - its not woven, etc, which is why its a *lot* cheaper. Its also tougher in many ways - you wouldn't use normal carbon fibre in bullet proof glass.