MacBook hinge durability

[Gibson88]

Hey everyone, I saw the new MacBook in the wild for the first time yesterday and it's absolutely beautiful, I'm certainly thinking about getting one.

The only thing that's putting me off slightly is the hinge, it feels quite loose and slack and I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with it moving about and not holding it's angle whilst on planes/trains etc?

Thanks.

 

[zhenya]

No, mine has no movement at all other than where I place it. Certainly no 'lash' or 'slack'.

 

[wchigo]

Hey everyone, I saw the new MacBook in the wild for the first time yesterday and it's absolutely beautiful, I'm certainly thinking about getting one.

The only thing that's putting me off slightly is the hinge, it feels quite loose and slack and I was wondering if anyone has had any problems with it moving about and not holding it's angle whilst on planes/trains etc?

Thanks.

I can't really speak for trains and planes but I'd assume that as long as there's not too much shaking or turbulence, you'll likely be fine.

Some had complained about the monitor wobbling whilst typing but I as I'm typing this out on my own rMB, I'm not noticing any such issue. That was more likely a case of a bad batch rather than a design flaw as several other people in this forum don't have the same issue.

 

[zhenya]

I have also noticed that the Macbook is very sensitive to being placed on a flat surface, and the entire computer will wobble if it isn't. I think it's because the weight of the screen very nearly equals that of the base of the computer - there just isn't that much mass to counterbalance the weight of the screen.

 

[MyopicPaideia]

Way too early in the product's lifecycle to say whether or not there will be a durability problem. So far mine has been rock solid - commuter train has been very good, both home and clientele office environments never had a hinge problem, and on an unrelated note, a wobble problem either.

I've never even actually thought about the hinge, because it just seems to behave like all the other MacBooks I've ever owned/handled. Stuff like this would definitely be on my radar if it was an issue, as it would be one of those irritating things that would annoy you constantly while using the device. Luckily for me, I don't have any such issues to report!

 

[wchigo]

I have also noticed that the Macbook is very sensitive to being placed on a flat surface, and the entire computer will wobble if it isn't. I think it's because the weight of the screen very nearly equals that of the base of the computer - there just isn't that much mass to counterbalance the weight of the screen.

This issue came up in my mind as I was typing my post, but I didn't think to really get into detail on it.

However, I totally agree. Using it at my desk, it's completely still and doesn't move or wobble at all. Currently typing this while sitting in bed and the screen and hinge aren't moving, but the entire laptop is definitely moving around. I think it might be partially the counterbalance thing and partially that this thing is just so light that when you're typing, the base is moving up and down and left and right because any time you push down on a key, the pressure from your finger is enough to affect the balance of the computer, causing it to kind of "see-saw" back and forth.