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MacToughBook??
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So here are quotes from two threads on the MBP forum with posts in the past 24 hours. Clearly no need for a tougher Mac then? 😉
Thank you... my sentiments exactly....
I've owned a 17' Powerbook G4, a 15" version of the same, a first generation 15" Macbook Pro aluminum, and now a 2010 edition 17" Macbook Pro. In every single case but one, I managed to keep them in near factory-new condition as long as I used them, until I "flipped" them for a good resale price and upgraded to the next model. In the one case where something happened, it was a case of my carelessness while in a rush, working with a customer's server he had in the basement of an office. I accidentally stepped on a short ethernet cable that was attached to the side of my notebook and pulled it off the table and onto the floor. It survived just fine but had an ugly dent in one corner of it.
Honestly, the premium price I would have expected to pay for a company like Apple to "ruggedize" the thing enough to prevent that dent from a drop onto a concrete floor was probably just as much, if not more, than it cost me to get ahold of a replacement case bottom for it and fix it back up like new again myself.
Sure, you can find endless examples of people complaining about spilling things into their computer or sitting on them and cracking the screen, or dropping and breaking them. But that's equally true of pretty much ALL portable electronics on the market.... certainly of any typical portable computers of ALL makes and models. Again, most of us realize there's some level of RISK involved with these things. If we do drop them or spill fluids into them, they'll require repairs. Fine... I balance that against things like the extra weight and bulk it would need to protect against them better, the additional cost, and the styling changes it would require. That brings me back to concluding that no, I'd rather not go with the "rugged" version, thanks. There are insurance policies you can buy inexpensively for your computer if you're REAL worried you might screw it up.
I've owned a 17' Powerbook G4, a 15" version of the same, a first generation 15" Macbook Pro aluminum, and now a 2010 edition 17" Macbook Pro. In every single case but one, I managed to keep them in near factory-new condition as long as I used them, until I "flipped" them for a good resale price and upgraded to the next model. In the one case where something happened, it was a case of my carelessness while in a rush, working with a customer's server he had in the basement of an office. I accidentally stepped on a short ethernet cable that was attached to the side of my notebook and pulled it off the table and onto the floor. It survived just fine but had an ugly dent in one corner of it.
Honestly, the premium price I would have expected to pay for a company like Apple to "ruggedize" the thing enough to prevent that dent from a drop onto a concrete floor was probably just as much, if not more, than it cost me to get ahold of a replacement case bottom for it and fix it back up like new again myself.
Sure, you can find endless examples of people complaining about spilling things into their computer or sitting on them and cracking the screen, or dropping and breaking them. But that's equally true of pretty much ALL portable electronics on the market.... certainly of any typical portable computers of ALL makes and models. Again, most of us realize there's some level of RISK involved with these things. If we do drop them or spill fluids into them, they'll require repairs. Fine... I balance that against things like the extra weight and bulk it would need to protect against them better, the additional cost, and the styling changes it would require. That brings me back to concluding that no, I'd rather not go with the "rugged" version, thanks. There are insurance policies you can buy inexpensively for your computer if you're REAL worried you might screw it up.
Have lost count of the number of 'spillage advice' threads I've read over the past six months! 😛
For accidents, insurance is the best protection.
For use in tough environments, a Macbook Pro is just the wrong laptop. There are a few alternatives that are not quite as crazy as a toughbook. Lenovo Thinkpads come with spill-resistant keyboards and are very stable and durable. They will survive a few raindrops and are less sensitive when dropped or hit.
There are a few companies specialized in customizing MacBooks. I'm sure you can contact them with your wish list, and some will respond with a custom built solution.
You can already buy keyboard covers, trackpad covers and cases for the MBP. They provide some protection. However if you plan to drop your MBP into the ocean or something like that, it is a lost cause.
For use in tough environments, a Macbook Pro is just the wrong laptop. There are a few alternatives that are not quite as crazy as a toughbook. Lenovo Thinkpads come with spill-resistant keyboards and are very stable and durable. They will survive a few raindrops and are less sensitive when dropped or hit.
There are a few companies specialized in customizing MacBooks. I'm sure you can contact them with your wish list, and some will respond with a custom built solution.
You can already buy keyboard covers, trackpad covers and cases for the MBP. They provide some protection. However if you plan to drop your MBP into the ocean or something like that, it is a lost cause.
Here's today's spillage thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1286897/
Agree that few of us need an armour plated Macbook, but am I alone in thinking it extraordinary that you can kill it by spilling half a glass of water?
Definitely not but there's a difference between "not alone" and "enough of a market".