iBook durability

thebossisback · Jul 13, 2003, 11:49 AM

When the white iBook came out, Steve Jobs said that it was twice as durable as the old one. I dont knw about you guys but i have owned both and the new one is always having problems and it seems alot more flimsy. Anyone else?

Raiwong · Jul 13, 2003, 12:27 PM

yes the old ones are way more durable..but the new ibooks are hell lot smaller and compact and still strong...

thebossisback · Jul 13, 2003, 12:33 PM

yes, but i think what steve said was deceiving

celaurie · Jul 13, 2003, 01:08 PM

Personally, I think the new iBook is a hell of a lot more durable.

This lil' gal is coming up on 18 months old, and she's had a few bumps n' thumps, but so far I've never had a problem.

Additionally, you don't see too many of the new iBooks for sale on ebay for spares, where as there seem to be plenty of the older variety.

Chris

Giaguara · Jul 13, 2003, 01:10 PM

one of my friends had a 500 mhz i(ce)book. he dropped it from 4 meters (15 feet!) to the floor on the level below - and it worked perfectly. no scratches either. the floor got a hole to the wood surface though. not the ibook.

try that with the clamshell.

Anticipat3 · Jul 13, 2003, 01:14 PM

Snowbooks are built like tanks... I've seen one dropped down stairs. Thunk Thunk Thunk... all while sleeping, and at the bottom of the stairs the lid popped open, and it turned right back on... no problems.

Can't speak for the Damn Clam, but IMO, they dont get much better than the Snowbooks.

thebossisback · Jul 13, 2003, 02:52 PM

i dropped my iBook one foot and the track pad stopped working

solvs · Jul 13, 2003, 03:21 PM

He could have meant overall, outside AND inside. There are always some people who have problems, but the i(ce)Books seem really durable. Saw one dropped from a couple of feet, still on, not a problem.

Maybe something is loose inside? Are you still under warranty?

zimv20 · Jul 13, 2003, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thebossisback
i dropped my iBook one foot and the track pad stopped working

based on the quotes above, it seems you should have dropped it from higher up.

Royal Pineapple · Jul 13, 2003, 03:32 PM

i have owned both types of ibooks, and my ice book has takem much more damage than my blueberry ibook
my blueberry was droped once from about 2 feet into carpet, and i had to send it in for a busted case, my ibook has been droped 2 times off my bed, which is 4 feet off the ground and onto lineoliem, the ice book is in great condition, except a broken latch and small crack in case and weird thing in the screen, but other than that its fine

the blueberry was stolen while i was in the bathroom on a train

thebossisback · Jul 13, 2003, 03:34 PM

No im not under warranty. I checked to see if the trackpad cable came out, but that wasnt a ploblem so i hit the trackpad and screwed around with it for a while and then it worled again. Something must have been lose inside

Flowbee · Jul 13, 2003, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by zimv20
based on the quotes above, it seems you should have dropped it from higher up.

I don't often 'actually' LOL , but... LOL!

thebossisback · Jul 13, 2003, 03:38 PM

I think my Ibook was defected because i sent it in 7 times and i got to know the airborne exoress guy that came to pick it up everytime

Gus · Jul 14, 2003, 03:19 AM

I know this is wierd, but when I was teaching in Oregon, I talked the school into buying me a Bluberry iBook when they first came out, and 2 weeks later a heating pipe above my desk in my office burst and 50 gallons of dirty water spiiled onto my open iBook overnight. When I got to the office the next day I was mortified, but I dried it out, powered on, and it ran like a dream for a week until one of my students accidentally spilled a coke into it. THEN it died. It was a pretty tough computer. That said, the iBook I own now (800) has a bad video card and trackpad, and the HD got hosed about 3 weeks ago on my honeymoon for no apparent reason. AND the power adapter died. You make the call.

Regards,
Gus

AngryAngel · Jul 14, 2003, 06:05 AM

I've never dropped my clamshell iBook, and I've had no problems.

I think statistically laptops are abused by most users. If they were treated with the respect they desere, then people would have fewer problems. Even if Steve said you can just toss it in a bag with your other gear, and that it's 28x more durable than a brick, doesn't mean I won't handle it like it is the most expensive thing I have ever bought, with money I have saved up from my own hard work, and contains all the information I have gathered and most of the work I have done, and could be destroyed with a simple slip of the hand (because it could be). </rant>

jefhatfield · Jul 14, 2003, 07:11 AM

my old clamshell ibook is really tough, but i rarely bring it anywhere so i have not tested it in real world situations

the icebook also seems tough from the times i have seen it in a store

definitely, apple's consumer laptops seem more durable than their pro laptops since the ibooks are more geared toward children and education where it would take a more severe beating

i hope apple continues to keep their ibooks built like tanks

my compaq presario laptop is moderately sturdy, but nowhere in the same category as my ibook

some ultra thin and light pc laptops seem too fragile for practical use and only seem to be secondary computers for travel

whfsdude · Jul 14, 2003, 07:52 AM

My new iBook has already had 4 logic boards replaced. It's not even a year old (yes I have AppleCare).

It's a desktop machine (except when I need to take a crap).

err yeah and some 300 users have the same problem > http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...Y5.4@.3bbeca9e

HasanDaddy · Jul 14, 2003, 09:23 AM

i really ABUSED the iBook I used for awhile.....my GF also really WORKS hers too!!

both have held up AWESOME (I'm talking about the 800 12" ones)

as for you guys who are sending your iBooks to Applecare way too many times (more than three times)

call Apple's Customer Service and complain/ask for a replacement

Apple is VERY GOOD about replacing lemons, and you guys obviously have ones

An Apple Rep once told me that they would rather replace the entire book, instead of replacing 4 logic boards, because replacing the book, entirely, is a cheaper business policy

in addition - Applecare people will never offer to replace your book --- just the customer service reps (and I don't really know why?)

thebossisback · Jul 14, 2003, 09:29 AM

Hey Gus, I guess im not the only one then that thinks the new iBooks are less sturdy. Here what happened to my icebook, the hard drive crashed for no apparent reason, the trackpad broke, the display was faulty, the airport antennas were broken, the capslock key wouldnt work, and after using it for a week it gets scratched up as hell, but that happens to everyone. After my battery died laste week, apple is finaly sending me a new iBook

thebossisback · Jul 14, 2003, 09:40 AM

In the long run, apple spent more money fixing my computer and they said they would replace it if it had 3 MAJOR problems. Maybe the newer iBooks are more durable becasue i hear less people complaining about those

floatingspirit · Jul 14, 2003, 10:42 AM

500mhz icebook: Speeding along a riverbank I fell off my Mountain Bike with it in my backpack. Fell flat on that (it broke my fall nicely) and from then on, the icebook opened and closed smoothly and silently. Twas a nice improvement actually.

MacBoyX · Jul 14, 2003, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by thebossisback
Hey Gus, I guess im not the only one then that thinks the new iBooks are less sturdy. Here what happened to my icebook, the hard drive crashed for no apparent reason, the trackpad broke, the display was faulty, the airport antennas were broken, the capslock key wouldnt work, and after using it for a week it gets scratched up as hell, but that happens to everyone. After my battery died laste week, apple is finaly sending me a new iBook

From what you have said it does not appear that your issues are related to the STURDINESS of the iBook but the quality of the build.

It sounds like you got a bum iBook, and it's good that Apple is replacing it but a HD crashing for no apparent reason is not a sturdiness issue.

I own a 900mhz ibook my bf a 700mhz ibook, my sister a 900 and my mom an 800. My mom and my sister have both dropped theirs...my mom's off the bed, my sister's off a table and they both still work great.

You have to expect some scratching on Acrylic but it's easily fixable with "ICE CREAM" from RadTech and I'd rather have a few swirls and scratches than chipped paint like I had on my TiBook.

I for one and impressed with the strength and durability of my iBook and of my loved one's as well.

MacBoyX

andrewlandry · Jul 14, 2003, 11:45 AM

my first generation 500 Mhz iBook was unbelievable sturdy. it's been dropped from a tabletop once and fell out of my backpack onto the sidewalk and had no problems at all.

i also carried it around in my backpack with all of my books for a year and a half and no problems.

i sold it to a friend when i got a powermac, but i'll probably get another one soon.

i can't comment on the latest ones, because I don't know anyone that has one.

jefhatfield · Jul 14, 2003, 11:51 AM

my former business partner and i used to go out and do warranty work for dell, compaq, and apple

often, the problem was in the software and/or drivers but we would swap out logic boards because it was what the warranty partner wanted

it's an extremely common practice and really quite stupid...it's is like when doctors used to give out antibiotics for colds (knowing it would not actually help fight the cold)

there are still lemons in the business hardware-wise and no computer is without problems completely 100 percent

and sometimes there are true design and engineering flaws which cannot be fixed...on the design of my ibook handle, someone did not research the plastic

the stuff cracks after some time and there is nothing one can really do

the ac adapter on the ibook shorts out due to flimsy plug...but i suspect that may be intentional so one has to buy one every year or so like i do

for sure, we know software requires better and better gear so it makes all of us have to upgrade what would otherwise be perfectly working machines

more computers are retired by being obsolete than one retired because they break

Daveman Deluxe · Jul 14, 2003, 02:14 PM

For those who have had logic boards replaced many times, I'm surprised Apple doesn't track repairs by serial number. I'd think that after the second logic board replacement they'd think something is up. I personally would suspect that the power manager or some electrical contacts are messed up (voltage fluctuations can kill). In those cases, Apple really ought to replace the iBook.

As for my iceBook, I tripped going down a set of stairs and fell flat on my backpack, which contained my iBook. I got up, changed my clothes, and checked the iBook out. Still works like a charm.

I've never had any major problems with the iBook. The battery has given me trouble twice. The first time, it went to emergency power at 90% remaining. They gave me a new battery Six months later, I noticed it going to sleep with 15% remaining. This time it got sent to Apple and I'm pretty sure they replaced the power manager and the battery. No problems yet, we'll see six months down the road.

Jul 13, 2003, 11:49 AM	#1
thebossisback Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	iBook durability When the white iBook came out, Steve Jobs said that it was twice as durable as the old one. I dont knw about you guys but i have owned both and the new one is always having problems and it seems alot more flimsy. Anyone else?

Jul 13, 2003, 01:08 PM	#4
celaurie macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland.	Personally, I think the new iBook is a hell of a lot more durable. This lil' gal is coming up on 18 months old, and she's had a few bumps n' thumps, but so far I've never had a problem. Additionally, you don't see too many of the new iBooks for sale on ebay for spares, where as there seem to be plenty of the older variety. Chris __________________ To see tomorrow's PC, look at today's Macintosh. - BYTE Magazine

Jul 13, 2003, 01:14 PM	#6
Anticipat3 macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Madison, Wisconsin	Snowbooks are built like tanks... I've seen one dropped down stairs. Thunk Thunk Thunk... all while sleeping, and at the bottom of the stairs the lid popped open, and it turned right back on... no problems. Can't speak for the Damn Clam, but IMO, they dont get much better than the Snowbooks. __________________ ~Anticipat3~ Mac Network Administrator 15" AluBook 1.33 (Mobile) 3.4 Ghz PC, Athlon 64 / 6800 GT / 172x Dual Displays (Gaming Box) 1.8 G5 Powermac (@ Work) 1.5 P4 Dell (Under the Couch Linux Webserver) Wisconsin MacRumors Users, Check In!

Jul 13, 2003, 03:21 PM	#8
solvs macrumors 601 Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: LaLaLand, CA	He could have meant overall, outside AND inside. There are always some people who have problems, but the i(ce)Books seem really durable. Saw one dropped from a couple of feet, still on, not a problem. Maybe something is loose inside? Are you still under warranty? __________________ True love never dies The only thing more dangerous than a woman scorned, is a man with nothing left to lose...

Jul 13, 2003, 03:32 PM	#10
Royal Pineapple macrumors 65816 Join Date: May 2002 Location: Why do I live in California? Because the sun sets a block from my house.	i have owned both types of ibooks, and my ice book has takem much more damage than my blueberry ibook my blueberry was droped once from about 2 feet into carpet, and i had to send it in for a busted case, my ibook has been droped 2 times off my bed, which is 4 feet off the ground and onto lineoliem, the ice book is in great condition, except a broken latch and small crack in case and weird thing in the screen, but other than that its fine the blueberry was stolen while i was in the bathroom on a train __________________ I'm like a superhero, with no powers or motivation Bare Feet, Not Arms All of the true things that I am about to tell you are shameless lies. -Bokonon

Jul 13, 2003, 12:27 PM	#2
Raiwong macrumors member Join Date: Apr 2003	yes the old ones are way more durable..but the new ibooks are hell lot smaller and compact and still strong...

Jul 13, 2003, 12:33 PM	#3
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	yes, but i think what steve said was deceiving

Jul 13, 2003, 01:10 PM	#5
Giaguara macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2002	one of my friends had a 500 mhz i(ce)book. he dropped it from 4 meters (15 feet!) to the floor on the level below - and it worked perfectly. no scratches either. the floor got a hole to the wood surface though. not the ibook. try that with the clamshell.

Jul 13, 2003, 02:52 PM	#7
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	i dropped my iBook one foot and the track pad stopped working

Jul 13, 2003, 03:34 PM	#11
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	No im not under warranty. I checked to see if the trackpad cable came out, but that wasnt a ploblem so i hit the trackpad and screwed around with it for a while and then it worled again. Something must have been lose inside

Jul 13, 2003, 03:38 PM	#13
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	I think my Ibook was defected because i sent it in 7 times and i got to know the airborne exoress guy that came to pick it up everytime

Jul 14, 2003, 03:19 AM	#14
Gus macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Minnesota	I know this is wierd, but when I was teaching in Oregon, I talked the school into buying me a Bluberry iBook when they first came out, and 2 weeks later a heating pipe above my desk in my office burst and 50 gallons of dirty water spiiled onto my open iBook overnight. When I got to the office the next day I was mortified, but I dried it out, powered on, and it ran like a dream for a week until one of my students accidentally spilled a coke into it. THEN it died. It was a pretty tough computer. That said, the iBook I own now (800) has a bad video card and trackpad, and the HD got hosed about 3 weeks ago on my honeymoon for no apparent reason. AND the power adapter died. You make the call. Regards, Gus __________________ Shop smart, shop S-Mart.

Jul 14, 2003, 06:05 AM	#15
AngryAngel macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2003	I've never dropped my clamshell iBook, and I've had no problems. I think statistically laptops are abused by most users. If they were treated with the respect they desere, then people would have fewer problems. Even if Steve said you can just toss it in a bag with your other gear, and that it's 28x more durable than a brick, doesn't mean I won't handle it like it is the most expensive thing I have ever bought, with money I have saved up from my own hard work, and contains all the information I have gathered and most of the work I have done, and could be destroyed with a simple slip of the hand (because it could be). </rant>

Jul 14, 2003, 07:11 AM	#16
jefhatfield Retired Join Date: Jul 2000	my old clamshell ibook is really tough, but i rarely bring it anywhere so i have not tested it in real world situations the icebook also seems tough from the times i have seen it in a store definitely, apple's consumer laptops seem more durable than their pro laptops since the ibooks are more geared toward children and education where it would take a more severe beating i hope apple continues to keep their ibooks built like tanks my compaq presario laptop is moderately sturdy, but nowhere in the same category as my ibook some ultra thin and light pc laptops seem too fragile for practical use and only seem to be secondary computers for travel

Jul 14, 2003, 07:52 AM	#17
whfsdude macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Washington DC USA	My new iBook has already had 4 logic boards replaced. It's not even a year old (yes I have AppleCare). It's a desktop machine (except when I need to take a crap). err yeah and some 300 users have the same problem > http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...Y5.4@.3bbeca9e __________________ My Sites:DigitalRunDown<>HappyLittleThings<>Woot Industries

Jul 14, 2003, 09:23 AM	#18
HasanDaddy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Colorado	i really ABUSED the iBook I used for awhile.....my GF also really WORKS hers too!! both have held up AWESOME (I'm talking about the 800 12" ones) as for you guys who are sending your iBooks to Applecare way too many times (more than three times) call Apple's Customer Service and complain/ask for a replacement Apple is VERY GOOD about replacing lemons, and you guys obviously have ones An Apple Rep once told me that they would rather replace the entire book, instead of replacing 4 logic boards, because replacing the book, entirely, is a cheaper business policy in addition - Applecare people will never offer to replace your book --- just the customer service reps (and I don't really know why?)

Jul 14, 2003, 09:29 AM	#19
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	Hey Gus, I guess im not the only one then that thinks the new iBooks are less sturdy. Here what happened to my icebook, the hard drive crashed for no apparent reason, the trackpad broke, the display was faulty, the airport antennas were broken, the capslock key wouldnt work, and after using it for a week it gets scratched up as hell, but that happens to everyone. After my battery died laste week, apple is finaly sending me a new iBook

Jul 14, 2003, 09:40 AM	#20
thebossisback Thread Starter Guest Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Providence, RI	In the long run, apple spent more money fixing my computer and they said they would replace it if it had 3 MAJOR problems. Maybe the newer iBooks are more durable becasue i hear less people complaining about those

Jul 14, 2003, 10:42 AM	#21
floatingspirit macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Redondo Beach, California	500mhz icebook: Speeding along a riverbank I fell off my Mountain Bike with it in my backpack. Fell flat on that (it broke my fall nicely) and from then on, the icebook opened and closed smoothly and silently. Twas a nice improvement actually.

Jul 14, 2003, 11:45 AM	#23
andrewlandry macrumors member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: NYC	my first generation 500 Mhz iBook was unbelievable sturdy. it's been dropped from a tabletop once and fell out of my backpack onto the sidewalk and had no problems at all. i also carried it around in my backpack with all of my books for a year and a half and no problems. i sold it to a friend when i got a powermac, but i'll probably get another one soon. i can't comment on the latest ones, because I don't know anyone that has one.

Jul 14, 2003, 11:51 AM	#24
jefhatfield Retired Join Date: Jul 2000	my former business partner and i used to go out and do warranty work for dell, compaq, and apple often, the problem was in the software and/or drivers but we would swap out logic boards because it was what the warranty partner wanted it's an extremely common practice and really quite stupid...it's is like when doctors used to give out antibiotics for colds (knowing it would not actually help fight the cold) there are still lemons in the business hardware-wise and no computer is without problems completely 100 percent and sometimes there are true design and engineering flaws which cannot be fixed...on the design of my ibook handle, someone did not research the plastic the stuff cracks after some time and there is nothing one can really do the ac adapter on the ibook shorts out due to flimsy plug...but i suspect that may be intentional so one has to buy one every year or so like i do for sure, we know software requires better and better gear so it makes all of us have to upgrade what would otherwise be perfectly working machines more computers are retired by being obsolete than one retired because they break

Jul 14, 2003, 02:14 PM	#25
Daveman Deluxe macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Corvallis, Oregon	For those who have had logic boards replaced many times, I'm surprised Apple doesn't track repairs by serial number. I'd think that after the second logic board replacement they'd think something is up. I personally would suspect that the power manager or some electrical contacts are messed up (voltage fluctuations can kill). In those cases, Apple really ought to replace the iBook. As for my iceBook, I tripped going down a set of stairs and fell flat on my backpack, which contained my iBook. I got up, changed my clothes, and checked the iBook out. Still works like a charm. I've never had any major problems with the iBook. The battery has given me trouble twice. The first time, it went to emergency power at 90% remaining. They gave me a new battery Six months later, I noticed it going to sleep with 15% remaining. This time it got sent to Apple and I'm pretty sure they replaced the power manager and the battery. No problems yet, we'll see six months down the road.

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