Do you use port dust covers?

[elf69]

It's taken me a while but I finally have the mac I wanted, a 2012 13.3" macbook pro.

I have a keyboard dust cover which all my apple laptops have had.
I work in dusty environment (basement) and wondered do any of you use dust covers for the ports?

They are on ebay for very little money.
I have bought a set for the pro and just like to know if used by anyone.

There seems be a lot on ebay for sale so there must be some kind of demand for them.

They are silicone so I don't think they damage the laptop, bar maybe the headphone port.
It might push the internal connectors back a little if left in all the time then may not connect with headphones in future. This is the only issue I could see in using these.

 

[leman]

What is the point? The ports are quite tightly sealed from the internals, so dust won't get in through them. Dust WILL get through the air ducts though and thats where it will do most damage. If you are worried about your ports being damaged by dust, I don't really see how anything can happen. IMO, makes more sense to invest into some canned air.

 

[elf69]

fair point.

It's not so much getting inside the machine, as you say no thru path to the inside of machine.

It's more dust clogging the ports and preventing say my usb sticks or lan functioning when on site with a client.

I used to regularly open my old unibody macbook and clean the heat exchanger etc.

 

[Willo34]

Oh dust. Yes, I know how that works ;-<

 

[maflynn]

I don't use them, never have. I recently opened up my 2012 rMBP after years being "sealed" and the dust was much less then I expected.

I think keyboard and dust covers detract not only from the looks of the MBP but also the usage. imo, with minimal benefit, I don't see the advantage of making typing harder, or dealing with port dust covers.

 

[robvas]

I've opened up some pretty cruddy MacBooks

I can see how they would keep the ports clean. But the rest of the machine will still get dirty inside because the air gets sucked in through the side vents

 

[chabig]

It's more dust clogging the ports and preventing say my usb sticks or lan functioning when on site with a client.

Unless you're downwind of an erupting volcano, you're safe.

 

[elf69]

I use to take a windows netbook out to clients, but it's ports would get dusty or fluff in them and my pen sticks did not always work or the lan cable did not go all the way in.

I have to say though, since moving to mac I have not had this issue yet.
I think the ports are just designed better on a mac.