Is the macbook air durable?

Hey

I was looking in the Apple store today and I actually had the chance to hold the Macbook air, I was thinking prior to actually seeing this laptop that it would be flimsy and any force would snap it in half.

the machine felt quite durable, but for such a large amount of money would you say this machine would last a while?

 

I would say more or less its durability is pretty much the same with apples MBP line. You just have less stuffed into the same chassis made out of the same aluminum with the same screen size as a 13" MBP. Its still a consumer grade laptop by no means is it a toughbook or thinkpad

 

If it means anything to you my friends that work at Apple say it comes in for repairs less than any of their other current models.

 

percentage less... or total number less? huge difference.... since not many are sold.

One did survive a plane crash and kept working.... not pretty and needs a Monitor plugged in, but working...
Unibody Construction Helps MacBook Air Survive Plane Crash

 

I would have to say the MBA is just as durable as any Unibody Mac, assuming that you treat it with a reasonable amount of care. Having owned both, the Unibody Mac does feel more sturdy, but that's simply because of the added weight.

 

that's meaningless. we have no idea what kind of stresses that laptop underwent in the crash.

 

I suppose they are durable as the rest of the MB laptops, like other have said. But for that price I believe there are much better thin and light options that would last longer, unless you need/like OSX of course.

 

Simple answer, yes, they are quite durable.

 

I would vote no for durability.

 

Curious why you say that since the conventional wisdom is the opposite. Not that conventional wisdom is actual wisdom. But what specifically denotes it's lack of durability?

 

I think he says that because though MB are above average [not by much] in durability, they are nowhere near lenovo and certain Sony laptops.

 

I vote your answer useless without supporting evidence.

I vote your answer useless without supporting evidence as well!

 

Khris, do you REALLY need supporting evidence of Thinkpad having much better build quality than Apple laptops? And for certain Sony said by L3vi, I'm sure he was mentioning Z series... Both of them don't need evidence why it's better.

 

lol... and Macs are better than PCs in every way... do you really need evidence for that? No evidence is needed why its better!

 

I do believe doh123 has provided the appropriate reply to this well thought out question! ROFL!

 

..for Mac fanboys and PC's are better than Macs in every way for PC fanboys. This should hold true for fangirls too.

 

Funny how that works. And then you get those who like them both.

 

It was only a matter of time before someone tossed out the "fanboy" arguments.

Lets look at this as logically as possible please without name calling and opinions that cannot be backed up. That is what doh123 was getting at while using a little sarcasm. Anyone can make a baseless claim and call it fact.

“Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error”
Marcus Tullius Cicero

 

Either side has no logical evidence stating the durability of the Macbook Air and Thinkpad/ Vaio Z.

 

Oh no it's time to claim anything! Can you disprove that Al Gore did kill Manbearpig?

 

Here is my evidence:
mac book air dent - Google Search

They get dents from the slightest knock.

 

Exactly!

Your link is nice and all but doesn't prove your claim that the slightest knock will cause a dent. I can give you a link for complaints about Levovo but it doesn't prove they suck. Consumer Complaints about Lenovo Computers

I think people confuse fact with opinion.

 

My opinion is that if you make a really thin notebook, it wont be as strong as a toughbook.

 

Then again, the OP isn't asking how dent or scratch resistant the MB Air is, but is inquiring about the unit's operational longevity.

Doesn't seem anyone knows. You know, something like GPU will die in a year or two like it did with many notebooks using Nvidia 7 & 8 series GPUs. Something along those lines.

 

The only thing this proves is that you can use Google to search for pictures of dented MacBooks, nothing more.

 

No, it proves that lots of people have dented airs.
Or do you think those photos are fake

And who are you to comment on other peoples posts, why don’t you contribute to the discussion instead of trolling!

Where is your proof that it's as durable as any Unibody Mac?

 

One needs to take a good look in the mirror before calling names.

While the google search proves that people have dented MB Airs it does not prove that they "get dents from the slightest knock". Kris was pretty fair in his accessment of the air and did not make any outlandish claims of durabilty and even left a disclaimer about the importance of how you treat your system. There is nothing to prove.

No system is bullet proof and nobody is perfect. Although, some people like to pretend that they know everything.

 

Thank you for saying exactly what I was thinking!

 

What he said.

 

Awesome.

 

Well most likely your going to treat it like a porcelain doll so it probably is durable enough. It does dent and scratch easily like the MBs, but is very sturdy when holding. As long as you treat is with care it will hold together quite well.

 

I just want to know what these people are doing with their computers to dent them. Are they using them as Frisbees or something?

 

I've watched people set down their machines... what they think is normal use... and they basically sit one edge down and just drop the other side from an inch up, and it goes bang! I'm like... "wow your rough with that"... and they are... "no way, i baby this thing"

 

One more thing I will add, when I had mine, it got pretty hot.
I guess that's not really about durability, but it's another reason to consider buying something else.

 

I have a 15" Macbook Pro Uni body (Late 2009 Model) and a few people at work have the Air, I have used both and while the Pro certainly feels more solid and better built that is partly because of the weight and partly because it is more solid and has a slightly thicker aluminum enclosure I am sure. The Air feels a bit dainty but it is still built solid and I am pretty sure they fixed the issues with it breaking near the LCD hinge, although it still feels like they are under a lot of stress and prone to breaking since the screen is not able to tilt very far back, but you would prob have to force it for anything to break. One of my co-workers did drop his and besides a small dent on the underside it is perfectly fine.

 

I've carried computers in backpacks and accentually set it down too hard on concrete or tile and banged up the side, or scratched against something inside. Not that big of a deal but its much more apparent on a brand new shinny Macbook.

 

Sounds more like you need a better bag and to pack it properly.

 

I've never treated my Air like a porcelain doll. I didn't buy it to baby it. I bought it because it was thin and light and I wanted something that I could take with me everywhere. My laptop goes with me wherever I go.

I will have owned my Air for two years next month. Not a single problem even after dropping it at the airport right after I bought it (a sickening moment). It continued to work just fine and I've grown used to the dent.

My Air has now developed a tiny bit of screen flicker weirdness in the upper right corner of the screen. I took it in to see if they would cover it under Applecare, but they wouldn't consider due to the drop damage. I understand why, but it still sucks.

Also the case is starting to warp and separate in spots. Pictures are the only way to describe what I mean. It spends a lot of its life in a backpack though, and given that it is so thin, warping I think is just going to happen. The hinge has also developed some of the flop that a lot of them develop.

So overall I've been extremely happy with my Air. Given how I've used it though I think my next portable device is going to be an iPad. Something even smaller and lighter for doing basic stuff - and with fewer moving parts.

 

I've never treated my Air like a porcelain doll. I didn't buy it to baby it. I bought it because it was thin and light and I wanted something that I could take with me everywhere. My laptop goes with me wherever I go.

I will have owned my Air for two years next month. Not a single problem even after dropping it at the airport right after I bought it (a sickening moment). It continued to work just fine and I've grown used to the dent.

My Air has now developed a tiny bit of screen flicker weirdness in the upper right corner of the screen. I took it in to see if they would cover it under Applecare, but they wouldn't consider due to the drop damage. I understand why, but it still sucks.

Also the case is starting to warp and separate in spots. Pictures are the only way to describe what I mean. It spends a lot of its life in a backpack though, and given that it is so thin, warping I think is just going to happen. The hinge has also developed some of the flop that a lot of them develop.

So overall I've been extremely happy with my Air. Given how I've used it though I think my next portable device is going to be an iPad. Something even smaller and lighter for doing basic stuff - and with fewer moving parts.

 

@motoexplorer

Welcome to the forum and also congratulations on your first double-post

 

the durability of the Mac Air is okay... but it does get hot, since it uses the chassis as a giant heatsink.

If you need a 13 inch machine, i think the 13 inch Macbook Pro is a slightly better purchase.

Also, the limited ports on the Macbook Air does limit its expandability.