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How did you dent your Macbook Pro? How could you have prevented it?

DoNoHarm

DoNoHarm

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 8, 2008
1,138
46
Maine
OK, so I know there are a lot of case threads on these boards. As some people prefer hard cases and some prefer soft, they all end up becoming some variation of "there is no one best way to protect your mac, etc."

I think they all start off with too vague a question like "what case is best". I was wondering if we could look at the case question from the other end: How did your Macbook Pro break/dent? Was it protected at the time? If not, would a hard case and/or soft case prevent the damage?
 
1. I dropped it.

2. I shouldn't have dropped it.

It was in a 13" Toffee sleeve and fell out of the side-opening laptop part of my backpack after I'd forgotten to do up the zip.

It fell from my back height (I'm 6 foot so it's a decent drop) and there was just a slight dent in the corner of the display assembly. You can hardly see it and nothing else was effected. Good result.
 
Chundles said:
1. I dropped it.

2. I shouldn't have dropped it.

It was in a 13" Toffee sleeve and fell out of the side-opening laptop part of my backpack after I'd forgotten to do up the zip.

It fell from my back height (I'm 6 foot so it's a decent drop) and there was just a slight dent in the corner of the display assembly. You can hardly see it and nothing else was effected. Good result.
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Same thing happened to me, only mine wasn't in a case.

I put the MBP in my laptop compartment in my backpack, forgot to put the zip up, then put on my backpack and out went flying my MBP.
 

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angemon89 said:
Same thing happened to me, only mine wasn't in a case.

I put the MBP in my laptop compartment in my backpack, forgot to put the zip up, then put on my backpack and out went flying my MBP.
Click to expand...

Yep, mine is in the opposite corner and much less than that - if it had been my iBook it would have been shattered. It hit the ground with an almighty WHOOMP.
 
I have that exact same dent you're describing, Chundles.

Mine happened when either the cleaning lady or my roomate messed with my bed without realizing there was a laptop in it. Fell all the way to the floor because I keep my bed separated from the wall to use the power outlet, pretty scratched up in some points of the edges too. I love my MBP less since then, it's stupid but it's how it is.

Hardcase would've probably done the trick.
 
steps to reproduce:
  1. Place MBP into sleeve
  2. place sleeve in backpack
  3. hold backpack in your lowered hand, about 1 foot above the ground
  4. release grip on backpack and watch as the computer suffers over $1000 in cosmetic damages and voids Applecare
 
No big dents on my MacBook Pro. There's only a few nicks below the trackpad which are mostly there through standard wear-and-tear. That is, expect for the one where my dad dropped a can opener blade on it.

It's my PowerBook that's got the dent. I fell asleep with it and it feel off my lap and landed on the power connecter. There's a massive dent there now. It's so big that you need to plug the connecter in at a certain angle otherwise it won't power it.
 
I’ve not got anything too major dentwise in my MBP… a few nicks out of the lid and on the edges… i did drop it once… i stupidly put it onto of a stack of books and it randomly slid off after about half an hour… fell about three feet onto its side so i’ve got little dashes just under the battery charge lights… still works fine though, so i’m not too bothered!
 
I had it in my bag in an incase sleeve, with its plug, and it came out with an earth-shaped dent.

Gutted

Then my lid hinge started acting up and AppleCare replaced the whole lid, dent and all!

I need a better case, tempted by a hard removable case
 
couple of small nicks from putting it in my locker and not paying attention, also it has slid off my bed numerous times, when I have been "otherwise occupied"




haven't dropped it in the loo yet though...:rolleyes:
 
I must have closed the lid with something between it, don't remember what it was and when exactly it happened. Anyway, I have a small dent in the right speakergrid of my 17" uMbp. I guess I'm lucky that it didn't damage my screen.
 
DoNoHarm said:
anyone get a dent while their MBP was wearing a hardcase?
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Nope. I wish I was at my desk so I could show pics of my 1.5 year old mbp (penryn classic). Let's just say the guy at the genius bar had no objections to writing "Cosmetic Condition: Perfect Condition, No Scratches, No dings" which is pretty accurate.
 
Too funny a topic, I'm going to include my last Macbook Air. ;)

While flying I placed it in my cushioned bag thinking it was secure, on the seat next to me (yes I didn't listen to the "place all items under your seat" stewardess message). Plane lands and brakes hard, the bag slams to the seat in front of it. I open to see a bent MBA at the hinge side that can't close properly. It was within 2 weeks so back it went.

BTW, happy with apple as they took it back with no problems. :eek:
 
Not me, i protect my MacBook Pro a little more then i should

But i work for a large corporation with a repair shop add on, Saw a white Macbook (Early 2008 Model) with a clear hard case on. The type that slides on and snaps into place. Just a quick note.... a hard case does not protect you from stepping on the bugger. Seems that a little attentiveness / common sense would stop most the the dents / cracks....

now i only need to bottle common sense and become rich.
 
angemon89 said:
Same thing happened to me, only mine wasn't in a case.

I put the MBP in my laptop compartment in my backpack, forgot to put the zip up, then put on my backpack and out went flying my MBP.
Click to expand...
same exact damage on mine. It was in a booq sleeve in my backpack. Backpack was in the back of the car when I was moving in to school in august, and when we opened the trunk the backpack dropped to the ground. i was sure that something happened. Took it out of the sleeve and what do you know, dented corner, along with a shift in the left port side where the ethernet port is.
 
Same damage on mine, except its on the bottom right edge. Dumped bag on a hard floor, and although my MBP was in a fluffy Memoggy sleeve, it still dented. Nothing affected, and it's hardly visible.

Thanks for reminding me about it though:mad:
 
OK, it seems kind of suspicious to only see stories from people with dented macbook's who had on no sleve or only a softcase. Why no hardcases? Do they offer better protection by shattering upon impact like a bicycle helmet?

I've gone ahead and taken the liberty of contacting incase about this. Lets see if they would prefer the neporene cases or the hardcase....
 
DoNoHarm said:
OK, it seems kind of suspicious to only see stories from people with dented macbook's who had on no sleve or only a softcase. Why no hardcases? Do they offer better protection by shattering upon impact like a bicycle helmet?

I've gone ahead and taken the liberty of contacting incase about this. Lets see if they would prefer the neporene cases or the hardcase....
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Uhh suspicious? lol Granted I don't throw my hard cased-macbook pro up against the wall for the sake of science, the shell probably wont shatter but will distribute and soften the shock (unless the shock is great enough to break it).

Anyway, here's my mbp after ~1.5 years w/ the case on. The outer shell of the case itself is really scratched up. Honestly I kind of just toss it on my desk or in the bag because I don't really need to worry about it. I took pictures because it was off to the genius bar to have the display replaced...
 

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How can a MacBook Pro 13" survive a 4-5 ft. drop? Suggestions please! :D

Now I'm getting soo paranoid. :D

But frankly, I share the same concern. I hope you guys don't mind if I rephrase the question a bit. Here it goes:

How can a MacBook Pro 13" survive a 4-5 ft. drop? :eek:

I'm a lawyer and I live a very active lifestyle, and I'm very much mobile. Thus the probability of me dropping it--contained in a bag and properly cushioned, that is--is highly likely.

I just recently bought my MBP and I'm just using an ordinary American Tourister bag (which I used for my previous PC laptop).

I still haven't decided on which good bag, sleeve, etc I should buy; but I seriously need to buy a good set of 'em quite soon, since the MBP with its aluminum casing is noticeably more fragile than my previous laptop (an HP/Compaq).

I would highly appreciate it if you guys would recommend good combinations of the following:
  • relatively compact bag for 13" MacBook Pro (unibody);
  • hard cases or similar protective covers;
  • sleeves or similar protective cushions; and
  • other means of protection from shock, dents, scratches, etc. (but mainly shock and dents).

Thanks in advance! Happy New Year! :)
 
Qin Zhi said:
I would appreciate it if you guys can recommend good combinations of the following:
  • relatively compact bag for 13" MacBook Pro (unibody);
  • hard cases or similar protective covers;
  • sleeves or similar protective cushions; and
  • other means of protection from shock, dents, scratches, etc. (but mainly shock and dents).

Thanks in advance! Happy New Year! :)
Click to expand...

The LA Robe ones are good, it's a memory foam neoprene that really sbsorbs shock. Tight fit though, so not great if you want a hard shell too.

with a hard shell the incase sleeves are good as there's a bit of space there, but then they're a soft neoprene that isn't quite as good at soaking up knocks
 
Qin Zhi said:
Now I'm getting soo paranoid. :D

But frankly, I share the same concern. I hope you guys don't mind if I rephrase the question a bit. Here it goes:

How can a MacBook Pro 13" survive a 4-5 ft. drop? :eek:

I'm a lawyer and I live a very active lifestyle, and I'm very much mobile. Thus the probability of me dropping it--contained in a bag and properly cushioned, that is--is highly likely.

I just recently bought my MBP and I'm just using an ordinary American Tourister bag (which I used for my previous PC laptop).

I still haven't decided on which good bag, sleeve, etc I should buy; but I seriously need to buy a good set of 'em quite soon, since the MBP with its aluminum casing is noticeably more fragile than my previous laptop (an HP/Compaq).

I would highly appreciate it if you guys would recommend good combinations of the following:
  • relatively compact bag for 13" MacBook Pro (unibody);
  • hard cases or similar protective covers;
  • sleeves or similar protective cushions; and
  • other means of protection from shock, dents, scratches, etc. (but mainly shock and dents).

Thanks in advance! Happy New Year! :)
Click to expand...

My friend, I think Pelican cases are made for you.
 
I have had my backpack fly out of the front seat and into the floor board or dash several times while driving between work and school, and my macbook pro is still perfect. The backpack also had at least one textbook, a graphing calculator, and a 3 or 5 subject notebook inside. I know for a fact a one foot drop could not damage my macbook pro when inside my backpack. Anyways here is my setup, vertical waterfield case sleeve and medium STM rogue backpack.
I got the waterfield with the velcro only, no flap.
And a suggestion for anyone that uses a STM rogue, fold up the rain cover better than how it comes from the factory, and you will add an extra 1/4"-1/2" of protection along the bottom of the backpack.
STM also makes a small size backpack, but I do not know if you could use a thick sleeve with the small backpack.

http://www.sfbags.com/products/sleevecases/sleevecases.htm
http://www.stmbags.com.au/products.php?id=19&name=medium_rogue_15&category=backpacks
 
How can my MBP 13 survive a 2-3 ft. drop? :)

jamesraward said:
The LA Robe ones are good, it's a memory foam neoprene that really sbsorbs shock. Tight fit though, so not great if you want a hard shell too.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I might just consider the LA Robe for my sleeve. I checked out some reviews, and buyers of it claim that it does a pretty good job at cushioning the notebook as compared to other sleeves because of the memory foam. I'll try scouting for it, I guess it's available locally. I'll still be storing it inside a bag though.

I might no longer buy a hard shell because according to some reviews it might scratch the aluminum.

Thanks again! :)


DoNoHarm said:
My friend, I think Pelican cases are made for you.
Click to expand...
Oh, thanks! I checked-out the Pelican website and I'm pretty much sure that such a case can really protect my notebook--I'd bet it can survive a direct meteor hit! :D

The price is reasonable too, just like buying a Crumpler. But I checked out some videos over at Youtube, and I found out that their 13" case cannot accommodate a MBP 13" without removing the protective foam, which I believe will just defeat the purpose for buying it. The next size is the 15" case. While I think the Pelican is truly a good case, they're a bit bulky already; and they look a bit heavy too.

But truly, I must say, those cases are great--they're water tight, weather proof, shock-proof, and I even saw this video where they fired a shotgun at it, opened the case, and switched-on the notebook it contained. Yep, the Pelican will do the trick; but it's pretty much an overkill; also it's just way too bulky. :)

Maybe I have to lower the bar a bit. Any suggestions for a bag/case that can protect my MBP against a 2-3 ft. drop? Hahaha!

Thanks again, guys! :)
 
A buddy of mine dinged my alum-macbook a while back. Nothing I could have done to prevent it, he was playing with it when I wasn't around.

I prevented future problems by making him buy me a new one!
 
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