MacBook Pro Worries....

[Jdizzle188]

Good evening to the community,

I hope you're all well this Sunday!

I'm wondering if I could ask for people's thoughts or perhaps some reassurance about the durability and such of my MacBook Pro 2021 and the USB / thunderbolt 4 cables.

Background, I have OCD massively, fought with it for years and one of my biggest worries is breaking things or damaging them or god forbid getting them wet.

With my MacBook I'm worried that any slight out of the norm thing will result in it becoming well, broken, I find the feeling of the newer MacBooks to be quite fragile but they've got to have a certain amount of durability to be classed as fit for purpose?

So my question here is what would really damage a MacBook, am I babying mine to much or is it to each individuals preference, I mean these things aren't cheap, treating them with respect is a given?

In terms of the USB C / Thunderbolt 4 cables, is it cool to use the same port constantly for the external display / charging?

The cables themselves I've looked at videos online of the teardown of a TB4 cable and the pins seem to be recessed back in the connector quite a bit, covering them when not in use with cloth wouldn't cause any damage I assume? I've done this for years but a recent event has just got me questioning it slightly!

And if the cable was to get a droplet of water say on the putter of the connector and not on the inside where the pins are, I'm assuming it would be fine and nothing to really worry about, of course as long as it wasn't put into the computer itself!

I understand this is abit of a disjointed post and that it may come across odd that I'm asking a forum for advice and reassurance, I have seen others post worries and such on macrumors and I've always found the community to be understanding and welcoming.

Thanks in advance, maybe after this I can start enjoying my Mac properly!

 

[iSuzan]

Really not sure what you want to hear. I can tell you my experiences so far.

I am using a Macbook Pro M1 Pro as a work laptop. I work remotely so I connect this MBP to my Apple Studio Display. Always on the same USB-C port. Everyday in the evening I unplug the display to connect it to my private Mac Mini.

So using the same port and connect and reconnect the thunderolt cable every day. I have zero problems with it.

Don't throw liquids into your Macbook and just be gentle when plugging in cables. Otherwise just use it and enjoy it.

No one can give you a 100% security for no machine in the world. If you want 100% security sell it and don't use any computer or phone or kitchen machine or car or... whatever at all.

 

[Jdizzle188]

Really not sure what you want to hear. I can tell you my experiences so far.

I am using a Macbook Pro M1 Pro as a work laptop. I work remotely so I connect this MBP to my Apple Studio Display. Always on the same USB-C port. Everyday in the evening I unplug the display to connect it to my private Mac Mini.

So using the same port and connect and reconnect the thunderolt cable every day. I have zero problems with it.

Don't throw liquids into your Macbook and just be gentle when plugging in cables. Otherwise just use it and enjoy it.

No one can give you a 100% security for no machine in the world. If you want 100% security sell it and don't use any computer or phone or kitchen machine or car or... whatever at all.

I think I'm just looking for how other people use theirs in real life, mine never leaves the desk and is pretty much treated with cotton gloves!

I obsess that it'll have magically gotten a droplet of water on the connect somehow and it'll get into my computer, talking over this I can remember this started working in mobiles for over eight years, people would come in with water damaged iPhones and just be "meh" so I don't want that to happen to mine, needless to say no drinks near the computer!

You're final statement struck a cord, it's completely right and a extremely logical way of looking at the situation! Thank you!

 

[MacCheetah3]

With my MacBook I'm worried that any slight out of the norm thing will result in it becoming well, broken, I find the feeling of the newer MacBooks to be quite fragile but they've got to have a certain amount of durability to be classed as fit for purpose?

Overall, many products are much more durable than our worry side assumes — although, that also depends on how fussy err excessively fussy a person is (e.g., rants about micro scratches). For most of us who “baby” our gadgets, etc, the first ‘ding’ is excruciating to accept, but than realization typically arrives to save the mood. In other words, just be sensibly careful and “life happens."

In terms of the USB C / Thunderbolt 4 cables, is it cool to use the same port constantly for the external display / charging?

Yes. In technical terms, the connector is rated for at least 10,000 plug-unplug cycles. For example, if you plug and unplug a cable two or three times into the same port every day, the port should be functional for at least 10 years. Anecdotally, I’ve had very few USB cables fail (ever), and that includes occasionally not noticing/forgetting they are plugged and giving them a good yank after picking up the device. 😨 Oppositely, 3.5mm cables seem to fail no matter how gently they’re handled, coddled, and spoken kindly to.😄😔

And if the cable was to get a droplet of water say on the putter of the connector and not on the inside where the pins are, I'm assuming it would be fine and nothing to really worry about, of course as long as it wasn't put into the computer itself!

For the most part, water is okay, especially on the exterior.

people would come in with water damaged iPhones and just be "meh" so I don't want that to happen to mine, needless to say no drinks near the computer!

A substantial amount of water or any liquid is certainly more dangerous for electronics. Keeping beverages away from your computers and other tech-related gadget is a great practice. My own horrifying story is once I spilled a nearly full glass of orange juice onto the keyboard/top case of a PowerBook G3. Fortunately, I was able to shut it down quickly enough and paid for it to be completely disassembled and cleaned as soon as possible. So, a very harsh lesson but not a disaster.

 

[theorist9]

USB-C connectors have much less surface area for the port to grip than older connection standards like USB-A, so its connections can become loose with time. I've experienced this myself, the 10,000-cycles-standard notwithstanding. This is a sufficient concern with USB-C that companies like OWC outfit some of their docks with screw holes above the USB-C ports so that cable grippers can be attached:

Note that they *don't* have these above the ethernet or USB-A ports, because the connections they afford are sufficiently robust that such an add-on is not needed:

Having said that, if the USB-C connection does loosen on you, it's not your fault, so don't feel bad! After all, you still need to use your machine as you normally do. It's just a weakness of this connector design.

Given your preferences, if you didn't get Apple Care+ with this laptop, I'd strongly recommend getting it with the next one. And if you use the laptop at your desk for extended periods of time, I'd also strongly recommend elevating it using something like a Rain Design mStand (which will also necessitate using an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad). That not only puts the screen at eye level, but also protects the laptop from spills. It's certainly saved mine from a few:

 

[HDFan]

You are no longer eligible for AppleCare? Then you don't need to worry about it.

 

[Jdizzle188]

All good comments and nice to see a supportive forum, I have indeed got AppleCare+ on it aswell, which brings me to another question;

Once the 3 years is up can you extend the coverage again or not?

Once again a sincere thank you so far

 

[theorist9]

All good comments and nice to see a supportive forum, I have indeed got AppleCare+ on it aswell, which brings me to another question;

Once the 3 years is up can you extend the coverage again or not?

Once again a sincere thank you so far

Depends what country you live in ( https://support.apple.com/en-us/101560 ). You need to wait for it to expire before you can renew, and then you have 30 days to renew. At that point I think your option will be a year-by-year subscription plan.

See this thread for a discussion:

Does AppleCare+ need to expire before you get an invitation to extend it?

Er, my point was that was no need to do a transfer. The buyer can access applecare even if applecare is registered to the seller.

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Alameda]

Good evening to the community,

I hope you're all well this Sunday!

I'm wondering if I could ask for people's thoughts or perhaps some reassurance about the durability and such of my MacBook Pro 2021 and the USB / thunderbolt 4 cables.

Background, I have OCD massively, fought with it for years and one of my biggest worries is breaking things or damaging them or god forbid getting them wet.

With my MacBook I'm worried that any slight out of the norm thing will result in it becoming well, broken, I find the feeling of the newer MacBooks to be quite fragile but they've got to have a certain amount of durability to be classed as fit for purpose?

So my question here is what would really damage a MacBook, am I babying mine to much or is it to each individuals preference, I mean these things aren't cheap, treating them with respect is a given?

In terms of the USB C / Thunderbolt 4 cables, is it cool to use the same port constantly for the external display / charging?

The cables themselves I've looked at videos online of the teardown of a TB4 cable and the pins seem to be recessed back in the connector quite a bit, covering them when not in use with cloth wouldn't cause any damage I assume? I've done this for years but a recent event has just got me questioning it slightly!

And if the cable was to get a droplet of water say on the putter of the connector and not on the inside where the pins are, I'm assuming it would be fine and nothing to really worry about, of course as long as it wasn't put into the computer itself!

I understand this is abit of a disjointed post and that it may come across odd that I'm asking a forum for advice and reassurance, I have seen others post worries and such on macrumors and I've always found the community to be understanding and welcoming.

Thanks in advance, maybe after this I can start enjoying my Mac properly!

Backup your data and test your backups. If your computer breaks outside of warranty, buy a new one.

I’ve had a bunch of MacBooks and MacBook Pros over the years. I didn’t break any of them, and I tossed them in my briefcase and carried them around the world.

 

[gilby101]

Good evening to the community,

I hope you're all well this Sunday!

I'm wondering if I could ask for people's thoughts or perhaps some reassurance about the durability and such of my MacBook Pro 2021 and the USB / thunderbolt 4 cables.

Background, I have OCD massively, fought with it for years and one of my biggest worries is breaking things or damaging them or god forbid getting them wet.

With my MacBook I'm worried that any slight out of the norm thing will result in it becoming well, broken, I find the feeling of the newer MacBooks to be quite fragile but they've got to have a certain amount of durability to be classed as fit for purpose?

So my question here is what would really damage a MacBook, am I babying mine to much or is it to each individuals preference, I mean these things aren't cheap, treating them with respect is a given?

In terms of the USB C / Thunderbolt 4 cables, is it cool to use the same port constantly for the external display / charging?

The cables themselves I've looked at videos online of the teardown of a TB4 cable and the pins seem to be recessed back in the connector quite a bit, covering them when not in use with cloth wouldn't cause any damage I assume? I've done this for years but a recent event has just got me questioning it slightly!

And if the cable was to get a droplet of water say on the putter of the connector and not on the inside where the pins are, I'm assuming it would be fine and nothing to really worry about, of course as long as it wasn't put into the computer itself!

I understand this is abit of a disjointed post and that it may come across odd that I'm asking a forum for advice and reassurance, I have seen others post worries and such on macrumors and I've always found the community to be understanding and welcoming.

Thanks in advance, maybe after this I can start enjoying my Mac properly!

Have you thought about risk and priorities?

I accept that there is a small chance the my MBP will fail in some way, or get stolen. And it may fail due to a software bug or, more likely, sloppy configuration on my part. But the MBP is replaceable (at some nuisance and expense), and the cost can be mitigated for some risks by adding to your insurance. I have accidental damage added to my house contents insurance.

What is irreplaceable is the data on the MBP - photos, documents, etc. So before worrying about the durability of the MBP and all its components, make sure you have a backup and you know how to recover it to a new Mac. Preferably multiple backups - at a minimum one backup on a frequently connected external disk and another backup which is off-site (in case of fire or theft, etc.). Off-site can be physically off-site (with a friend, bank or workplace) or with a cloud storage provider. How far you go with backup depends on your comfort level and the value (personal and financial) you put on the data.