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CMD is me

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 7, 2006
401
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Which portable is more durable (ie, which can stand up to getting knocked around the most)? I'm interested in a Mac laptop for traveling and need at least a Core2 for my apps (I'm not interested in the premium cost for a MBA). So MB vs MBP swinging from your shoulder -- who would come out with fewer band-aids?
 
I'm not sure if many would agree with me but i'd say they are equally as durable although the MBP will show battle scars more than the MB. I.E. the MBP will physically look more battered but it will be just as durable.

Most people are of the opinion that the Macbook is more durable.
 
Aluminum>Plastic...They don't make cars out of plastic, do they?


Macbooks crack a lot but MBP will show little scrapes on the aluminum.
 
mbp will absorb shocks better, but may dent
however, the same force that only dents a mbp may shatter the polycarbonate case of the macbook

as long as you dont throw it around, either will be fine
 
AL or PL

Aluminum>Plastic...They don't make cars out of plastic, do they?


Macbooks crack a lot but MBP will show little scrapes on the aluminum.

Do they make cars out of aluminum ? A lot of bumpers are plastic now. The pontiac fiero was plastic and the corvette is fiberglass.

Anyways, get the MBP. If you are concerned about scratches and dings, get a hard shell by speck or incase. Done.
 
Aluminum>Plastic...They don't make cars out of plastic, do they?


Macbooks crack a lot but MBP will show little scrapes on the aluminum.

Actually, I think more cars have plastic parts than aluminum, especially those that take wear and tear, like bumper covers, trim, etc. The last aluminum car I remember seeing was a 1982 DeLorean!
 
So DeLorean vs Fiero... seems similar to the MBP vs a MB ; ) Aren't Saturn side panels plastic? I'd love door ding-free panels.... just not a Saturn. Oups, this is becoming car talk.
 
Its not really plastic, the MB's are polycarbonate for the most part.
They are imo less prone to damage than MBP's where the aluminum
dents easily.

I went through a bike wreck where a car hit me with an ibook in my
backpack at 20mph and the computer "kept on tickin." My body
took 2 months to operate normally again. The insurance check
bought me a new computer and a new bike and then some.
 
I have owned both a black Macbook and now a Macbook Pro.

What I can say is this:

The Macbook Pro is more durable then the Macbook, if you don't care about looks. It seems like it dents a lot easier, but overall it can take more of a beating and still work.

The Macbooks on the other hand, look cosmetically better over time with more beatings, but if it takes too much of a beating it comes to a time when the plastic will start to crack and then that's when you call Apple to get it replaced under warranty.
 
Do they make cars out of aluminum ? A lot of bumpers are plastic now.

A lot of bumpers are plastic now - and they're designed as "break-away" parts. I.e. in an impact, regardless of how small, they're designed to crack apart and fall off. Compare that to the metal bumpers of 20 years ago which only get dented up in an impact.

From wikipedia:

"While bumpers were originally constructed of heavy steel and held clear from the bodywork, they have evolved into light-weight structures of thermo-plastic or painted light metal — leaving them susceptible to damage from even light contact."

But bumpers are not made of polycarbonate, and therefore it's an invalid comparison.

Actually, I think more cars have plastic parts than aluminum, especially those that take wear and tear, like bumper covers, trim, etc. The last aluminum car I remember seeing was a 1982 DeLorean!

Yes, far more plastic than aluminum is used in cars - because it is cheaper to manufacture, not because it's a superior material. And all this plastic parts are designed to be disposable and replaceable. See my comment above about disposable bumpers.

No, the DeLorean was not aluminum, nor was any of its body panels. It was stainless steel. The AC Cobra had some aluminum body panels, as do a variety of other sports cars from Porsche, Jaguar, and others. The Audi A8 is the only car made entirely from an Aluminum frame/chassis.

That's not to say that polycarbonate is bad - it's quite good in fact. It's used as one of the layers in making "bullet-proof" glass. It's also used for the cockpit canopy of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet. The big downside to polycarbonate as a computer casing is not in it's strength (it's plenty strong, how many cracked Macbooks have you seen?) - the downside is that it's very susceptible to scratching.

Also noteworthy in this comparison is that Aluminum is a great heatsink material and will help keep the laptop cooler whereas polycarbonate is an insulator and therefore traps heat inside. This is why the Powerbook/MBP can be used in "clamshell" mode with the lid closed whereas the iBook/Macbook cannot.
 
Actually, I think more cars have plastic parts than aluminum, especially those that take wear and tear, like bumper covers, trim, etc. The last aluminum car I remember seeing was a 1982 DeLorean!

dude i passed by a picnic yesterday and there's a delorean with its doors wide open on the grass. it was the light of my day. haha but yea they dont make cars out of aluminum anymore due to cost and weight issues but aluminum is definitely stronger and more durable of the two IMO.
 
Neither is particularly more durable over the other.

If you disassemble a MBP, you'll find that the aluminum is quite flimsy and easily bendable. The stability of the MBP case depends upon all the parts being connected to each other. For traveling, a MB might be more ideal. Just my $0.02.
 
Aluminum>Plastic...They don't make cars out of plastic, do they?

Actually they make crappy cars out of plastic; cheaper to replace, but a small bump or hit might cause a crack; they made expensive cars out of aluminum; more expensive, but they bend instead of crack, but even bent it can still perform it's function.
 
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