Leaving MBP external devices plugged in while traveling

[LarTeROn]

Leaving this attached while throwing it in a backpack looks like a way to break it quickly.
Is it?
Is there any case that can help protect this?

Related thread:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/m1-macbook-pro-external-ssd-hack.2293140/

 

[maerz001]

Just don’t

 

[LarTeROn]

Just don’t

OK. Let's avoid the https://xyproblem.info/

But to do that, I have to explain the very long story, which is a bore. Still, this reply means I have to do it, I guess.

My problem: Although I have offsite backup, I prefer to use an external SDD.
This comes from hard won experience where being able to take a hard drive out has been very useful. These have been:

1) A laptop broke. Backup hadn't been working, and I hadn't been informed. Fortunately it was a simple fix to take the SDD out with the data. This alone means I just can't trust the M1 soldered in SDD.

2) a few other situations a bit similar to this

also:

3) I can't get fast internet here in central Hong Kong because all the fibre slots are full both at work and at home. Thus I'm on slower internet in both places, so cloud backup isn't fast or reliable. While I have a home NAS, it makes sense to also be able to recover via an external drive as well.

---
So why not plug the usb in and out every time we switch the laptop on and off. Again, experience with that puts me off. I did this with older macbooks. However, metal fatigue on the USB port failed the port. Fortunately, I was able to replace the USB port. I didn't need to wait for a repair because I did it myself. The new M1 has a block on me doing that. It's a simple thing to take data across, but not with the soldered in SSD in newer macs.

also (4) Because the SSD is soldered in place, if I take it to Apple, it would be nice to take the SSD out. I can't do that with a soldered in chip.


This simple approach of an external SSD solves all this hassle.

I think if someone says "Just don't", they've just been lucky so far to fit in the system, or just inexperienced. I wouldn't even say throwing money at it / applecare really helps, because you still have to wait for that repair to come back

 

[dmccloud]

OK. Let's avoid the https://xyproblem.info/

But to do that, I have to explain the very long story, which is a bore. Still, this reply means I have to do it, I guess.

My problem: Although I have offsite backup, I prefer to use an external SDD.
This comes from hard won experience where being able to take a hard drive out has been very useful. These have been:

1) A laptop broke. Backup hadn't been working, and I hadn't been informed. Fortunately it was a simple fix to take the SDD out with the data. This alone means I just can't trust the M1 soldered in SDD.

2) a few other situations a bit similar to this

also:

3) I can't get fast internet here in central Hong Kong because all the fibre slots are full both at work and at home. Thus I'm on slower internet in both places, so cloud backup isn't fast or reliable. While I have a home NAS, it makes sense to also be able to recover via an external drive as well.

---
So why not plug the usb in and out every time we switch the laptop on and off. Again, experience with that puts me off. I did this with older macbooks. However, metal fatigue on the USB port failed the port. Fortunately, I was able to replace the USB port. I didn't need to wait for a repair because I did it myself. The new M1 has a block on me doing that. It's a simple thing to take data across, but not with the soldered in SSD in newer macs.

also (4) Because the SSD is soldered in place, if I take it to Apple, it would be nice to take the SSD out. I can't do that with a soldered in chip.


This simple approach of an external SSD solves all this hassle.

I think if someone says "Just don't", they've just been lucky so far to fit in the system, or just inexperienced. I wouldn't even say throwing money at it / applecare really helps, because you still have to wait for that repair to come back

The ports on the Macs are designed to withstand thousands of insertions/removals. In fact, the minimum rating for USB-C is 10,000 cycles. Even if you were plugging/unplugging three times every day, that would translate into 3,333.33~ days, 2500 days with four plug/unplug cycles. Keeping that adapter on the Mac in a case could actually cause more issues than the standard practice of plugging it in when you needed and unplugging it when you don't. Given that Apple tends to overengineer their products, it is a safe assumption that their USB-C connectors were designed to exceed those minimum standards.

 

[maerz001]

The „just don’t“ reply comes as its much more likely to break. I don’t think a case will help much as the weight of the macbook still is pulling on the usbc port.

U really need daily backups?
Other thing is that apple (and other companies) also can rescue your data from the logic board.

I guess its much more likely thats u break your ports that way than the internal ssd

 

[chabig]

Is there any case that can help protect this?

Yes. Something like this would be perfect.

Eylar Large 22 inch Protective, Camera, Tools, Equipment Laptop Hard Case Waterproof w/ 3 Layers Foam (Gray)

The Eylar 22" inch large protective laptop hard case is designed to secure your equipment for transport or storage. Injection molded from reinforced high pressure polypropylene plastic that is waterproof and crushproof. A waterproof seal is formed when the case is latched closed applying pressure...

www.amazon.com

 

[LarTeROn]

The ports on the Macs are designed to withstand thousands of insertions/removals. In fact, the minimum rating for USB-C is 10,000 cycles. Even if you were plugging/unplugging three times every day, that would translate into 3,333.33~ days, 2500 days with four plug/unplug cycles. Keeping that adapter on the Mac in a case could actually cause more issues than the standard practice of plugging it in when you needed and unplugging it when you don't. Given that Apple tends to overengineer their products, it is a safe assumption that their USB-C connectors were designed to exceed those minimum standards.

My USB-A went after a couple of years, max 2 plugs a day. That's less than 1000.

My USB-C in my phone(s) have held up much better so far.

So yes, that's a good point.

 

[Fishrrman]

Leaving stuff plugged in while traveling is "an accident waiting to happen".
Best to unplug things...