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I hate that I baby my machine
- Thread starter helloapple1
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Any tips for cleaning the MacBook? Either cloths or any cleaner that could/should be used on either the screen or the keyboard?
I agree with you. Still, whatever we think a Mac is to us, OP’s problem is not thinking about damaging the Mac, but a lack of acceptance of him/herself as s/he is. It is due to a lack of acceptance of themselves as they are, that OP and many others are deceived into believing that constant thinking about damaging their machines is what they could do without. But it is a lack of acceptance of themselves as they are that they could do without!
So the question is not how we can use our devices without thinking about damaging them, but what keeps me from accepting myself as I am.
You didn't free yourself from anything if you damaged your device on purpose, you only proved that you are destructive.
To nuance what I mean: you only proved that you are capable of damaging a device. That‘s all you did.
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Thoughts and feelings appear cyclically in our heads. Feelings too are thoughts. Thoughts that appear as anxiety too can appear cyclically in our heads, but can, like with any other thought, be watched choicelessly by us as they come and go. Meditation is not a prerequisite to just look choicelessly at the coming and goings of our thoughts and feelings, but if it appeals, why not try it. As choicelessly observing their thoughts and feelings becomes easier for people in their everyday life, they may start to notice that their anxieties slowly “visit” them less and less frequently and intensely to the point where they are no longer tormented by anxieties - THAT is freedom.
I always think MacBook is tougher than iPhone or iPad. So, I put minimal protection for MacBook. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced any dent and scratch since my first MacBook in 2009.
The one that probably unavoidable is the cable. The cable became stretch, dirty and tear up on some places.
The one that probably unavoidable is the cable. The cable became stretch, dirty and tear up on some places.
I'm the same way, and I am like James May from top gear where I have a paint brush to get all the dust from between the keys 🤣🫠 Versus both my brother and my friend who I almost faint when I see their Macs with layers of dust, fingerprints, food particles, etc all over the screen and keyboard. I even like using the Fan Control app to run the fans on full blast every now and then to blow some dust out (it actually seems to work)
My new strategy is this - let the computer get as dirty and grimy as possible then clean it once every two weeks.
Not too long ago, I bought an M2 Mini for my day-to-day SOHO needs, but I held onto my 2017 Air for travel / mobile office work (running Monterey) - it still runs fine and has all the built-in ports a road warrior might need or want.
That said, it is no longer my primary Mac, so I feel less obliged to treat it as the expensive and potentially fragile thing I once did. As luck would have it, I wandered into a store recently and they were selling from what looked like case lot of of Thule laptop protectors for this old model. For like $5. Installed (rubber/gel interior and hard plastic exterior), it looks a lot like an industrial laptop, like the Panasonic Toughbook.
While still not treating it like a frisbee, I feel a lot less precious about it as a Mac.
That said, it is no longer my primary Mac, so I feel less obliged to treat it as the expensive and potentially fragile thing I once did. As luck would have it, I wandered into a store recently and they were selling from what looked like case lot of of Thule laptop protectors for this old model. For like $5. Installed (rubber/gel interior and hard plastic exterior), it looks a lot like an industrial laptop, like the Panasonic Toughbook.
While still not treating it like a frisbee, I feel a lot less precious about it as a Mac.
I bought the 15" air knowing it was a flawed device with the relatively slow screen. Means I only bought the base model and don't treat it too preciously as I'm not expecting to keep it for as long. I'll take the hit on the resale and not worry about a bit of ware.
I tend to keep laptops a long time. My previous lightweight laptop (Lenovo Yoga2 PRO) was so old it came with a wireless N card inside... I had to buy an AC wireless card to update it... 4th gen Intel that I had till last month, replaced with an M2 Air in May, finally. And my gaming laptop was so old it came with a DRAFT Intel wireless N card inside... Oh boy Intel dual core... upgraded that to an I9/3080 laptop less than 2 years ago.
So yea I keep the laptops till they are irrelevant LOL so try to keep them clean and free from spills, drops.... but obsess? It can be hard to try and NOT fall down that rabbit hole. I understand the babying, it's about wanting to keep it looking nice and working well; after all it did costs some serious shekels... But in the end it is a communication tool for me... It enables me to message my friends, see my family on Facebook on the other side of the world, do banking, look up the nearest Taco Bell... while I sit outside near the pool or on vacation somewhere.
So yea I keep the laptops till they are irrelevant LOL so try to keep them clean and free from spills, drops.... but obsess? It can be hard to try and NOT fall down that rabbit hole. I understand the babying, it's about wanting to keep it looking nice and working well; after all it did costs some serious shekels... But in the end it is a communication tool for me... It enables me to message my friends, see my family on Facebook on the other side of the world, do banking, look up the nearest Taco Bell... while I sit outside near the pool or on vacation somewhere.
It's a difficult dilemma - treat it as the valuable piece of electronic wonder that you paid top-dollar for, or use it fully for the job you bought it for (and that paid for it, and for the next one).
I'm always disappointed when I see the first marks around the power port, or a nick appears in an iPhone case etc, but they're made to be used & to be portable. It's equally certain that one day it'll be be an out-of-date paperweight, so make the most of it whilst it's still current.
As an aside, I'm also on a forum for RV / camper-vans - mostly older owners - and many of them seem to be 'preserving' their van as close to new as possible, effectively just 'keeping it nice' for the second owner ... Madness, by all means look after it well, but use the damn thing!
I'm always disappointed when I see the first marks around the power port, or a nick appears in an iPhone case etc, but they're made to be used & to be portable. It's equally certain that one day it'll be be an out-of-date paperweight, so make the most of it whilst it's still current.
As an aside, I'm also on a forum for RV / camper-vans - mostly older owners - and many of them seem to be 'preserving' their van as close to new as possible, effectively just 'keeping it nice' for the second owner ... Madness, by all means look after it well, but use the damn thing!
My gosh—vehicles especially. They’re going to get rock marks on them within the first year!! I always chuckle a little bit when I see people with those leather covers on the front of their cars.
Phantomskinz.com. I've tried dbrand and slickwraps but I like theirs the best. DBrand doesn't have a clear option and Slickwraps is a crapshoot on whether or not you'll actually receive your order. Phantonskinz has the best quality I think out of any of them and it's really not difficult to apply. Someone else told me about them in here and I'm glad they did because they are great.
Did you go for Ultra Clear or Matt finish?
Edit: Oooppsss. Just saw you said matt. Sorry.
No problem. Yes I chose the matte. It looks fantastic once it’s applied.
We sometimes forget what is the most important thing to take care of. Our body (health) or these electronics...
But if one is taking good care of own's health, and as well as family members. You sir/madam are well entitled to keep your electronic devices in pristine condition.
About that pesky OCD stuff. Like when we were in school, we gotta have that all As from those classes. Otherwise the most unsettling feeling slowly creeps up from the bottom of your neck as your dark passenger slowly speaks into your head, hey it is not perfect you gotta do something about that
When you treat your house and a car the same way, you are dealing with whole other animal here. Overnight go out there on your backyard checking on a spot of grass patch that just turned brown or hairline cracks from your cemented driveway...
I will leave the rest up to your wild imagination.
But if one is taking good care of own's health, and as well as family members. You sir/madam are well entitled to keep your electronic devices in pristine condition.
About that pesky OCD stuff. Like when we were in school, we gotta have that all As from those classes. Otherwise the most unsettling feeling slowly creeps up from the bottom of your neck as your dark passenger slowly speaks into your head, hey it is not perfect you gotta do something about that
When you treat your house and a car the same way, you are dealing with whole other animal here. Overnight go out there on your backyard checking on a spot of grass patch that just turned brown or hairline cracks from your cemented driveway...
I will leave the rest up to your wild imagination.
"The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything."
I was just using it in bed. Woke up in the morning and it was flipped upside down, screen open..... on the duvet. At least it didn't flip onto the marble floor.
