Can a naked MBA survive a drop of 2 to 6 feet?

[arrowtree]

Can a naked MBA survive drops for these heights?(no case, no bag, no nothing)

2 feet = fall from height of my bed, landing on carpeted floor

4 feet = fall from waist height, landing on vinyl tiled floor at the office

6 feet = fall out of airline overhead bin (which has happened to my iPad)

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

 

[Jesla]

All depends on how it lands or what it bounces off of on the way down. They are built tough however there is no predicting how they will impact hard surfaces.

 

[arrowtree]

All depends on how it lands or what it bounces off of on the way down. They are built tough however there is no predicting how they will impact hard surfaces.

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

 

[The-Pro]

even from 6 feet it will most likely survive. The MBA has no moving parts so there is little that can break from a drop.
However, aluminium bends, so dont be surprised if a corner is dented in from the drop. If its open when it drops then if your unlucky the screen might bend, breaking the screen or the hinges. Its impossible to say what might happen.
I've never heard of anyones laptop drop perfectly, 4 corners...., they always land on a corner

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

If the landing surface is perfect flat AND level, then you can drop it from pretty much any height and it won't have any cosmetic damage apart from maybe a scratch if it skids.

 

[mvmanolov]

If the landing surface is perfect flat AND level, then you can drop it from pretty much any height and it won't have any cosmetic damage apart from maybe a scratch if it skids.

this is quite ridiculous, any drop can have the potential for serious damage.. regardless of the landing!!!! aluminum also bends meaning you can crack the logic board even if you do a "perfect landing".... not to mention all of the other plastic components...!

 

[Dweez]

My only input is that I wouldn't want to find out.

 

[Mrbobb]

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

Hey, lets try this and contribute to science!

4 rubber feet simultaneously on the ground and I'd think that is the best possible scenario, as the feel will somewhat cushion the fall. Will I guarantee it will survive? Of course not.

Being on this forum for a year I've seen corners dents, while not fatal, but a major cosmetic blemish for sure and not readily repairable other than a completely new chassis. So these are corner, naked drops.

I have dropped mine twice, both from 3 feet, once on industrial carpet and once on parking lot and it survived both, but then it was inside a WaterField thick ballistic nylon sleeve.

 

[iLuvMyMacToo]

Why don't you give it a try and let us know

 

[pikachu2k7]

Can a naked MBA survive drops for these heights?(no case, no bag, no nothing)

2 feet = fall from height of my bed, landing on carpeted floor
Yes. 95%+

4 feet = fall from waist height, landing on vinyl tiled floor at the office
Yes. 90%+

6 feet = fall out of airline overhead bin (which has happened to my iPad)
Probable 65%+

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

Yes?

----------

Honestly, it all depends on what is your definition of "survive." Survive as in no dents or scratches or survive as in it still powers on.

 

[arrowtree]

Why don't you give it a try and let us know

My MBA isn't here yet...

I guess the only way I can conduct this experiment is to book several
hours of supercomputer time at the NASA. It's only a simulation,
but should be close enough.

 

[Mrbobb]

My MBA isn't here yet...

I guess the only way I can conduct this experiment is to book several
hours of supercomputer time at the NASA. It's only a simulation,
but should be close enough.

And what are you going to do with the data? Tell Apple to build in an ultra sensitive gyroscope, and actuators to deploy and it always lands the correct way like a cat?

Probably easier to puf an airbag.


Architect students are always given this assignment of throwing a egg from 2 story down and is their job to design a system so the egg doesn't crack. Remember?

 

[arrowtree]

Architect students are always given this assignment of throwing a egg from 2 story down and is their job to design a system so the egg doesn't crack. Remember?

I was in a different major. We pushed a semi-playable upright piano
out the 4th story window. Suffice to say, it became unplayable almost
instantaneously. Our first attempt actually failed because we were
nerdy kids who had no muscles.

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

this is quite ridiculous, any drop can have the potential for serious damage.. regardless of the landing!!!! aluminum also bends meaning you can crack the logic board even if you do a "perfect landing".... not to mention all of the other plastic components...!

No it's not. If you assume a pure "free fall" and that the MBA is perfectly level with the ground when it langs, it would take a lot of force to crack the logic board or aluminum. This is fundamental physics. Instead of impact force being applied to a small surface of the material/object, the force is spread across the ENTIRE surface. In that case, it would take multitudes of force more to cause aluminum to bend. In the event of a "perfect landing", the impact force is spread across the entire bottom part of the MBA. Assuming even/near even weight distribution, there won't be any skidding or a negligible amount of it. If it lands at an angle, the impact surface is very small which is why a dropped laptop almost certainly will be damaged. If the impact surface is the entire surface, then there is much less force/area.

 

[alphaod]

A perfect landing is it lands on your foot first before skidding onto your floor.

 

[arrowtree]

A perfect landing is it lands on your foot first before skidding onto your floor.

that's very true.... or land on pets. I once dropped
my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and it landed on my cat
before ending up on the concrete driveway. The cat
was the perfect cushion that saved the phone!

Edit: in case there are PETA members here... no, the
cat was not injured by the phone. In fact, she couldn't
care less that the phone landed on her and went back
to napping immediately.

 

[NewbieCanada]

Sorry, I got so excited when I read "naked MBA" that I forgot what your question is.

 

[arrowtree]

Sorry, I got so excited when I read "naked MBA" that I forgot what your question is.

oh no... I just realized what I've done... did some of you read this thread
thinking the question about "naked MBA" as a naked man/woman who
with a MBA degree?

sorry....

 

[NewbieCanada]

oh no... I just realized what I've done... did some of you read this thread
thinking the question about "naked MBA" as a naked man/woman who
with a MBA degree?

sorry....

No, I knew you meant a naked MacBook Air.

Disturbing, isn't it?

 

[retep42]

actual experiment using 2009 MBP, 6 feet on concrete, 1 corner

Can a naked MBA survive drops for these heights?(no case, no bag, no nothing)

Well, by accident I tried this with my 2009 13" MBP this past Summer: As I came to a full stop with my bike on a patch of concrete, the MBP flew past me (I had forgotten to zip my backpack) and hit the concrete with the corner first that has the power connector and ethernet RJ45 jack. After carefully straightening the aluminum of the screen, I discovered that asides from a few wrinkles in the aluminum next to the RJ45 everything was fine. Hard drive, screen, DVD, etc. all survived without issues. Only change in performance: the ethernet connector no longer keeps falling out because it was too loose before. Now its a nice snug fit. I now understand why Apple keeps messing with the connectors as the MB's keep getting thinner, that big fat hole for the RJ45 really was the weakest spot in the casing. And yes, I will insist on my next computer having aluminum casing again!

As for your MBA, I think it should fare even better than my MBP, so no worries.

 

[ggf]

Yes to 4 feet

Can a naked MBA survive drops for these heights?(no case, no bag, no nothing)

2 feet = fall from height of my bed, landing on carpeted floor

4 feet = fall from waist height, landing on vinyl tiled floor at the office

6 feet = fall out of airline overhead bin (which has happened to my iPad)

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

I have (accidentally) dropped my 2010 11 inch air in a situation similar to your second option but onto a hard concrete floor and a non perfect landing. I only have a very small dent in the casing to show for it

 

[DUCKofD3ATH]

Depends on planetary gravitation. Is this taking place on Jupiter?

Can a naked MBA survive drops for these heights?(no case, no bag, no nothing)

2 feet = fall from height of my bed, landing on carpeted floor

4 feet = fall from waist height, landing on vinyl tiled floor at the office

6 feet = fall out of airline overhead bin (which has happened to my iPad)

in a best case scenario... let's say the MBA makes a perfect landing
with all 4 bottom corners touching the ground at the same time,
how likely will it survive?

 

[Omurices]

My 2012 MBA 11 survived a drop from midway stairs to the first floor. (Roughly 8-9 feet height + 9 feet distance, landed slightly on the side way, then final land on bottom, on the laminated floor. Only noticed a tiny dent and impressed with it's durability. It still works with no issue. I think I got lucky.

 

[AppleDApp]

Have a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_0CN-12npY

 

[Robyr]

Have a look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_0CN-12npY

That video hurts me every time. Also, I refuse to count the water test as a fail. For that kind of a submergence, and with the existing damage, I am absolutely astounded it worked at all.