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What's your mentality on caring for your MacBook?

I have a 13" mid '09 MBP and until recently I only ever had it in an Incase wetsuit case. It still looks pristine and I have taken it everywhere I go (within reason LOL) including to the States. However, I became interested in Speck see through covers to give it some zing to the eye and I am loving it. All I do now and then is take the cover off and give it a bit of a dust and clean.
I have also recently purchased a 15" early '11 MBP and have had in a Speck case from day dot.

The sturdiness of the unibody, and the aluminium is a testament to Apple and their product manufacturers.

Cheers

Gav
 
for guitars/instruments a bit of wear & tear gives it character. For things like a computer i like to keep it as clean/damage free as possible.

I don't even have my MBP 13" yet & i've bought a Speck see thru shell waiting for it.
 
I have a 15" and all I have to protect it is a neoprene sleeve that I put it in before I shove it into some bag. I carry it arround a lot, put it here and there use it outdoors.
The only place where you can see wear after 1,5 years of use is if you look really closely at the sharp edge of the palmrest. There is this chipping issues and one time a kitchen knife with 64 HRC hit the edge and now there is a really small dent. Otherwise with all my use there is not a single scratch on the notebook and that is not for lack of shoving it around on less than perfect underground.
Really those cases just look ugly and make a thin notebook thicker. The coating of those macs can with stand quite a lot. You really need a hard item or a very clumsy user to make it look worn out.
The sleeve I always use when I carry it outdoors and in it can hit the ground. In it in a bag you can throw that one around a if there were only books inside. Really many people here are way to careful. A sleeve is everything you need and it doesn't even need any extra protection. It always depends on how clumsy you are off course.
 
akasch said:
My Incase cover cracked. I think its defective because I don't remember ever dropping my laptop or even setting it down hard.

My laptop is the 2011 mbp btw
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ooh okay! that makes more sense! I was gonna freak out there... xP
 
I babied my macbook even had a hard case for it but the case scraped the sides.

I bought a new macbook pro in january because my other one was in rough shape due to neglect. So the new one I bought a case for and babied it so the new one could stay in pristine condition. But the case did more damage then could the bottom piece of the case scraped all around my macbook. The case was air tight and I clean my macbook before putting it on the case was a 60 dollar case. Then today it got scuffs on it from the table. Only had it 4 months and this happened. Its driving me insane.
 
Treat it like a baby;)

Palm rest, trackpad cover. No other cases besides a carrying case.

I'm just very very careful.
 
russelljames said:
I bought a new macbook pro in january because my other one was in rough shape due to neglect. So the new one I bought a case for and babied it so the new one could stay in pristine condition. But the case did more damage then could the bottom piece of the case scraped all around my macbook. The case was air tight and I clean my macbook before putting it on the case was a 60 dollar case. Then today it got scuffs on it from the table. Only had it 4 months and this happened. Its driving me insane.
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I love my hard case but I'm deathly afraid it will scratch the aluminum finish. But I hate babying it, I'd rather use it normally.

As a result of this indecisiveness my case is on every other day. On it goes off it goes. Sigh.
 
i don't buy cases for it.. i think it's lame.. i don't buy lacoste shoes to have a plastic bag wrapped around them either..

i take care of it.. but i don't protect them with my life.
 
Just buy a nice sleeve or bag to carry it in. I am a very careful person so I never add anything like a cover or case to the actual laptop. Slip it in the sleeve or bag to transport...slip it out and use it...back in sleeve or bag.

Simple as that.
 
I use mine for work. However it does come out of the Speck case for all round clean once a month/6weeks(must admit i do change from Speck hard cover to the incase shoulder bag from time to time). I don't baby my machines. Still have my 17" mbp in fine working order (Mountain Lion) but that now sits on a desk as it used to travel all over the place with me. the 15"uMBP i have is now my travel compadre! :D
 
I don't own a sleeve or a case, but I use a laptop backpack when I travel. I've been able to keep my laptops in pristine condition in the past without any special treatment or cases and I hope too in the future.
 
Use common sense when using laptops. Don't eat near it. Use a good padded bag to transport it. Wipe it with a cloth once a week.

Never needed any cases to protect my MBP and it's not got a single scratch on it :)
 
I try to keep it in near-mint condition. For me, I have no trouble keeping it near-mint while traveling with it and enjoying it. I tend to sell my MBPRs about every year or two. So I know that I can get a decent price out of it to help offset the cost of a new one.

Of course, the new owner of my MBP is getting a pristine MBP in near-mint condition. I purchase Apple Care, keep all of the boxes/packaging, I do not smoke, I do not eat/drink around it, I clean it regularly, and I have a fantastic carrying case for it. I also maintain the system so that it is always in great shape.

The only item I wish I was better at is the keyboard. I like to type and none of the keyboard covers seem to work for me - well allow me to type at full speed. So in the end, the keys are a bit shiny. However, you can easily replace these if they bother the new owner.

All in all, I treat my technology pretty well. It is always my hope that the next person who purchases my MBP is shocked at how great the condition is.


-P
 
negativzero said:
Use common sense when using laptops. Don't eat near it. Use a good padded bag to transport it. Wipe it with a cloth once a week.

Never needed any cases to protect my MBP and it's not got a single scratch on it :)
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What is the point of wiping it? Dirt is just an added layer of protection. ;)
I never clean mine except for the keyboard. Greasy fingers, germs and such. I kill it with ethanol.
I also eat near it. Drink near it. Generally don't care about what it looks like. As long as it works.
iphone_used1-700580.jpg

That is what a phone is supposed to look like and a notebook too. Unless you consider it rented and sell it to people who think they buy jewelry.
 
It's not some fancy sports car. It's just a computer. Aside from making sure I don't do stupid things to it like drop it or spill a drink on it (or anything else that would break it), I don't do anything special to care for it. I don't use cases because that just adds bulk. I don't use sleeves either because it's just one more thing I have to do when packing up my MacBook when going home or leaving for work. It just goes in my backback.
 
No cover or cases for me. I throw mine in my backpack and it seems to protect it just fine. I even write on the palm rests with a pencil, it wipes right off!
 
My MBP is my work and home machine. It is not intended for winning beauty contests. I carry it around all the time, so my main objective is to make it as hassle free as possible. No cases, no keyboard covers, no sleeves. My bag has a laptop compartment with easy access, thats it.

I intend to use it for ~3 years. I might loose some resale value but that's worth it for me. After 3 years it has "worked off" it's $2k purchase price.

I do the same with my car, my furniture, etc. I buy things to use them. Of course I am still reasonably protective with everything - no need to ruin stuff on purpose. But I will not get all worked up about finding a scratch on my MBP. I was a bit more concerned about that kind of stuff when I was younger.
 
Got a sleeve I put it in when travelling outside my house.

Otherwise I have no protection. It's nearly 3 years old and I have dropped it twice from table height onto the floor (screen open both times). I have been extraordinarily lucky that the words damage to it is one slight dent on the screen lid (metal side) and a slight dent to the metal to the left of the trackpad.

Also slight scratching on the bottom where it has rested against various surfaces.
 
I take as best care of all of my items as I can, especially to keep resale value high.
 
I love my Speck case for my rMBP. I protects the case as I take in and out of my bag multiple times a day. I also enjoy the different colors. I do occasionally go naked.

I have first generation MacBook Pro core duo that has a Speck case on it. It looks great. The only dings are when I had the Speck case off!!

Just pick one and go with it.

Enjoy your machine either way..
 
little of both, i do my best to protect my rMBP… no case or anything like that, but I always keep it on my home office desk, my work desk, or in my bag...

my MBA is my machine that I just use everywhere, on the couch, in bed, my backyard, coffee shop etc… it's way more prone to damage, but I just do my best and don't really care. neither have cases, i don't even have a case or screen protector for my iPhone… i do have a smart cover for my iPad though, some reason it would really annoy me if it had a big ol' scratch… more so than my iPhone i guess, but even it really doesn't have any (i think).

i rarely resell my macs, but i did with my 2011 15" macbook pro when getting the retina... it had the tiniest of scratches on the front corner (nearly invisible) and the bottom was scuffed up quite a bit…. managed to get $1500 for it a month ago… you really just have to not treat it like garbage imo and it shouldn't take much of a hit…
 
my first MBP 13 inch I was really careful! i bought a spec case, then a keyboard cover and kept that thing in there till i sold it! then i got a 15 inch off of craigslist and I am only using it for a year so i kind of dont care (helps that the laptop came with a screen protector and a palm guard.

Now i have decided to buy a soft carrying case i can slip it in then toss into my backpack.

When i get my new laptop, whenever that is, itll most likely be the rMBP but like others have said, its just a computer and theres no point (to me) for buying a laptop so nice, thin, and just plain amazing to hid it all in a case.

that being said, the one thing i would recommend for all laptops, no matter if you care about taking care of it or not, is a keyboard cover! if you spill something just turn the laptop over immediately and nothing will get in!
 
Apple chooses an aluminum housing that's very strong, well designed & durable. I use mine exactly how Apple designed it to be used, the way it came out of the box.

With common sense and a little care there's no need for a plastic case except for those who are paranoid or vain.

I buy mine to use, not to sit & stare at :)

It's the tool I use to get my work done. I buy it for me, not to fuss over keeping it perfect for resale. I'd rather enjoy it than baby it.

By the time I'm ready to replace it, the appearance is still as good as new. That includes traveling with it frequently.
 
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