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Hanzo226

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 1, 2018
5
1
Poland
Hi I made this account a very long time ago where I was saving up for my Mac now that my dream of having a fully fledged Mac came true . Yesterday I got my MBA 2018 with 16gb ram and 512 gb of storage and quite frankly Im in love with this thing.I was curious about how can I maintain it properly and whether a case is really necessary? Also any other tips and tricks? And finally is the keyboard really easy to break? Whilst the keys feel kind of like my iPhone and are neat for me I did hear reports of the keys breaking rather easily , I do have apple acre + though any way I could mitigate it?Also are 3-4 years doable for the Mac as Ive found myself a job to pay for it and after doing some maths ill have enough money for a maxed out pro one in 3-4 years?
 

Kung gu

Suspended
Oct 20, 2018
1,379
2,434
be careful of eating near it and take care of it. i suppose that goes for any laptop. Enjoy the laptop, the world/internet is filled with worries, but don't let that get it the way of what u love.

Supposedly a new pro model is coming june, although it may be not possible.
 

uniquexoxo

macrumors 6502a
Aug 27, 2018
517
366
South East Asia
Hi I made this account a very long time ago where I was saving up for my Mac now that my dream of having a fully fledged Mac came true . Yesterday I got my MBA 2018 with 16gb ram and 512 gb of storage and quite frankly Im in love with this thing.I was curious about how can I maintain it properly and whether a case is really necessary? Also any other tips and tricks? And finally is the keyboard really easy to break? Whilst the keys feel kind of like my iPhone and are neat for me I did hear reports of the keys breaking rather easily , I do have apple acre + though any way I could mitigate it?Also are 3-4 years doable for the Mac as Ive found myself a job to pay for it and after doing some maths ill have enough money for a maxed out pro one in 3-4 years?

A case would not necessary for a couple of reasons:

1. It does not keep the MBA well ventilated. Instances includes it heats more because the heat exuding from the device is trapped in between the case and the device.
2. It keeps dust and dirt inside, and same as iPhones, it might leave as stain on the exterior of the device
3. It could lead to a loose hinge. Cases are heavy, eventually it’s going to take a toll on your device. From my experience, I’ve been using case for so long I did not take into account that it adds more weight to the lid. Like, when I close the lid to 75%, without a case it will just stay as that; however with it a case, due to its weight, the lid will slowly close all the dow on its own. That could damage the hinge and may cost more.

Just like any other laptop, there are pros and cons. But I think laptops can live without case, first the rubber bottom part of MacBooks prevent it from slipping. Second, most probably you’ll just be working on a flat surface, safe from fall out, otherwise that would just be carelessness.

It’s up to you though, if you feel like you’re not that careful. But I think I’d probably choose a dent on the exterior than damages on the inside.
 

MultiFinder17

macrumors 68030
Jan 8, 2008
2,721
2,042
Tampa, Florida
It’s up to you though, if you feel like you’re not that careful. But I think I’d probably choose a dent on the exterior than damages on the inside.

Agreed with this; I've honestly never used a case on any of my laptops, and they've all had astoundingly long lives. The machine I'm typing this on now is a 2011 11" Air, and while it has a few war wounds from being my classroom computer for the last four years, it certainly doesn't look bad and it's still functioning perfectly.

Besides, a mark or two adds a little character to a computer, especially if you're not looking to sell it in a year to get the latest one. :)
 
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minifridge1138

macrumors 65816
Jun 26, 2010
1,175
197
I personally don't bother with cases on my laptops, but that depends on (1) how "clumsy" you are and (2) how much you'll be bothered with nicks, scrapes, etc. For an impact strong enough to damage the Mac, I'm not sure how much a case would help (maybe a lot, as I said, I don't know).

As for longevity, I'd say it depends.
I have old PowerPc Macs from before 2004 that still work (it works as well as the day it was made, but is too slow for modern internet thanks to javascript).
I have a MacBook from 2006 that works (it works as well as the day it was made, and works fine on the internet with an adblocker turned on).
I'm typing this on my Mac Pro from 2009 that I use every day. It's the best computer I've ever owned and am typing on it right now. I'll have owned it for 10 years in October.
I have a MacBook Air from 2013 that's awesome.

My mother in law had a MacBook Pro with a motherboard fail 13 months after she bought it.

For tips and tricks, the internet and this forum are your friend. Ask questions, look around YouTube, etc.

Good luck and welcome to the club.
 

Kraizelburg

macrumors 6502
Nov 10, 2018
437
113
Spain
I have the latest MBA 2018 with a hard shell case which is very light and also a keyboard silicone membrane just in case keyboard...
Keyboard cover doesn't mark the screen at all as it's only 0.2 mm thick, hardshell case doesn't interfere with any ventilation points as new macbooks air only have 1 vent spot which is underneath the hinge and case doesn't cover that.
 
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AustinIllini

macrumors G5
Oct 20, 2011
12,683
10,517
Austin, TX
I have the latest MBA 2018 with a hard shell case which is very light and also a keyboard silicone membrane just in case keyboard...
Keyboard cover doesn't mark the screen at all as it's only 0.2 mm thick, hardshell case doesn't interfere with any ventilation points as new macbooks air only have 1 vent spot which is underneath the hinge and case doesn't cover that.
Yup. Some of the keyboard covers like the ones you mention might make little impressions on the screen, but they're dust and dirt based and they wash off.
 

NikkiAngel

macrumors member
Apr 18, 2015
73
35
Buffalo, NY
I have the latest MBA 2018 with a hard shell case which is very light and also a keyboard silicone membrane just in case keyboard...
Keyboard cover doesn't mark the screen at all as it's only 0.2 mm thick, hardshell case doesn't interfere with any ventilation points as new macbooks air only have 1 vent spot which is underneath the hinge and case doesn't cover that.

How’s typing on a silicone keyboard cover. I’m on the fence about buying one.
 

Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,237
5,064
I don’t use a case but I use a microfibre cloth between the screen and keyboard.

I’m also careful. I regularly take my MBP in my backpack but I’m always conscious of unnecessary pressure. I don’t lay my backpack down with the laptop on the bottom, for example. Seems like common sense, but you know...
 

Kraizelburg

macrumors 6502
Nov 10, 2018
437
113
Spain
How’s typing on a silicone keyboard cover. I’m on the fence about buying one.
Typing with the silicon cover I bought is almost as good as without, it is very thin. I'm not a fan of butterfly keyboard so for me there is no difference with or without but I rather have this cover than shiny keycaps all over the place.

This is the one I bought but I'm sure you can get it also on amazon, ebay, etc
 

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