Macbook Durability?

[Fuzzball84]

Does anyone have any thoughts about the durability of the macbook?

The new keyboard mechanism, the tiny hinge?

I'm almost about to order a macbook but that hinge is tiny compared to the Air and Pros...

Plus it looks like the screen cable is different to the latter in that its a ribbon type fed through directly to the lid instead of rerouted through the hinges.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Does anyone have any thoughts about the durability of the macbook?

The new keyboard mechanism, the tiny hinge?

I'm almost about to order a macbook but that hinge is tiny compared to the Air and Pros...

Plus it looks like the screen cable is different to the latter in that its a ribbon type fed through directly to the lid instead of rerouted through the hinges.

Lowest compared to the other macbooks. It is so thin, the precision in the making is so precise. I won't be suprised if something break after 2-3 years of using. Which is why Apple care is super important for the new macbook .

 

[Fuzzball84]

Your so right about that... Ive never really bothered so much with extra insurance and apple care on my products, but with this thing I'm half expecting something on it to break.

I'm not having a go at apple, its a really nice piece of engineering, I just think I'd have to be a little more careful with this laptop than my current Air. Its a bit of a bummer considering the usage model of the laptop i.e. the type that would be carried around a lot and opened and closed more than a more desk bound rMBP.

One other issue I started a thread about was CPU temperatures. Everything is packed in so tightly in this machine and it seems to get warm quickly. Batteries don't take kindly to elevated temperatures and if you use this all day every day I'm wondering what effect the heat will have on the useable lifetime of the batteries over say 2 to 3 years...

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Your so right about that... Ive never really bothered so much with extra insurance and apple care on my products, but with this thing I'm half expecting something on it to break.

I'm not having a go at apple, its a really nice piece of engineering, I just think I'd have to be a little more careful with this laptop than my current Air. Its a bit of a bummer considering the usage model of the laptop i.e. the type that would be carried around a lot and opened and closed more than a more desk bound rMBP.

One other issue I started a thread about was CPU temperatures. Everything is packed in so tightly in this machine and it seems to get warm quickly. Batteries don't take kindly to elevated temperatures and if you use this all day every day I'm wondering what effect the heat will have on the useable lifetime of the batteries over say 2 to 3 years...

Totally agree with you.

 

[Tubamajuba]

The hinge is made of metal, the new key mechanisms are made out of stainless steel, and there are absolutely no moving parts in the machine. No guarantees of course, but I think the new MacBook could actually have more longevity than computers in past MacBook lines.

 

[Intell]

The butterfly key mechanisms in the 2015 Macbook are made of plastic.

 

[Fuzzball84]

What interested me about the hinge was that it seems so thin where it connects to the main body of the macbook. I wondered how robust this will be, given every time you open the lid and push back until it stops, that it may bend slightly or become stressed? just a thought...

The new butterfly mechanism in the keyboard includes plastic components that flex, I wonder what the expected number of keypresses is compared to the traditional scissor mechanism in other MacBooks

All things considered, I'm sure apple have engineered this device to last a certain useful amount of time... a balance of engineering to make it so small and functional yet make it through with minimal cost to them during the warranty or apple care period.

 

[junkw]

 

[Tubamajuba]

The butterfly key mechanisms in the 2015 Macbook are made of plastic.

I misunderstood the diagram- only the dome is steel. Indeed, the rest of the mechanism is plastic. Sorry for the misinformation!

I wonder if the reduced travel will increase the time it takes for the switches to crap out?

 

[Fuzzball84]

Sure they will have tested the mechanism out for reliability, but I don't think they report endurance of any components publicly... i.e. how many keypresses can each key take, how many opening and closings of the screen hinge etc

I remember overhearing someone say that the surface pro 3 hinge could take a million openings (way more than needed for the expected lifetime of the device lol)... However, I have no reference for that...

Only time will tell I guess... thats the advantage of the MBA and rMBP, they have reached a stage of maturity where you know the design is pretty much solid for 3-4, maybe more, years of usage.

Ive never had an apple product fail on me, so this makes me more confident of buying from apple.