Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Fuzzball84

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 19, 2015
2,574
6,026
What do you guys think of the rMB durability?

so far Ive really been conscious to look after it much more than the Air 11 inch. The screen hinge 'feels' much more vulnerable but its just a 'feeling'...

SO far Im really enjoying it, but back of my mind being extra careful with it lol
 

Wallabe

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2015
660
205
I do feel it's a bit more vulnerable. I notice not all of the feets are touching the table. 3 of the 4 feet touches the table, while the 4th one, left "rest pad area" flops when I put pressure on it. It's not much, maybe 1 or 2mm.
 
Last edited:

facrat

macrumors member
May 15, 2015
38
14
The hinge seems fine to me, but I find myself treating the front edge around the trackpad gingerly. When carrying it around with screen open there aren't many other places where you can get a good grip - the keyboard is so wide that holding it at the side is fiddly without hitting the keys. But the front edge is so thin it feels a bit delicate and there definitely seems to be a bit of flex there.
 

Queen6

macrumors G4
Agree I thing you do need to be a little more careful with the rMB, as a trade off for it`s diminutive size. I bought a sleeve that offers some level of protection for the same reason.

As for one of the feet not touching the desk, I would try the rMB on a known flat surface, if it`s still the same I would be inclined to gently twist the Unibody until all the feet touch. There are are threads/post regarding the Air with the same issue. You could of course speak with Apple, however it`s likely to happen again depending how you transport the Notebook.

If the rMB was not square from new I would return to Apple, as the other consideration is the alignment of the hinge.

Q-6
 

Wallabe

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2015
660
205
Agree I thing you do need to be a little more careful with the rMB, as a trade off for it`s diminutive size. I bought a sleeve that offers some level of protection for the same reason.

As for one of the feet not touching the desk, I would try the rMB on a known flat surface, if it`s still the same I would be inclined to gently twist the Unibody until all the feet touch. There are are threads/post regarding the Air with the same issue. You could of course speak with Apple, however it`s likely to happen again depending how you transport the Notebook.

If the rMB was not square from new I would return to Apple, as the other consideration is the alignment of the hinge.

Q-6

When I have the lid closed, all the feet are on the table, but when I have it opened, one of them is always in the air, just slightly off the desk.

With my rMBP, I don't have this problem. Most of the weight is on the bottom half, so it always sits on all 4 feet. The rMB is sort of like a folding chair. Because of it's lightweight, when you open it, it's trying to do this balancing act. It has enough weight to stay put, but could be tipped over easily if pressed against the retina display, making it fall backward.
 

Queen6

macrumors G4
When I have the lid closed, all the feet are on the table, but when I have it opened, one of them is always in the air, just slightly off the desk.

To me thats down to the alignment of the hinge, I will have a look at mine on a glass table. I haven't noticed anything in day to day use, really it`s on all kinds of surface, and sometimes on an elevator to angle the keyboard.

Q-6
 
Last edited:

Fuzzball84

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 19, 2015
2,574
6,026
I noticed the same thing with my MBA on a few surfaces... one of the feet was not firmly down... never bothered me so much as to take it back as sometimes its hard to find a truly flat surface... was a matter of mm.

I was always conscious that my earlier laptops (Lenovo, IBM etc) had a bit of flex so with the MBA it didn't bother me so much.

I'm just much more concerned about being careful with my rMb to avoid dents, bending :( so far its fine but it really does feel like a very delicate device.
 

Fuzzball84

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 19, 2015
2,574
6,026
I plan to take out apple care on this device before the standard apple warranty expires, an extra piece of mind considering Apple are so good at replacing defective devices... only unfortunate that compared to apple watch applecare, the rMB version does not include accidental damage, only manufacturing defects. So this makes me wonder that if the hinge, for example, gives up after 2 years, would they replace it? Ive no hands on experience ...
 

Wallabe

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2015
660
205
I think they would consider it a cosmetic thing rather than manufacturer defect. Unless there is a large bulge, like expanding battery. Also the ambient temperature and humidity may affect the metal, warping it a bit. It's not a concern, just a delicate device.
 

JoePa2624

macrumors regular
Oct 12, 2014
247
105
AZ
I haven't noticed any potential durability concerns in the couple weeks I've had mine. I did get a sleeve because I don't want to scratch the beautiful aluminum in my bag, and I also just ordered a Dbrand skin for the top of the laptop.

I'm not seeing any issues with the feet being level or the hinge making any kind of noises or feeling weak. So far so good!
 

Fuzzball84

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Apr 19, 2015
2,574
6,026
Yeah, I've not had any issues with the feet or hinge making noises at all... just its so damn thin compared to the airs hinge... which is great as I love its size but really makes me take care a lot more when opening/closing moving the notebook when Im using it etc.

So far my battery runtime has been excellent and similar to the 11 inch air... plus its running cool during my usage of safari and iTunes...

I could swear my first rMB I returned ran hotter than this second unit... and both on same version of OS X...
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.