Just how sturdy is the uMBP design?

[palmerc2]

I went to the Apple store and was checking out the uMBP for a future purchase....I am mainly interested in the 17"

I picked it up by the right corner using one hand, while the screen was open and it just felt like it was very close to warping. I held it up so it was parallel with the table. Is this feeling normal?

In everyones opinion, is aluminum the best choice for the MBP?

 

[powerbook911]

I think aluminum is a great choice. You have to remember Apple has been using aluminum since they introduced 12 & 17 -inch Powerbooks in I don't know what year ? 2003 maybe ?

The unibody only made it better, in terms of strength.

I have a Powerbook 12-inch that is 5 years old. Granted, I treat it like a baby, but it's still beautiful.

I say the only downside to aluminium is that it looks so much like art, you really worry about taking care of it, which is hopefully a benefit to its longevity and condition.

 

[mikes70mustang]

I went to the Apple store and was checking out the uMBP for a future purchase....I am mainly interested in the 17"

I picked it up by the right corner using one hand, while the screen was open and it just felt like it was very close to warping. I held it up so it was parallel with the table. Is this feeling normal?

In everyones opinion, is aluminum the best choice for the MBP?

They are so thin that warping and lack of rigidity is inevitable. Aluminum is good for heat, not so good for durability. One drop and your screwed

 

[rgarjr]

The top lid of the laptop is a little more flexible then the main body.

 

[thesmoth]

I grab it with one hand all of the time 13" and it seems OK, but if you take off the bottom plate you will see it is about 1/8 of a millimeter thick. I'm serious it's like thick tin foil it's insane how little material they used for the bottom plate.

 

[mikes70mustang]

I grab it with one hand all of the time 13" and it seems OK, but if you take off the bottom plate you will see it is about 1/8 of a millimeter thick. I'm serious it's like thick tin foil it's insane how little material they used for the bottom plate.

yah, but thats a 13. Smaller the size the more rigid the machine.

 

[shambo]

It's a sturdy old dog.

 

[Azathoth]

I went to the Apple store and was checking out the uMBP for a future purchase....I am mainly interested in the 17"

I picked it up by the right corner using one hand, while the screen was open and it just felt like it was very close to warping. I held it up so it was parallel with the table. Is this feeling normal?

In everyones opinion, is aluminum the best choice for the MBP?

No

Al is not the best choice.

Holding my colleagues' (and store model) 15" MBPs one-handed they do not feel sturdy, the 13" is significantly better in this respect. Al deforms inelastically, whereas I hold my (equally heavy) Thinkpad T60 by the corner without any problems (even by the PCMCIA card slot). Others have reported problems with holding the MBP17 one-handed, and it's apparently a "not-supported" operation by Apple.

http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/my-macbook-pro-17-bending-itself-and-warranty-not-covering-it/2521/

 

[Gabriel GR]

The unibody offers precision good cooling and totally flat surfaces. And of course great looks. For protection Thinkpads and HP Elitebooks have more more rigid skeletons with more protective futures (liquid drains, drive suspensions etc). Apparently apple machines are supposed to be taken better care of.

My biggest grief with the unibody is not the strength of aluminum. It's the glass in front of the screen. They should have used some polycarbonate material instead and not glue it on the screen assembly.

It looks and feels great as it is. But from a sturdiness and serviceability standpoint the unibody is not great.