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iPad Durability

w00t951

w00t951

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 6, 2009
1,834
53
Pittsburgh, PA
I have not yet held the iPad yet, but I have already ordered my 64 GB WiFi only iPad. Judging from the pictures, it looks like the body (back) of the device is made from aluminum, like the new Unibody Macs. Can anyone confirm this for me? There also seems to be a small shiny apple in the back of the iPad. What is this made of? Will it scratch easily? And finally, the screen. People have said that the screen is very similar to the iPod and iPhone's screens as in it is like a piece of glass. Can anyone tell me for sure what the screen is like, and whether it will scratch or not if you use it outside of its case? In general, would you say that the iPad needs something more than the Apple case to protect it, such as a screen protector?
 
w00t951 said:
I have not yet held the iPad yet, but I have already ordered my 64 GB WiFi only iPad. Judging from the pictures, it looks like the body (back) of the device is made from aluminum, like the new Unibody Macs. Can anyone confirm this for me? There also seems to be a small shiny apple in the back of the iPad. What is this made of? Will it scratch easily? And finally, the screen. People have said that the screen is very similar to the iPod and iPhone's screens as in it is like a piece of glass. Can anyone tell me for sure what the screen is like, and whether it will scratch or not if you use it outside of its case? In general, would you say that the iPad needs something more than the Apple case to protect it, such as a screen protector?
Click to expand...

This is my one apple product I don't worry about. I set it down on soft surfaces like it's case, carpet, couch even a piece of paper on my desk just so the back doesn't scratch.

Other than that, nada. Use your iPad naked. It's perfect and I feel like i can even eat over it since I can just wipe off the screen.
 
It does seem durable. However, I can't be at ease knowing that it is not protected. (Thats what she said) :p

I already ordered the Hard Candy Street Skin. It will be another 4 or 5 month before I would think of carrying it naked.
 
Well, seeing as you have the 3G model I assume you'll be taking it out with you? I only use mine at home (32 GB WiFi). I would think the Apple case would be just fine for you. While relatively light, the iPad to me feels really solid. I don't use any protectors for mine.
 
The back does scratch pretty easily. And the glass screen CAN scratch. It's pretty difficult to scratch the screen but it does happen. I had 2 iPhones whose screens ended up getting scratched. From that point on I added a screen protector.

It's honestly not the most durable device. And a small drop can really be devastating because of how heavy it is. I have a invisibleSHIELD full skin covering mine for use when I'm home. And have an Apple case that I slide it into if I'm going outside of the house with it. I also bought accidental insurance just in case. Apple Care won't cover the iPad if it's dropped or you spill something on it, and to repair it will probably cost a ton of money. The insurance is only $100 for 2 years, I thought it was well worth it.

And this stress test kinda made me buy the insurance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i5i3ozyPS8

After 3 drops on a carpet, the screen was broken.
 
The macbook aluminium is very prone to dents. I dropped my lamp on it and it created a very ugly dent. I'd say its relatively scratchproof, but not shockproof. Wrap your ipad up in something tough. I have a feeling that the apple case will not prevent damage if you drop the ipad with it.
 
Hmmm... I use it for travel, which I do A LOT... I have a feeling that I would keep the iPad inside the Apple case for most of the time, and flip the flappy thing attached to it over the screen when I'm not using it. I believe that, no matter how un-durable the iPad itself may be, the case should be fine at protecting my not-yet-present iPad.
 
What's the main reason for saying that the Apple case is useless? Because it looks sleek, formfitting, and covers the screen.
 
I actually really like the Apple Case. Definitely one of the best looking cases and does a decent enough job at protecting it.
 
My experience with durability. I vought an HP sleeve from walmart to carry it around in. Yesterday morning, I was putting my son in wifes car and I put the iPad on top of the car. You can guess where the story goes from there. It stayed on top of the car until she got out of the subdivision. It then slid off the roof and flew sideways toward the side of the road, bouncing off the top of the curb.

I am typing this on it. There was some minor cosmetic damage to the back (I think I got lucky and it landed relatively flat), but the screen is fine, no damage at all. All functionality is there. It is more than likely that I got very lucky, but it definitely survived.

FYI, instead of getting accidental damage insurance with best buy or similar, look at adding it to your home owners insurance. I have replacement cost coverage, no deductible, and all for $10 a year. I will likely replace it before the cost exceeds the two year plan costs (which comes out to $65 a year at best buy).

My tip for the day :)
 
shapefactor said:
The macbook aluminium is very prone to dents. I dropped my lamp on it and it created a very ugly dent.
Click to expand...

Wait…I'm sorry, you dropped a lamp, on a piece of electronic equipment, and something happened to it? I, for one, am simply shocked. Shocked, I tell you!
 
JtheLemur said:
Wait…I'm sorry, you dropped a lamp, on a piece of electronic equipment, and something happened to it? I, for one, am simply shocked. Shocked, I tell you!
Click to expand...

I think the point is that if you dropped a lamp on any other plastic laptop it probably wouldn't have done any damage. But aluminum dents and you can't do anything to fix it. A plastic case would just absorb the impact and protect the laptop.

I have about 10 different electronics around me right now that if I dropped a lamp on it, nothing would happen. So no need to be sarcastic.
 
v3rn said:
I think the point is that if you dropped a lamp on any other plastic laptop it probably wouldn't have done any damage. But aluminum dents and you can't do anything to fix it. A plastic case would just absorb the impact and protect the laptop.

I have about 10 different electronics around me right now that if I dropped a lamp on it, nothing would happen. So no need to be sarcastic.
Click to expand...

Moral is, don't drop lamps on your equipment lol :p
 
I've had the iPad since launched and it feels as solid as day one. My experience as an Apple product owner is that you generally need to be conscientious with your device. I say that not b/c they are not durable but that you don't want scratches, etc on something that looks this nice!! :)

The iPad has an aluminum back and a plastic logo right where the unit will rest if it is on a flat surface. I'm sure that area will scratch quite easily. What I've done is to make sure there is always something underneath the iPad when I set it down while I was searching for a case. Now that I have one, I care a lot less about where I put it since the case protects the entire unit.
 
The iPad is not very durable at all as some of the previous posters have stated! I dropped a bowling ball on my iPad and it left a pretty big dent! I have a MBP as well which I dropped a dumbbell on and it left a dent too!

In all seriousness, I have owned MBP's since 2006 they have fallen off beds or couches numerous times and besides some small unnoticeable unnoticeable scuff marks on the machines I've only had 1 small dent.

On the other hand, when I briefly owned a cheap netbook which was subjected to the same abuse my MBP's withstood for years besides small dent, the netbook couldn't withstand the same drops and I ended up with a dent in the plastic lid that permanently damaged the LCD screen.

We of course have no way of knowing what type of lamp the previous poster dropped on his MBP, as some lamps weigh 100 pounds and others only a few ounces, so without further information as to what type of lamp, we can only joke or speculate why it caused damage.

As for my iPad which I've owned for 2 weeks without a case, use a business card holder stand, and carry in a North Face surge backpack, it has no scratches/marks on the screen or back of the device and still looks brand new.

If your the kind of person who drops lamps on your iPad, throws your iPad onto tables, slides it across tables, or store it in a bag with your car keys when you are traveling, then yes it's going to scratch or dent.

However, if you take care of your iPad and handle it with care, then it's very durable and will not scratch or dent easily. The durability of the iPad all rests in the hands of its owner and how well they take care of the device.


shapefactor said:
The macbook aluminium is very prone to dents. I dropped my lamp on it and it created a very ugly dent. I'd say its relatively scratchproof, but not shockproof. Wrap your ipad up in something tough. I have a feeling that the apple case will not prevent damage if you drop the ipad with it.
Click to expand...
v3rn said:
I think the point is that if you dropped a lamp on any other plastic laptop it probably wouldn't have done any damage. But aluminum dents and you can't do anything to fix it. A plastic case would just absorb the impact and protect the laptop.

I have about 10 different electronics around me right now that if I dropped a lamp on it, nothing would happen. So no need to be sarcastic.
Click to expand...
 
Not wanting scratches on the screen is obvious because it can interfere with viewing the screen but I think people obsess too much about keeping the back etc, pristine. Hurts resale?

I was anal like that when I got my iPhone (I'm usually anal about my stuff anyway) but because the cases etc just added bulk and ruined the elegance of the phone for me, I started asking myself why I was so hell bent on keeping the back so defect free. Just wondering what people's mindset is.
 
I get nervous because I can be a bit of a butterfingers. I lost track of the number of times I dropped my iPhone, but I had it in a case right away so it never did any damage. I am always aware of keeping my iPad safe from myself.
 
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