[pwrmacg4]

How durable are Mac laptops (past&present)? I currently have Macbook and small part of casing tore off.

Previously had 17" G4 Titanium, and the hinge didn't shut completely (bought it used that way).

Form over function? Maybe I should get a Dell???

[ibook_steve]

First of all, there never was a 17" Titanium. It was either 15" or aluminum. In either case, if you bought it that way directly from Apple or an Apple store (instead of somebody reselling), you should have taken it back for a warranty repair. If it was from a third party, it's pretty obvious that they damaged the computer in some way before selling it to you.

As for your MacBook, what does "a small part of the casing tore off" mean? It was sitting on a desk and suddenly part of the case flew off, or you dropped it or mishandled it in some way that caused the damage?

I don't see how either of your examples (without more facts) is enough to question the quality of an Apple portable computer. I have never had any case problems with any of may machines. I can't say the same for the Dell portables I've seen. Maybe if you provided more details, you might get a more informative response.

Steve

[SierraDragon]

I have owned Mac laptops since the Duos, and although not 100% bomb-proof, they are very durable. End of story.

-Allen Wicks

[klb5090]

probably not going to survive a fall from a great distance onto concrete or make it through a bath in the tub but in my opinion I believe mac laptops are much more durable than comparable brands (not including Panasonic toughbooks). I've seen enough Sony Vaio laptops of friends that don't shut because the latches broke or Toshiba's and HP's missing more keys than it has left.

[Kyros]

Originally Posted by klb5090 

probably not going to survive a fall from a great distance onto concrete or make it through a bath in the tub but in my opinion I believe mac laptops are much more durable than comparable brands (not including Panasonic toughbooks). I've seen enough Sony Vaio laptops of friends that don't shut because the latches broke or Toshiba's and HP's missing more keys than it has left.

I don't know about "great distance," but both my dad and I have dropped our 12 inch powerbooks from carrying height (I guess 2-3 feet or so?) onto concrete and they both survived fine, minus cosmetic damage (bit of a dent in the corner).

[mduell]

The plastic cased Mac laptops (MacBooks, iBooks) are comparable to the Dell Latitudes in terms of build quality. The metal cased Mac laptops (MacBook Pros, PowerBooks, MacBook Air) are much more prone to denting when dropped; they're nothing like the metal cased ThinkPads.

[pwrmacg4]

Current macbook is plastic I think, might be durable but it seems
fragile, hollow (cover).
Older ibook was polycarbonate?
I had hp laptop (hard plastic) I dropped& there was no ill effects.
The casing was cracked but it did its job.

My macbook edge is peeling off. (front- where you open the laptop& there is a sleeping light). I think harder plastic/metal would make me more confident.

Is this not possible? 17" powerbook g4 had aluminum case
but scratched very easily like ipod nano (if my memory is correct). I believe PC laptops don't (seem to) scratch so easily.

In other words, apples laptops seem fragile - casing is thin or hollow... To make them light?

[pwrmacg4]

current macbooks dont even have a latch

[shrugs*]

I'm constantly traveling with my notebooks for work/school. I do not mistreat my hardware, but I'm not going to treat a tool like a newborn baby

IMHO the plastic macs are above most PC notebooks (Latitudes, Inspirons) and close/en par with the higher end (pre-Lenovo Thinkpads).

Plastic Macbooks notebooks has a fair amount of flex in the body (picking it up from one corner), but still feels sturdy as the entire frame flexes together. I've had a number of Dell latitudes come/go for work, and certain areas were 'less together' than others.. like during the corner-pick up you could easily guess where components were secured just by what shifted/creaked/moved. I've dropped my Macbook from a 4' ledge onto carpet (landed on it's side with the lid open like an L)... she's still good Although, I think my old iBook felt a little sturdier..

The aluminum macs are in a class of their own. My old 12" PB was with me during a very mischievous point in my life and experienced worst condition mobile warrior conditions.... after being dropped countless times onto hardwood floors, sliding out of a moving SUV and being slept on nearly every night she was beat the f up but still functional. 4 years into it's life left front quarter of the frame was bent upwards, but with some muscle I bent it back and everything (oddly enough) lined up again I'm always amazed the LCD lid doesn't put pressure at certain points of the screen (causing that weird distortion of colours/brightness) after years of abuse. Although I can't comment on a MBP yet since I haven't used one for longer than a few weeks.

[pcryan5]

<>I do not mistreat my hardware, but I'm not going to treat a tool like a newborn baby

Amen!
I travel a lot with my MBP - work - home and all over the USA. Never a problem to date. Something I could not say for my Toshiba or my (good old) TI 1000 that I left in the hands of airport security in Dallas when it flat out died there. (This is the last straw! Keep the damn thing!)

[shrugs*]

Ti 1000?

[floydp]

Is there a Mac with bad build quality? I've had my Macbook for just over a year and its easily the best built laptop I've had. I'm comming from a Dell Inspiron 8600 that creaks and moans just like my old joints do getting out bed in the morning. Bought my daughter a Gateway lappy a couple years ago that one drop off her bed onto the carpet killed. Also have a 4 year old Gateway M505X that I use for different Distro's of Linux and its build quality is superior to the Dell but pales in comparison to the Macbook. I think the Macbook is one of the best values in laptops today.

[pcryan5]

opps my bad - Toshiba T1000

[Koralatov]

I have (and use daily) a 466MHz Clamshell iBook, and it’s built like a tank. I’ve dropped it whilst standing up and bashed it against door-frames whilst carrying it by the handle and there’s not a mark on it. It’s definitely a case of “they don’t make ‘em like that any more”: I have never come across a more rugged laptop. This is quite possibly because it was intended for schools, and thus rough treatment. I’ve heard similarly good things about the duarbility of the Powerbook G3s.

Both my little brother and old flatmate have MacBooks, and I’ve used both quite extensively. Whilst they’re not as solid as the iBook is (understandable considering they weigh almost 2lb less), they’ve both seemed very solid, well-constructed machines. My former flatmate takes excellent care of his; my brother isn’t quite so tender. After nearly a year of ownership, he’s had no problems whatsoever—no chipping or warping of the case, and only light scratching.

I can’t comment on the build-quality of the Pro lines, but if the consumer lines are anything to go by, I’d say it would be excellent. Overall, Apple’s laptops are pretty much the best built I’ve ever used—much better than comparably-priced PCs.

[acoustix]

The front lip edge of the MacBook is not extremely durable. The little detent on the lid acts like a little hammer on it and eventually can crack it right off. I keep mine on a riser and never move it or close it and I have a slight mark where the crack would be. Some of the original cases (which mine is) also discolored, but I got mine just after they stopped using that bad plastic.

[zenomax]

The front edge of my early black macbook has cracked and delaminated, undoubtedly because of the hammerlike action of the small protuberance on the lid mentioned by acoustix. A strip about 1 1/2" x 1 mm x 1 mm, part of the edging for the top surface, has come off the edge just above the sleep light. And a similar, but shorter, strip off of the right side. I've heard many similar stories.

And the hinges on my three ti-book (or aluminum) G4s have all had serious problems.

Apple is a great company, but not immune to design defects (don't even get me started on the power cords for apple laps before the magsafe!).

[ctt1wbw]

Don't think that just because you're getting a Dell, you're getting better build quality. Neither Dell nor Apple makes their own laptops, so don't equate relative build quality with the name that's on the machine.

[tridentinecanon]

Hasn't this been discussed on these forums before? I don't think anything has changed. The build quality is good and most people don't break their Apple laptops.

When buying a laptop computer, are you seriously asking whether you should go with one brand over another in anticipation of you dropping the computer? If Apple made it's computers out of glass, I could understand, but of all the things to compare...

[forumhound]

My fall 2007 mbp was sitting in a case slung to the back of a cafe chair and i picked the case up somehow upside down and the mbp tumbled out onto the concrete sidewalk. it made a really sick sound and everyone looked at me while i had to pretend, oh no big deal, all will be well. I went inside the cafe crapping bricks and looked it over: no cracked glass just a few small dents in the case and a scratch or two. Booted up just fine and has been running great for several months now. I am sure I could not have gotten away with that trick with a dell or sony (I HAVE cracked the glass on a TR3). So I am pretty impressed with the build quality of apple notebooks. I did have a bad superdrive (went bad before the drop) and was replaced after the drop. The case opened up nicely as not even that was damaged seriously.

I do have one dead pixel (not sure when that popped up) and that is a disappointment. Not expected in this day and age. So my only real complaint would be "why not put a colored dot next to the line in jack, or something like a colored plug...I keep putting the input line into the headphone jack and visa versa. maybe macs are made for people with memories.

Oh, the 85w power brick is a joke. I went thru 3 of them already (before the drop). All replace nicely by Apple shop. The last one I got was the older model (the one that's supposed to smoke and burn). It was attached to the demo machine at the shop and had been running for 6 months already, so I figured I would try that one, as the new models DO NOT work in Nepal with our bad power situation, no matter how much you try and protect it. So far so good. I have the old model attached and new one in a box just waiting. So advice: get two.

Cheers!
ccfccp

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by pwrmacg4 

How durable are Mac laptops (past&present)? I currently have Macbook and small part of casing tore off.

Previously had 17" G4 Titanium, and the hinge didn't shut completely (bought it used that way).

Form over function? Maybe I should get a Dell???

Many people here will tell you, based on prior experience, that the quality of Apple laptops is second to none. This was certainly once the case, but in my opinion it is no longer true, and started to go downhill once Apple moved the 2nd generation iBooks from Ice to Snow (and the shells started to crack from the lower grade plastic used)

Again, in my opinion, the quality (not the design) of Apple products, in both hardware and software, has been slowly declining.

There really is no better gauge of quality than looking at how long the company thinks the product will last. Apple only offers a 1yr warranty on even their most expensive products ($2800).
If you're concerned about warranty, get a Toshiba Satellite Pro ($750) which includes a standard 2yr warranty, or a Tecra ($1250) with it's standard 3yr warranty.
If you're concerned about accidentally damaging your laptop, get Toshiba's accidental damage protection

[shrugs*]

I do have one dead pixel (not sure when that popped up) and that is a disappointment. Not expected in this day and age.

1 out of 1.7million isn't too bad when referencing the ISO 'guidelines' :

ISO 13406-2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[forumhound]

Ha! maybe its more then one...small gray blob and as a designer, its irritating as my eye often scans confuses it for something else, like a small gray blob on the art. but considering i've dropped this thing, and oh, i forgot to mention a detail of the above story, as i went to try and catch the laptop before it hit the ground i swing around and knocked over a pitcher of water on the table. so the laptop landed with a sickening sound and then there was ice water pouring over the table top right onto the laptop, so considering all that, one small dead pixel blob is no big deal...

[Jasoco]

Originally Posted by zenomax 

The front edge of my early black macbook has cracked and delaminated, undoubtedly because of the hammerlike action of the small protuberance on the lid mentioned by acoustix. A strip about 1 1/2" x 1 mm x 1 mm, part of the edging for the top surface, has come off the edge just above the sleep light. And a similar, but shorter, strip off of the right side. I've heard many similar stories.

"CrackBook"


This just happened this morning about 10 minutes ago. And now I notice that it is starting to happen on the other side (Right side) too. I'm taking it to the local MacOutfitters to see about getting it replaced. I bought it only last June.

[tridentinecanon]

I'm surprised this thread is still breathing. I suppose it could go on forever if every person added their anecdotal side story about how their Apple laptop has broken in one way or another.

Again, most Apple laptop owners do not question the durability of the computer before they buy it and they don't experience shortcomings in durability or quality for the time they own it.

If you're THAT concerned about it, get an APP, a Speck hardshell protective case (or similar), a "durable" bag, one of those Marware protection packs, an iSkin keyboard cover, some trackpad film...

[forumhound]

Originally Posted by tridentinecanon 

Again, most Apple laptop owners do not question the durability of the computer before they buy it and they don't experience shortcomings in durability or quality for the time they own it.

ha tridentinecanon! I have yet to meet an apple owner who is not just the opposite. Maybe its different in Asia, where most peeps think about the justification of a single rupee more for like products. And its also rare to meet anyone that does NOT have some experience with quality shortcomings these days, now that everything is coming out of mainland China. Perhaps the east/west difference there is how much one complains about them. Cheers!

[tridentinecanon]

Originally Posted by forumhound 

ha tridentinecanon! I have yet to meet an apple owner who is not just the opposite. Maybe its different in Asia, where most peeps think about the justification of a single rupee more for like products. And its also rare to meet anyone that does NOT have some experience with quality shortcomings these days, now that everything is coming out of mainland China. Perhaps the east/west difference there is how much one complains about them. Cheers!

I understand your sentiment and your perspective. However, I don't think our views are necessarily separated by geography as much as they are by demographics.

Apple sells top-quality machines. Made in China or not, they are, and always will be, subject to the imperfection of human design. IMO, most people accept this as a given and, again, do not question the durability of a computer as they would, say, a car, or a hammer. They are concerned with the tech specs: CPU, memory, graphics, hard drive, software, etc.

[Full-Auto]

I've owned Dell, Toshiba, Sony, HP, and IBM laptops before switching to Mac. None of the notebooks mentioned, prior to the Mac, have lasted long. My MB has been doing daily carry duty for over 2 years now and while it's showing a few signs of wear, it's in top working order. Over the same course of time my previous laptops required pretty hefty service ranging from monitors failing, keyboards failing, logic boards burning out, etc.

I'm sticking with Mac's.

[ctt1wbw]

Remember the G3 Wallstreet Powerbook? Mine lasted almost 7 years. I'm sticking with Macs, as well.

[Wiskedjak]

It's interesting that this thread is coming up now. I just noticed a crack forming in my 13 month old MacBook.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by ctt1wbw 

Remember the G3 Wallstreet Powerbook? Mine lasted almost 7 years. I'm sticking with Macs, as well.

The Wallstreet was a different era.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

The Wallstreet was a different era.

You’re absolutely right. Whilst I think the modern MacBooks are well-built, they’re not a patch on the G3-era in terms of durability. As I said previously, the Clamshell is built like a tank, and the PB G3 is similarly hardy. I think, to a certain extent, Apple's obsession with shaving off inches and pounds has led to a certain loss of durability. As with everything, though, it’s a trade-off: you either get a thin and light laptop, or one built for punishment. I’m not sure you can have both.

That said, if I was moving around with a laptop a lot, I’d choose a MacBook over my iBook any day purely on the weight factor.

[Lumchan]

I used to own a white iBook and it was a lot more durable than my MacBook. I am having the same issue with part of the casing chipping/falling off where I pick it up. I've owned several Macs, and this is the first time I can complain about the quality of the casing. I really hope Apple considers this when updating the MacBook.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Lumchan 

... this is the first time I can complain about the quality of the casing. I really hope Apple considers this when updating the MacBook.

I know I'll be considering it when I'm in the market for a new laptop. I like Macs, but not so much that I'll ignore declining quality.

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

I know I'll be considering it when I'm in the market for a new laptop. I like Macs, but not so much that I'll ignore declining quality.

At the risk of sounding like a troll, is a PC laptop going to be any better? I have several friends with a variety of brands of laptop that have a variety of different issues; some of them have chipped cases, some of them have temperamental screens, some of of them have dodgy optical drives. In light of this, I’m not sure Apple’s laptops are any worse than the competition, and—in my experience—seem to be better. (I’m talking purely hardware here, not software.)

I think, ultimately, that the homogenous nature of the Mac market distorts the scale of the problems their laptops face. There is one MacBook (with three submodels), the same number of MBPs and two submodels of MBA—compare this to the myriad models offered solely by Dell, let alone other manufacturers. As such, anecdotal evidence of defects will build up much faster for Macs than for an obscurely-numbered PC laptop.

[Full-Auto]

Originally Posted by Koralatov 

At the risk of sounding like a troll, is a PC laptop going to be any better? I have several friends with a variety of brands of laptop that have a variety of different issues; some of them have chipped cases, some of them have temperamental screens, some of of them have dodgy optical drives. In light of this, I’m not sure Apple’s laptops are any worse than the competition, and—in my experience—seem to be better. (I’m talking purely hardware here, not software.)

I think, ultimately, that the homogenous nature of the Mac market distorts the scale of the problems their laptops face. There is one MacBook (with three submodels), the same number of MBPs and two submodels of MBA—compare this to the myriad models offered solely by Dell, let alone other manufacturers. As such, anecdotal evidence of defects will build up much faster for Macs than for an obscurely-numbered PC laptop.

I completely agree. I'm 40 years old and I've been around computers since... well, since laptops first appeared and I've been buying them pretty much since the first Compaq "lugable".

The quality of the current Mac laptops rival, if not significantly exceed, the quality of their competition. Of the Dell's, HP's, Toshiba's, Compaq (before HP), Sony's, Gateways, IBM's, etc. that I've owned... my MB and MBP have out lived and out performed them.

I have taken my MB all across this country on business, stuffed away in less than ideal places and it's been somewhat abused... yet it keeps on ticking. Yes, it has the cracked case but I really don't care. I love and trust that little guy.

As for my MBP, I have not seen anything from any of the PC makers that rivals it in looks, quality or performance... not for the money. And I've seen my friends XPS's and Alienware laptops... sure, they're speedy for games but I use my MBP mostly for work. Aside from the speed, my MBP has them both beat in terms of quality and overall good looks. In the usefulness department, any Mac has any PC beat (I wouldn't have said that 3 years ago).

Until something seriously improves with the PC makers and Vista gets mothballed, I'll be a Mac guy.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Koralatov 

At the risk of sounding like a troll, is a PC laptop going to be any better? I have several friends with a variety of brands of laptop that have a variety of different issues; some of them have chipped cases, some of them have temperamental screens, some of of them have dodgy optical drives. In light of this, I’m not sure Apple’s laptops are any worse than the competition, and—in my experience—seem to be better. (I’m talking purely hardware here, not software.)

I think, ultimately, that the homogenous nature of the Mac market distorts the scale of the problems their laptops face. There is one MacBook (with three submodels), the same number of MBPs and two submodels of MBA—compare this to the myriad models offered solely by Dell, let alone other manufacturers. As such, anecdotal evidence of defects will build up much faster for Macs than for an obscurely-numbered PC laptop.

Unlike the "Mac market", the PC market is not homogeneous. I don't think of the computing market in terms of Mac vs. PC. It's Apple vs Dell vs Sony vs Fujitsu vs LG vs Asus vs Toshiba vs Panasonic etc ... You're right some of those brands are no better than Macs in terms of build quality. Some are worse. Some are better.

Fujitsu and Sony both make some quite nice laptops (in some cases, rivaling Macs, IMO). Toshiba has a reputation for making some pretty tough laptops in the past (I have an 11 year old Tecra that is still ticking despite it's many beatings and serving a 4 year old girl now); Toshiba's build quality reputation has been going down of late, but the fact that they offer standard 2 year warranties (some times 3) on laptops from $750 up, makes them quite interesting. Panasonic has a current reputation for making some rather well-built laptops, with their military grade models, leading one to assume that build quality persists across their other products.

[Christopera]

When I was buying 6 months back I had already made up my mind that I was buying MacBook. That decision was made more on OSX than anything else. However, as I was doing my research it became apparent to me that the Mac Notebooks, both MB and MBP seemed more simple than any competing brand I had seen. The fact they had engineered a plug that would pop off (mag safe) when you inevitably trip on the cord, a total lack of mechanical latch system, used a slot load cd drive rather than the pop out style (which i have broken two of right off), and other very simple sholutions shows to me that somebody in the Apple engineering department said, "Let's just keep it simple." What does that mean for you and me? The less parts on the machine the less there are to break. This is my take from an engineering standpoint.

[richwig83]

Well in the 18months of having a macbook it has been repaired 5 times and replaced once!

Today was the last straw when the superdrive completly failed, so i demanded they replace it (not repair for the 6th time) with a macbook pro! I had to pay 200GBP (to upgrade to the basic MBP) and they gave me 3 extra years of Applecare!

Happy days.... touch wood!!!!!

So my verdict is macbook build quality is poor! Ill have to wait and see if the MBP is any better!

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Christopera 

The less parts on the machine the less there are to break. This is my take from an engineering standpoint.

Fair enough, for the most part. A slot load optical drive actually has more parts than a pop out (what do you think is pulling the disc in and pushing it out if not a motor and lots of little gears?) and is much more prone to failure. If you doubt, go to the Apple forums to see how many people have gotten discs stuck in their optical drives.

[Christopera]

I would be interested to see the engineering data on drive failure rates. I would bet that tray load and slot load drives perform nearly the same in test environments.

This however doesn't mean that in the real world they don't fail more often. The number of parts can also be applied to many of the apple bells and whistes. For example, blue-tooth, IR reciever, back lit keyboard, are all extraneous items that could fail. Just like two wheel drive cars fail less than four wheel driver cars, and front wheel drive cars fail less than rear wheel drive cars, the less part a machine has the less likely it is to fail. Collectively, all of these vehicles have very low failure rates under proper operating conditions. You just have to decide, which bells and whistles do you want?