am i the only one wishing for a waterproof mba ?

[Mr. Awesome]

Regardless of whether you think a waterproof MBA is a good idea or not, I definitely think it’s possible. Ports aren’t a problem, the hinge can be easily sealed (same idea as the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch), the trackpad can be sealed up a bit to prevent damage, and…

Apple already solved the waterproof keyboard problem with the iPad Smart Keyboard. The entire keyboard is covered with a single membrane while still giving plenty of haptic feedback for touch typing. I don’t know if this membrane is actually waterproof on the iPad keyboard, but it could easily be made so if not.

 

[unixfool]

The average user only deals with the water or coffee at their desk but Lenovo dell etc already produce business class laptops that have spill resistance etc and aren’t exactly clunky. It definitely wouldn’t be an air that would fit this user group but undeniably it would be badass to have apples take on a ruggedized notebook

It's a 1st World problem, that's for sure, and would be very niche, too. Maybe this would be an offering better fit for the MBPs?

 

[GMShadow]

oh so it is possible !

well I mean why couldn't u keep the air form factor and weight...and just apply a waterproof seal where needed ? doesn't have to become bulky

not gonna swim with it indeed,but I'd like to go to univ by foot or with my bike .and since it rains sometimes ,I wouldn't want to kill my Mac whilst going to school...

That's what a rugged laptop with water resistance looks like.

A MacBook Air it ain't. That's on the thin side for a ruggedized laptop too.

 

[StellarVixen]

Yes, waterproof MBA will add another layer of complexity, then people will complain why they can't open their own devices and iFixit will give it a score of 1.

We have to decide what we want, I am afraid.

 

[fisherking]

Yes, waterproof MBA will add another layer of complexity, then people will complain why they can't open their own devices and iFixit will give it a score of 1.

We have to decide what we want, I am afraid.

actually, apple decides what we want 🤣 we just get to choose what we can live with (or love, or like...)

 

[luke_warm22]

That's what a rugged laptop with water resistance looks like.

A MacBook Air it ain't. That's on the thin side for a ruggedized laptop too.

If it can’t break your fall out of a moving vehicle it ain’t rugged enough

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

It's a 1st World problem, that's for sure, and would be very niche, too. Maybe this would be an offering better fit for the MBPs?

that's the thing .it'd fit the pros better , expect it can't for pros must have fans

 

[MarkC426]

Unless you live somewhere where it constantly rains, you may be over thinking it.....
A decent backpack/bag will withstand a lot of rain, failing that keep a dry bag (the type you use when trekking) in there for torrential downpours.

 

[luke_warm22]

It's a 1st World problem, that's for sure, and would be very niche, too. Maybe this would be an offering better fit for the MBPs?

it’s 100% a niche product definitely not an air or even a pro for that matter maybe it can match whatever name convention they give the rugged Apple Watch they keep talking about

 

[unixfool]

that's the thing .it'd fit the pros better , expect it can't for pros must have fans

The MBA is air-cooled. I haven't seen the underside of the 2022 MBA, but I'm going to assume it has a long air duct akin to the outgoing MBA. I'm pretty sure that air duct is a cooling requirement. Seal up your current MBA and put it under load...share with us how it fares.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

This isn't a matter of what can or can't be done, it's a matter of cost/benefit analysis. How many laptop users have the problem (and therefor want to avoid the problem in their next purchase) vs. how much does it cost to deliver the feature? When the affected population is relatively low, but the added cost to manufacture each unit (and execute each repair) is substantial, the feature loses - too few buyers willing to pay extra to have the feature.

Many of the typical wet iPhone scenarios (dropping in kitchen sink, toilet, or bathtub, usage in the rain) are so unlikely with a laptop that the remaining scenarios (wet backpack, drink spills, etc.) leave a relatively small population of affected users. The fact that AppleCare+ coverage for laptops does not cover full immersion (and how few people seem to complain that it doesn't cover full immersion) is a hint as to what kind of damage coverage people feel the need to buy.

So as I see it, this is certainly a "nice if we can have it" feature, but I don't see the market willing to pay substantial amounts to have it.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

The MBA is air-cooled. I haven't seen the underside of the 2022 MBA, but I'm going to assume it has a long air duct akin to the outgoing MBA. I'm pretty sure that air duct is a cooling requirement. Seal up your current MBA and put it under load...share with us how it fares.

oh hell do u think so ? i thought it was completely sealed

 

[symphony]

I don't think I've EVER spilled liquid on a laptop/notebook/whatever and I've been carrying them since they've existed. It's easy to just follow simple rules. Don't keep or handle drinks near a laptop, and don't take laptops anywhere near wet areas. Worried about a wet backpack and know it's going to rain (for example)? Put it in a plastic bag before placing it in the backpack, or, don't take the laptop with you.

Asking for waterproof qualifications would mean the product will cost more (and it's already not exactly cheap). The price of keeping a current Macbook water-free is to not have liquids around your Macbook, which is cheap and easy to do...it's much cheaper than asking for waterproofing. Innovation is cool, sure, but when you start adding everything for the sake of innovation, a Macbook Air will become heavier and bulkier, which defeats the purpose of the Air nomenclature.

This isn’t just about you 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[unixfool]

This isn’t just about you

I didn’t say it was. 🤷‍♂️ I said that I’d never had a water mishap with a notebook and that mishaps were easy to avoid. If you got “it’s all about me” from that, you’re misunderstanding what you're reading.

 

[unixfool]

oh hell do u think so ? i thought it was completely sealed

I'm absolutely certain it's not completely sealed, as I'm able to poke down into the case from the bottom of the MBA (with a soft plastic rod, when the system is powered down).

At first I was second-guessing myself -- it looked like an elongated port/duct but I couldn't find any documentation or pics. In fact, there are two small ducts within that long dark cut. I'm definitely able to poke a good ways into one of the ducts. It makes sense, since that area is relatively close to the CPU portion of the SoC. I think the majority of the heat is dissipated by the aluminum underside, but I think that sealing the case will cause heat build-up issues and the battery still resides in there, too.

Also, I said earlier that it was air cooled, but they ALL are. What I meant to say was that it is passively cooled. Wanted to clarify that now, since some folks here will lose their minds over little things.

The question I have is, does the 2022 MBA have the same ducts?

UPDATE: I read this and realized that the areas I was poking through were indeed ducts (circled in red in the pic). The yellow-circled objects are heat pipes. Those ports are in place for the heat pipes to pipe out the heat. I'm sure there's more passive cooling parts and methods that aren't showing in that pic (the aluminum bottom, for example).

 

[thefourthpope]

with the removal of speaker grills,the only thing that is problematic with dust and water is the keyboard,everything else could be sealed i believe

but yeah ik we'll never get a water resistant mba sadly ,because

1)for some reason EVEN the ipad don't have any sort of IP rating

2)as efficient as ARM is,the pros will always need active cooling.and i dont see apple giving water resistance to its mba lineup and not for the pros..

3)dunno how complicated it would be to make the keyboard membrane waterproof...if that's possible

My wife said this yesterday. She “just wants a way to do work from the hot tub”

COME ON, Tim 😂

 

[thefourthpope]

I didn’t say it was. 🤷‍♂️ I said that I’d never had a water mishap with a notebook and that mishaps were easy to avoid. If you got “it’s all about me” from that, you’re misunderstanding what you're reading.

The bowl of ramen I sloshed onto my iBook was impossible to avoid. I was hungry enough to use a microwave but far too … tired … to carry it to my desk.

 

[Populus]

I was about to say, like others, “who needs a waterproof laptop?”

But then I remembered that time (actually, several times) where I’ve had some drops of water or any other liquid on my Smartkeyboard Folio. Fortunately, it is waterproof and nothing bad happened.

So maybe it could be interesting, but I find it difficult to achieve, unless you cover all the keys with fabric like on the Smartkeyboard Folio.

 

[symphony]

I didn’t say it was. 🤷‍♂️ I said that I’d never had a water mishap with a notebook and that mishaps were easy to avoid. If you got “it’s all about me” from that, you’re misunderstanding what you're reading.

It’s not all about you though 🙇🏻‍♂️

 

[Alex Cai]

yeah but when u think about it...hinge is sealed .back is closed too.trackpad and keyboard ,that's the main problem I suppose.

not that many ports lol,any Android phone with ip68 rating has a USB-c port.mba has 2 of em.so what .(yeah except the new magsafe port you'll say)

Why not adopt the design of the magic keyboard(it have a sealed and tough hinge)

 

[AdmiralTriggerH]

A low level of Water resistance might be possible with various coatings etc, but full water proofing is not going to happen any time soon.
The biggest issue with Water proof stuff is keeping it cool, right now they use heat sinks and air, but anywhere air can go in significant volume means the water can go there too.
Also waterproof keyboards all suck for long stints of typing, I have used plenty of them.

 

[Malus120]

The real problem with "water resistant" products is that even when certified with a proper IPX rating, most manufacturers still void the warranty in the event of water damage. It's nice to have, but especially with something as complex as a Laptop, I feel it would just give people a false sense of security.

Go look at camera forums where people spend thousands on "water resistant" cameras that are advertised as being made for shooting in wet, rugged, conditions (snowy mountains, rainy, humid jungles,) only to have the manufacturer say "tough ****, pony up" when a seal fails and the camera breaks.

Not saying Apple shouldn't strive to, if practical, improve the water resistance of their laptops but remember, even water resistant products are only water resistant... until they're suddenly not... and then its your fault AKA "user error."

 

[thv]

Whether it can be done easily or not as people said it's a cost benefit analysis.. Do enough people want to pay more for it and possibly compromise part of the experience they're expecting? Probably not

Saying this as someone who killed my old MBP by spilling a can of diet coke on it watching TV in bed Yes I'm an idiot. I still don't purchase any computer expecting that it's likely to touch liquid. Agree with the false sense of security as well.

Re: rain you're certainly overthinking it unless you're biking in a monsoon... A sleeve within a bag should be fine but even beyond that there are cheap (or expensive) waterproof/resistant ones (and backpacks), or simply plastic. I'd much rather mess with the protection of my laptop than the build itself

 

[symphony]

Future MacBooks will have the most impressive booming speakers, for if water gets into the keyboard and ports, the speaker’s bass will splash all the water out with an explosive frequency

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Future MacBooks will have the most impressive booming speakers, for if water gets into the keyboard and ports, the speaker’s bass will splash all the water out with an explosive frequency

yeah I know I'm the one who designed the patent for these