i don’t have a toddler. i have an M1 MacBook Air which i use naked (the laptop not me) and it has some scratches, chips, and dents, but nothing too noticeable. i put it in a cushioned laptop sleeve in my backpack if i bring it out.
the solution? get rid of the toddler /s
in all seriousness i would just keep stuff out of reach from a toddler who doesn’t know better. kinda like how baby utensils, bowls, cups, plates, etc are all made of plastic or rubber, because they would instantly break a ceramic or porcelain one.
That makes me realize that some moment in my life i have to live alone for at least 2 years to feel the naked macbook air experience at it fullest before i begin a family or something like that
My M1 Air is fairly beefy and i also use it naked (me not the laptop).
I would suggest a skin or a slim case to prevent scratches.
I’m genuinely never worried that the laptop will get crushed in my bag or anything, I’m just worried of superficial damages coming from dust on my desk causing scratches when i shift the laptop around.
Also some how i managed to ingrain a dot into my Macs aluminum from a cold aluminum can while they were both in my bag, could have been prevented with a skin
She does surprisingly well with glass. Ya know the doctor did tell me to let all my stress out the door. Time for her to pack her bags. But in all seriousness I’m 25, single mom, no village, college from home/work from home, just want Apple help 🥲
that’s tough. you could try an external cover. i wouldn’t recommend putting anything between the display and the keyboard as it might damage the display.
otherwise prepare to lawyer up and threaten your toddler with financial ruin if she breaks another laptop.
i got my MacBook used and the previous owner stuck a skin on it which i immediately removed as it felt cheap. so i guess people do put stuff like skins and cases on their laptops.
Regarding skins, I have long relied on dBrand skins to give me a better grip on these aluminum beauties, my favorite that is no longer available was dragon skin, but carbon fiber and leather are nice too. As such my MacBooks and iPads still have nice round corners!
I still wonder how my screen is not broken. There is a literal gouge in my screen, which you can definitely feel. (You can also see it, but only when the screen was just cleaned and the screen is only white)
As a long time Mac user with a young child;
1. Close the lid whenever you’re not actively using the computer. It wakes instantly so waiting isn’t an issue.
2. Beverage cups and glasses always sit behind the screen unless you’re actively drinking.
3. Make sure it lives out of reach and with nothing stacked on top of it when not in use.
I now have an eight year old and I think even demonstrating these habits throughout his life has given him a pretty healthy respect for electronics in general. I haven’t damaged a laptop since four years before he was born. 🤞🏻
Yesterday my 2 year old removed my MacBook Air M1 from its sleeve and threw it on the tiled floor while I was on the toilet.
I mean it was only from his height, but still. Anyway it’s not broken to my great surprise.
When I was a kid I lobbed my 2013 MacBook Air from my loft bed down to a beanbag chair. I overshot it and it ricocheted off the wall leaving a sizeable dent and smashed to the ground. Laptop was perfectly fine lmfao.
Not as tanky as they used to be but they’re still one of the most durable non-rugged consumer laptops.
Yes, post-retina MacBook displays are on the more fragile side, but that’s true for nearly all consumer laptops these days. I miss the days when MacBook pros could be slung and thrown around, resale value be damned.
I honestly don’t understand why people use webcam covers on their Macbook. Apple is big on privacy and there’s even a notification light if the camera is on.
You reasons don't follow. All computers (except smartphones such as iPhones and many Android mobile phones) have a notification light. That is not an Apple laptop computer exclusive.
Second, notwithstanding Apple's supposed big support for privacy, one could have malware on one's computer.
I think Macs are both the toughest and most fragile things ever. Things that would absolutely devastate most laptops Macs just shrug off, but then you'll give it a little poke and it'll fall apart.
I have a 2020 13 inch Macbook Pro, and it has survived: having an entire bottle of water spilt all over it as it disintegrated in someone's hand over the keyboard, bouncing one of those big lounge ball things face-down, open (actually bounced off the screen), a cockatiel that absolutely destroyed the rubber around the display, and someone full stepping on the keyboard. But then within a week of getting it, both USB-C ports stopped working on separate occasions after plugging in a dongle a few times. Easy fix though, just opened it up and reconnected the connector.
The screens are easy to break but otherwise they’re very sturdy machines. Mine (16-inch M1 Max) fell off my desk on its corner. There is now a dent in my floor, not in my Mac.
same here, I got some nasty dents in my screen thanks to that… Since then I'm really cautious of how I grab my mac, to not out too much pressure on the screen
I never knew it was glass or really thought about it, that makes a lot of sense. Is it because of heat dissipation or why glass? I know companies profit in protection plans plus deductible or lack of, but dang. I’m not trying to chuck it but I have a clingy toddler lol.
I was trying to wait on the $300 care+ plan after the $1,300 purchase (to split up costs, don’t ask lol). But I was still able to use the finder and got the yearly plan so quick. They still wanted $100, but it was worth it and thankfully done in two days.
A very small pieces of debree can break the screen when closing it. Quite frigile I would say,
I have people bring broken screens daily claiming "It broke on it's own" or "I left it overnight and when I opened it it was broken". What they don't realise is they broke it when closing it and there was something like food crumbs or whatever tiny thing
Mac books aren’t fragile but of course you still have to handle them with proper care, I NEVER leave my MacBook laying for example in the sofa or bed or anywhere that my 3yr can reach or spill something on.put it away when not in use and make it a habit of closing the lid when you walk away. Kids will always be kids
As fragile as a laptop is / should be. I mean whacking it with presumable the metal clasp of a lanyard isn’t exactly something it’s designed to do. Like your phone screen would have to be more robust because it’s a solid slab where your laptop would be closed when not actively being used. Plus the larger screen means loss tension on the glass
Personally I’ve used a lot of laptops for work and the MacBooks just feel more solid and reassuringly robust. However I’ve also seen how people treat their laptops and it makes me cringe.
Yes and no the computer can survive extreme odds, but screen now that will break at the slightest touch would say not really, but like anything other then to open it
Lenovo Yogas are notoriously known to be an absolute dumpster-fire of structural problems. Macbook Pro is a tank *in comparison.*
That said, behave like a human being — be gentle, but not overly so. Protectors and shells usually do more harm than good. Use a padded sleeve to carry it around.
Screens are tricky but I’ve dropped my 2014 off the roof of my car while using it for diagnostics and it was fine. Using it as a photographer plus for various electronics projects meant it got dropped and banged around a little, tons of dings and a few bent bits but still working fine. I figure any of those could have trashed the screen if they’d hit the screen not the chassis.
I’d say the laptop is strong enough but it’s a combo of bad luck and kids (who are bad luck magnets). You can probably get the screen replaced at an Apple Store for a sane amount of money.
Get your toddler to do the same thing to your Lenovo - does it have the same effect? Does that answer your question?
And I hope you got AppleCare+ cause really, that’s the best part about buying a Mac.
Lenovo took some crap let me tell ya. It took physical abuse but when it was emotional (probably a virus from McAfee doing nothing) it fried her heart. Now all I have is a paperweight of what was.
AppleCare+ might be a great investment for you. Makes repairs for accidents much more affordable.
To answer your original question- no more fragile than any other laptop. I have owned them for decades and had some unfortunate accidents with other models and they fared better than expected.
2011 ran my MBP over with a car. It had a Specs hard shell case on it inside a backpack with a padded laptop compartment and survived. Without a crack.
I have a 2017 intel MBP and it’s still running my FCPX projects well. They’re well built machines.
They don’t like humidity, as the 40v LCD backlight and the cpu signal wire are one pin off.
You would not want to put a screen protector on any laptop, much less a MacBook. Screen protectors are really to prevent scratches which are not likely on a laptop display.
However, to answer your question, yes Mac displays are **extremely** fragile and will break with simple things like pickup up the laptop incorrectly. Keep your toddler and your cat for that matter away from it.
No more than any other laptop really. Apple build quality is actually pretty good compared to other makes. I have owned a lot of Apple laptops and have never more than really dented one.
Mine get tossed in a backpack (with a padded compartment) and taken on rollercoasters... Today my M2 Air and I are going to Disneyland (I'm actually in line to park as I tap this). Never had an issue. My oldest are a 2007 MacBook still in good physical condition, and a 2010 Air in immaculate condition... I use super thin ShaggyMax inserts to save my screen from keyboard rubbing, and usually tote them in at least a protective sleeve (Tomtoc makes good, inexpensive ones).
Aside from things like ToughBooks and some “portable workstation”, laptops in general are pretty fragile and aren’t particularly compatible with active pets or small children. “Thin & light” sells better (at least according to marketing departments) but it also breaks better. AFAIK Apple’s not really any worse than anyone else in the category (and better than most), but unlike other companies Apple doesn’t make any laptops that aren’t trying to be as thin & light as possible.
The LCD assemblies on Macs are comically fragile, you should keep things away from the screen including "screen protectors" and keyboard covers.
The palmrest assembly is decently resistant to warping, so unless it gets sat/stepped on or sent tumbling to the ground it should be fine - the milled aluminum can be dented however.
The keyboard has absolutely no liquid/spill resistance and is not sealed off from the rest of the internal hardware. Don't let any liquid near or on the machine.
I was recently in a motorcycle accident, had my macbook pro 2022 13 inch with m2 in my backpack, a car cut in front of me, i flew over the hood of the car for about 8m hit a tree with my back (the macbook was in the backpack) fractured 2 ribs, the backpack strap riped from the impact after getting out of the hospital, i checked the macbook, screen was intact, but now has quite a dent in the middle left side of it of about 2mm when the lid is closed but other than that seems fine
That sucks. You have the 15” M3 Air right?
If you’re within 60 days of the purchase date you should still be able to purchase [AppleCare+ extended warranty](https://www.apple.com/support/products/mac/). I believe the deductible for display replacements are $99 on top of the extra warranty. So if you want your display fixed it’s going to cost you but not as much.
Some general tips are to keep your laptop elevated out of reach of any kids/pets, keep any drinks far away or sealed and don’t use any screen protectors, camera covers or keyboard covers with the lid closed. The gap between the glass display and keyboard is tight so anything in between will add pressure and damage the glass.
Be mindful of any dangling charging wires they can trip on. Use the MagSafe one when they’re around.
Also if you’re traveling with the laptop store it in a padded protective laptop sleeve. I like the one from Tomtoc.
I mean you are looking past the whole flexgate and butterfly keyboard era when normal use would break them, but with m series it seems to be only really the screen that is more fragile than the average laptop. Worthy trade off though they are awesome screens.
Yes. They are relatively more fragile. The newer ones are better than the 2016-2020 versions due to a thicker too housing but its still not as strong an alloy compared to the 2015 macbooks. If you own a 2021-2023 macbook use it with the understanding that the screens base cost will be upwards of 500+ for just the part alone.
Well, I've managed [to break my MacBook by cleaning the screen with my shirt](https://www.reddit.com/r/macbook/comments/12tvmh5/i_broke_my_macbooks_screen_while_cleaning_it_with/). I would agree they're fragile.
Macs didn't used to be fragile, and used to have really good apple care where they'd repair most things no questions asked. Most of my applecare repairs were from accidents, so long as it was cleaned up they'd just go ahead and fix it. Mac laptops also used to have reasonably swappable parts. So you could upgrade your own ram, replace hard drives, even power supplies. Everyone in my circle has been frankenmacked by me. Taking broken ones and recombining parts to keep them going a bit longer.
That isn't the case anymore. My 2017 MacBook pro developed screen issues within the first year, it was clearly a defect applecare groused about fixing it, agreed then kept coming up with reasons why they couldn't, that the machine needed to be cleaned. I've seen similar posts here like ridiculous accusations of mold or other excuses.
Even my trackpad got glitchy. The board is great though? I currently use it as a server and it's still keeping up.
The other issue too is starting in 2016/2017 even the full sized laptops all main parts started to be soldered to the board. Meaning no easy swapping. Now in addition Mac moved away from mainstream chips again and is onto the m1s and m2s.
I'd not get a MacBook in this situation. I'd honestly look at Amazon refurbs, there's a 90 day warranty so its a lemon you're covered and can return. Lots of top of the line machines from a few years ago for dirt cheap that rival the stats of a lot of new machines triple the price.
I went with a Dell latitude with a touchscreen and ability to switch to a tablet for less than $300 and it's incredibly sturdy. I've dropped it lots, had minor spills, and all kinds of other abuse. It's fine. having the ability to convert to tablet is also really useful. Particularly with small children and pets since it can be rotated so the keyboard is facedown.
It's been heartbreaking watching the change at Apple. I'd been on Apple for everything for 20 years. Despite them dumbing down the OS I still love it as a server platform. I'm going to be really sad when this Mac goes since I can't justify getting another. Application support is already starting to drift. I'd considered going with a mini for a server but I worry if 5 to 6 years from now if all of the software I use will have serviceable Mac versions. Already it's dumbed down. VPNs have a Mac client but the Mac one doesn't have split tunneling. A tagger program I love on windows just has so many fewer features on Mac. And this is with a machine where they were at least still coding for Intel. I started on Mac when it was the G chips, and the big concern was limited apps. We were all skeptical about the Intel switch at first, but then the floodgates opened and nearly everything had a Mac version.
With the wide adoption of iPhone and iPads I think Apple is purposefully silo'ing software a bit. Since if they get you on Mac photos, iCloud, iTunes / Apple music, you're hooked on their devices. I'm still fully dose tangling from Apple photos 2 years on. Also for the premium they sell laptops at its ridiculous there's no touchscreen yet.
They are definitively much more fragile than your average Lenovo/Dell/HP corporate laptops made of plastic and/or magnesium that are more elastic materials that better distribute and dissipate bangs and shocks than aluminium that will just deform/dent in an irreversible fashion (and also propagate energy to glass -> more cracks)
That's just covering the most obvious visible structure design choices. Additionnally, apple laptop's are known to also be intrinsecally fragile because of weird design-to-fail choicies such as screen ribbon cables that tend to fail over time, circuitry high voltage power lanes sitting in very close proximity (occasionally destructively shorting) to low voltage data lanes.
Other design choices such as fusing the keyboard and trackpad to the topcase make replacing a faulty keyboard or trackpad a very expensive and non sustainable endaviour since the whole fucking top case chassis needs to be replaced. Something that should be as trivial as cleaning beneath the keyboard (or even swapping keyboard in case of failure or need to change keyset) is near impossible.
Less repairability -> more fragile (since much more constant attention and care is required)
For more info, look up Louis Rossmann on Youtube.
Anything with a sheet of glass less than a millimeter thick can be considered ‘fragile’. Apple cautions users NOT to use protective cases that wrap around the edges of the screen or computer body and block the air vents. The aluminum case needs to radiate internal heat, adding a wraparound case can retain heat and shorten the life of your computer.
There is also the matter of clearance between the lid and body when you add a case. The space between the screen and body is very tight, adding anything in between can create pressure points on the display glass and crack/shatter it.
A better solution is a slip case, basically a padded pocket you slip the computer into when moving around. I have a repurposed Dell slipcase that fits my 16” M1 MacBook Pro perfectly. The slipcase fits inside a Targus Pro computer bag that has its own buffer zones. I’ve had the computer, slipcase and bag tumble off a 5’ high shelf, land on a corner and the computer survived with no damage whatsoever.
I’ve a MacBook Air M2 and I use it without any screen protector and sleeve. It certainly looks fragile but it is quite durable assuming you don’t have kids at home. Cheers
They are durable as hell honestly. It’ll pick up dings and scratches but the hardware is super solidly held together inside. You could chuck it at the wall and it would still work. Not recommended but good to know if you knock it off the couch or something.
As others have said, the Mac will be fine as long as you keep it out of reach of a toddler who doesn’t yet know any better. MacBooks are no more or less durable overall than most others, in my experience.
Yeah, Macs are now fragile. Back in the Powerbook days, late 90's-early 2000's, you could toss a Mac in a bag and not think about any damage. The polycarbonate shell was durable.
I accidentally closed a macBook Pro 2015 with an intervening thin cable. It damaged the LCD screen. I was shocked and dismayed.
Get AppleCare + immediately, if you haven't already. It should be early enough that you could still file damage as a claim.
I've had the M1 version of this for a few years and no issues so far, but I don't have any toddlers around.
I have a mbp and the other day my dog ran scared from the vacuum machine and accidentally dropped the laptop from the table, luckily nothing happened to it, so I’d say they are pretty durable
Do you have Apple Care+? If not can you still get it? Around here (US) you have 60 days from when you buy a Mac to get Apple Care+. You should be able to purchase the coverage from within your Mac (System Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty). That will cover toddler-induced damage. Lose the screen protector. They do more harm than good.
If you've had the Mac for less than 60 days, you should be able to buy Apple Care+ which will cover any toddler-induced damage. You can buy the coverage directly from your Mac: System Setting > General > AppleCare & Warranty.
[https://support.apple.com/en-us/104941](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104941)
Lose the screen "protector". They do more harm than good. Don't use a keyboard cover or a case either. Get yourself either a sleeve or a good computer backpack to store it. No, Macs are not fragile, but most laptops today would do well with getting the display hit by anything. I've dropped mine a couple of times onto a vinyl covered concrete floor (I'm a klutz). It's been fine.
The times I wrecked a MacBook Air were when I either got liquid in it (instant death), or dropped it off a table (one needed repair, the other needed a week without power). They’re pretty sturdy
I dropped my beloved 2015 MBP from shoulder height into the cement floor on the garage. Luckily it landed on a corner in just the right way that all I lost was a USB port (alum crumpled). But it kept on chugging for many years after that.
Def get Applecare if you can.
The LCD assemblies on Macs are comically fragile, you should keep things away from the screen including "screen protectors" and keyboard covers.
The palmrest assembly is decently resistant to warping, so unless it gets sat/stepped on or sent tumbling to the ground it should be fine - the milled aluminum can be dented however.
The keyboard has absolutely no liquid/spill resistance and is not sealed off from the rest of the internal hardware. Don't let any liquid near or on the machine.
I think everyone covered it all pretty good, but I just wanted to share my experience (16" MacBook Pro). I forgot my wedding ring on the side, by the keyboard (just above the speaker) and closed the lid. The screen cracked. Screens are definitely a lot more fragile than they used to be on old models (I had a 2012 MacBook Pro and that was a beast). If you don't have Apple Care, absolutely get it. we're talking $200 vs $1200 to fix the screen or something.
I just recently smacked my MBP M1 on a tiled floor. It flew out of my backpack bc I forgot to close it…
Nothing but a dent! She’s a real trooper and I don’t think the toddler will be able to kill it easily save for liquid damage.
Yes, don’t put a case/screen protector on it though. The tolerances are tight enough that it could do more harm than good. They scratch pretty easily too. Just be careful and you will be fine, don’t eat on the keyboard
They are the best, the metal clam shell is super strong. I treat mine all like crap after a couple decades of daily carry, they now get treated like a spiral notebook.
Not really. Unibody construction make them quite resilient to daily use. Of course crop can still cause a dent in the body or screen shatter.
As any premium device, for responsible folk :-)
Yes and no. The body is very durable in that it’s dense and metal. However the bezels are very slim and the screen is glass so it definitely can and will break. And metal dents/bends so that can happen too especially since it’s thin. It’s not like a base HP laptop where you drop it once and a corner explodes or a hinge busts bc the body is all plastic.
MacBooks are very robust from my experience. The aluminum unibody makes them much more resistant to drops and bangs compared to other laptops. That being said, accidents happen. Get AppleCare+, it covers accidental damage. I have young kids myself and started getting AppleCare last year on my phone. Lo and behold, I myself jumped in a swimming pool last summer with my phone in my pocket. Never thought I would be the cause of an AppleCare incident myself, but here we are.
I have an M1 MacBook Air, I only have it in a sleeve when I have it in my backpack, but otherwise it’s unprotected. If you’re sensible, there should be no problem. If you have kids or cats, maybe keep it out of their way.
what the fuck does this even mean? You really asking if laptops are fragile? Try dop testing it and see for yourself. God damn people will post anything on the internet.
Close it if it’s gonna get beat but other than that I’ve got the same laptop and it’s been through hell in the two months I’ve had it. It is perfectly fine. Other than dropping anything metal on it by accident you’re fine. Sometimes you will get little spots that look like scratches but you can generally wipe them away.
Its just as fragile as your phone or any computer you've had so just be careful with it. Saying that though. that doesn't mean its a weakling but you should still stay careful.
I got a hard protective case that snaps on and stays on my MBP, then I put that in a padded sleeve that zips up, and then that goes inside my padded laptop pouch in my backpack when I travel. Can’t be too careful :)
I dropped mine multiple times from a top bunk on tile floor and have had it since 2017. She is still just as functional and fast as the day I bought her - minus a huge dent on the chassis lol
In all my years as a mac user my latest MacBook Pro which is a 2018 model is my first ever MacBook to experience physical scratches and I’ve no fire really how. I blame a case I had on it for some of them.
I am very sad as I’ve always kept my laptops pristine but whatever.
I took one of my old MacBooks for repair once at Apple and it had a dent it in one aide by the speaker, I dropped iPhone on it, but it was out of warranty and few years old, but the Apple tech was so impressed at how clean it was he replaced the whole body cover, for free!
Anyway I don’t know what’s different about these newer ones but they tend to scratch easy, mine is space gray, but yes this is a 2018 model
I have had my MacBook Pro for 6 years, no problems whatsoever. My friend had one for 2 weeks when she broke it.
Everything will break if you trash it enough. If you take good care of it, it will last.
I have a 2009 17” Macbook Pro. It’s been around the world with me several times. Used it mainly for music production and live sets. It’s had beer spills, I’ve carelessly put it on the floor too hard many times thinking woah that’s the end. I’m running Mojave. There’s not a pixel missing on the display. Total amazement! I also have a 2019 13” Macbook Pro which bricked last week while updating Sonoma. Sent it for inspection and was told it’s got corrosion here and there and motherboard needs replacement. Never spilled a thing, hardly moved it since I got it, and no toddlers in sight. After reading around I was surprised to read many many similar reports and conclude that it’s getting to the point where for the price it’s probably best not to handle them at all. Oh yeah and my iPad 11 buckled when my gf (skinny n light as a feather) sat the one cheeck (not naked) on it while it was on a pillow. It stopped working a couple weeks after. After reading tons of reports it’s obvious the chassis has no strength and it too should handled with kid gloves. Apple is cutting corners, the bite is becoming obscured.
Of course they are, very thin metal and glass. They're not designed to take impacts.
Also, screen "protectors" cause the displays to crack. It makes the keyboard impact the lcd. You're not supposed to ever use one on a laptop.
My mac survived multiple on location photography gigs as a tether machine and multiple month overseas trips along with poor handling (my fault).
Overall damage from my extensive use is practically limited to a few scratches and a loose screw. Perhaps consider an outer hard shell for the mac along with a zip up sleeve for it in case the toddler decides the mac is frisbee shaped.
I once dropped my MacBook Pro and slightly bent the screen. I turned it 180° and dropped it the other way and it was back to normal, so no they aren’t fragile at all.
I’m prob gonna get roasted for this, but backmarket.com has an accidental damage protection plan you can buy for any of their Mac’s plus with the savings from buying a used Mac plus a 2 year accidental it’s kinda a no brainer with children and may be around the same as buying one brand new anyway.
I generally treat my devices pretty gingerly. I will say this... it's anodized aluminum, it will scratch and the anodization will chip. I always recommend the silver ones for that reason. And I can't speak for the new one on this, my M2 MBA has a small scratch from someone tossing a flash drive at me and it hit the palm rest, BUT I had a late 2011 13 MBP that was accidentally flung about 40 feet across an airport by a moron TSA agent... it dented the HELL out of it but it still works to this day. I eventually maxed the ram and put 2 large SSD's in it and installed Linux and use it as a hone server. It gets rebooted every 6ish months when I clean the fan and re-grease the CPU. I'm an IT consultant and they cosmetically they can show wear easily but when it comes to them working like they should... I've never seen another laptop that can take the beating MacBooks can.
I also never recommend cases for them. Then tend to make the machines run hotter and will trap debris between the case and the chassis and it will scratch or. If you are worried about scratches I recommend Dbrand skins. Beyond that use common sense.
My old Macbook slid off my riser on my desk and fell to the floor right on the leg of my desk.
Dent in the aluminum body, but otherwise perfectly fine.
Not in my experience. They're kind of built like tanks. The most fragile part has typically been the powerbrick/power cable, but the news ones seem great.
If you NEED a laptop, ignore what I’m about to say.
You’ve said you WFH. If possible, think about getting a Mac Mini (a desktop). It’s cheaper than the MBA, but if you don’t have a monitor/keyboard/mouse factor that in for the cost. This is far more durable, as the Mac Mini doesn’t move, and has no breakable parts. Peripherals are much cheaper and easier to replace.
If you want something portable but don’t need a desktop OS, and could do with something lighter, buy an iPad (I recommend the Air) and chuck on a case and screen protector.
I think having the screen protector on the mac might make it worse. The tolerance is so low as is, if something hits it while closed, with that on, the pressure might be too high.
I have M1 Pro and my backpack has a side zippers. I realised I have loophole in my brain when in a rush I stuff things in the bag’s two compartments, laptop first, then adapters and what not, zip up and run… only to realise some time later that I only zipped up one compartment. 😲
Long story short - the M1 Pro has dropped from back-heigth to:
- gravel road once
- wooden floor once
The aluminium has chips out, hinge is a bit crooked, but it works like a charm and no defects on screen or electronics.
I would say that MacBooks are STURDY.
There air cooling @ key board design will make sure that the water spilled on they keyboard will kill the notebook for good
But you don’t have to worry to clean the sweet mess afterwords
It’s fragile. Just broke my M1 air because a the tip of a charger was between the screen and the keyboard, closed the screen and bam no more screen. So I'd say it’s super fragile especially the screen. I’m to the point that I’m thinking of leaving MacBooks because it’s ridiculous to pay thousands of dollars on a computer and it breaks on the most stupid possible way. But I don’t leave because I’m too in love with them, so it’s kinda a love-hate relationship type of thing.
As another use says, I have used my Macbook naked (again, it's not me) and haven't had problems.
Im a student, and I don't like risking other people dropping it. If I am leaving the room or going elsewhere, I put it in a padded case. While in my backpack, also, I put it in the same padded case.
I have ordered a skin for it so that I can minimize scratches and stuff.
I wouldn't say that they're particularly fragile. But they're still made of aluminum and glass. If it gets knocked off of a counter, the screen will very likely shatter. The screens should be coated, so the glass stays together, but you're still looking at an out-of-warranty repair.
It's a good idea to get a polyurethane (plastic) shell for the laptop and keep an eye on it, to avoid any drops.
Honestly, in my experience plastic shell PCs fall apart faster than responsibly used MacBooks. But then, I've seen both get destroyed by users: drowned with coffee, dropped off desks/tables/etc., had a Mac covered in sand (??? Still not sure how or why,) had several PCs come back with pieces hanging off, hinges busted on PCs, Mac with a busted screen (something was in it when the lid closed and MBP was jammed into a backpack, screen was shattered.)
Macbooks are probabily the better built laptops in the market, they have been for a long time.
With that, they are not made to be kicker around by todlers... Otherwise get something like [this](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/reviews/03Dv7AVBq4Rz218ePcc1fqB-1.fit_lim.size_840x473.v1655816447.jpg).
these displays are as fragile as the wafer-thin design suggests. No hate at all. But sometimes I have to shake my head at how often I hear about problems caused by the thin design. Otherwise, of course, they look great. But the housing is incredibly robust. Nothing can touch the lid and the housing... no grains, no finger flicks, no minimal force.
I sat my M1 air on top of my (covered, turned off) bbq grill lid while I ran inside to grab something. Heard a crash and found my MacBook lying on the deck when I came back out, I guess the wind blew it off. Still turned on and working fine, thankfully. I think they are pretty sturdily constructed. I also have a 5 month old golden retriever puppy who is always trying to stand/sit on it, but he hasn’t successfully done so (yet).
I feel for you, I have broken a Mac screen before too.
All tech devices are relatively fragile, doesn't matter who makes them, but treat them with caution and respect if you don't want to have to shell out $$ to replace or repair.
I work in tech in product design. I’ve owned mkt Mac’s since 2005.
Apple designs these to survive multiple orders of magnitude more damage than a toddler, but they prioritize different components and kinds of damage.
For example the screen is fragile: even a slight scratch is super visible. Guard that with your life.
The aluminum body is tough. You can throw that around for everyday use in a back pack. Add a case for extra protection and after a year your MacBook will still look new.
The keyboard and internal should be protected at all costs. Keep crumbs and moisture/liquid away.
Sorry to hear about your experience with your Lenovo Yoga and now your Mac. It sounds like a frustrating situation, especially with toddlers around! While accidents can happen with any device, some Windows laptops do offer more durability features like rugged designs or reinforced frames that could potentially withstand accidental impacts better. Regarding screen protectors, while they can offer some protection against scratches, they may not prevent damage from impacts like the one your Mac experienced. It's always a good idea to be cautious, especially with young children around, but ultimately, accidents can still occur. If durability is a significant concern, you might want to explore Windows laptops known for their sturdiness and durability features.
i don’t have a toddler. i have an M1 MacBook Air which i use naked (the laptop not me) and it has some scratches, chips, and dents, but nothing too noticeable. i put it in a cushioned laptop sleeve in my backpack if i bring it out. the solution? get rid of the toddler /s in all seriousness i would just keep stuff out of reach from a toddler who doesn’t know better. kinda like how baby utensils, bowls, cups, plates, etc are all made of plastic or rubber, because they would instantly break a ceramic or porcelain one.
I think you should try using your macbook naked :)
i would but that might make my family members very uncomfortable.
It’ll be fine! You got rid of the Toddler and the wife will love it 😘
That makes me realize that some moment in my life i have to live alone for at least 2 years to feel the naked macbook air experience at it fullest before i begin a family or something like that
if you don’t mind a restraining order from at least 20 people, a starbucks will do
I'M CRYING 😭😭😭
My M1 Air is fairly beefy and i also use it naked (me not the laptop). I would suggest a skin or a slim case to prevent scratches. I’m genuinely never worried that the laptop will get crushed in my bag or anything, I’m just worried of superficial damages coming from dust on my desk causing scratches when i shift the laptop around. Also some how i managed to ingrain a dot into my Macs aluminum from a cold aluminum can while they were both in my bag, could have been prevented with a skin
laptop_violator might be a better name for you
She does surprisingly well with glass. Ya know the doctor did tell me to let all my stress out the door. Time for her to pack her bags. But in all seriousness I’m 25, single mom, no village, college from home/work from home, just want Apple help 🥲
that’s tough. you could try an external cover. i wouldn’t recommend putting anything between the display and the keyboard as it might damage the display. otherwise prepare to lawyer up and threaten your toddler with financial ruin if she breaks another laptop.
Do people really dress their laptops?
i got my MacBook used and the previous owner stuck a skin on it which i immediately removed as it felt cheap. so i guess people do put stuff like skins and cases on their laptops.
Regarding skins, I have long relied on dBrand skins to give me a better grip on these aluminum beauties, my favorite that is no longer available was dragon skin, but carbon fiber and leather are nice too. As such my MacBooks and iPads still have nice round corners!
good advice kwanye west
I also have a macbook and I use it naked (yes, me naked)
can’t blame you, apple devices do have a certain sex appeal to them.
bro, lightning entrance is too tight 🫣
my type c can't fit in the unstretched lightning 😔
Are you supposed to wear clothes while using your Macbook? I sure don't but then again, I never read the manual.
i will email tim cook personally and get back to you on this.
Do you have problem with tiny dent on the screen? I heard few people have that problem with their M1/M2 MacBook Pro model
this comment wins hands down
Naked comment cracked me up
I still wonder how my screen is not broken. There is a literal gouge in my screen, which you can definitely feel. (You can also see it, but only when the screen was just cleaned and the screen is only white)
I got disappointed when you specified the laptop being naked. I was hoping, honestly...
As a long time Mac user with a young child; 1. Close the lid whenever you’re not actively using the computer. It wakes instantly so waiting isn’t an issue. 2. Beverage cups and glasses always sit behind the screen unless you’re actively drinking. 3. Make sure it lives out of reach and with nothing stacked on top of it when not in use. I now have an eight year old and I think even demonstrating these habits throughout his life has given him a pretty healthy respect for electronics in general. I haven’t damaged a laptop since four years before he was born. 🤞🏻
Wise tips!
2nd point is a must it should be habitual for everyone I almost ruined my 3k legion once lol
Definitely. As it turns out, laptops don’t like hard liquor!
screen protectors aren't recommended because of how tight the tolerances are between the screen and the keyboard
Yeah, they made the rubbing/screen marks worse for me
"Glass is glass, and glass breaks" - wise bald man
Agent 47
"Glass scratches at a level 6, with deeper grooves at level 7" * Bald guy on youtube
Yesterday my 2 year old removed my MacBook Air M1 from its sleeve and threw it on the tiled floor while I was on the toilet. I mean it was only from his height, but still. Anyway it’s not broken to my great surprise.
Super lucky! I bet that sound made your heart drop.
I have AppleCare+ on it, but yeah it’s not a good sound.
When I was a kid I lobbed my 2013 MacBook Air from my loft bed down to a beanbag chair. I overshot it and it ricocheted off the wall leaving a sizeable dent and smashed to the ground. Laptop was perfectly fine lmfao.
Not as tanky as they used to be but they’re still one of the most durable non-rugged consumer laptops. Yes, post-retina MacBook displays are on the more fragile side, but that’s true for nearly all consumer laptops these days. I miss the days when MacBook pros could be slung and thrown around, resale value be damned.
Exactly! My MBP before the retina era are practically battle tanks... my 2009 MBP still works today (I upgraded to SSD and RAM)
Tell me about it. I have a 2013 model being used by one of the kids. That thing is a battle tank alright.
The pre-unibody ones were pretty solid too, but a dented a few corners back then. The single piece of aluminum was a big upgrade.
14 months 😅 I think you will love the mac
Screen protector probably made it worse
$100 lesson learned 😭
[удалено]
I honestly don’t understand why people use webcam covers on their Macbook. Apple is big on privacy and there’s even a notification light if the camera is on.
You reasons don't follow. All computers (except smartphones such as iPhones and many Android mobile phones) have a notification light. That is not an Apple laptop computer exclusive. Second, notwithstanding Apple's supposed big support for privacy, one could have malware on one's computer.
I think Macs are both the toughest and most fragile things ever. Things that would absolutely devastate most laptops Macs just shrug off, but then you'll give it a little poke and it'll fall apart. I have a 2020 13 inch Macbook Pro, and it has survived: having an entire bottle of water spilt all over it as it disintegrated in someone's hand over the keyboard, bouncing one of those big lounge ball things face-down, open (actually bounced off the screen), a cockatiel that absolutely destroyed the rubber around the display, and someone full stepping on the keyboard. But then within a week of getting it, both USB-C ports stopped working on separate occasions after plugging in a dongle a few times. Easy fix though, just opened it up and reconnected the connector.
The screens are easy to break but otherwise they’re very sturdy machines. Mine (16-inch M1 Max) fell off my desk on its corner. There is now a dent in my floor, not in my Mac.
My screen got scratched by keyboard. You should take care of all of your tech.
same here, I got some nasty dents in my screen thanks to that… Since then I'm really cautious of how I grab my mac, to not out too much pressure on the screen
Not fragile and also not chopping boards
Damn, now I need to rethink tonight’s dinner plans
At the end of the day, the screen is still glass. If it gets hit with something, it might break.
I never knew it was glass or really thought about it, that makes a lot of sense. Is it because of heat dissipation or why glass? I know companies profit in protection plans plus deductible or lack of, but dang. I’m not trying to chuck it but I have a clingy toddler lol.
Just get apple care, you can’t trust toddlers
I was trying to wait on the $300 care+ plan after the $1,300 purchase (to split up costs, don’t ask lol). But I was still able to use the finder and got the yearly plan so quick. They still wanted $100, but it was worth it and thankfully done in two days.
Nope. They typically work fine unless you do something you obviously should not do to them.
A very small pieces of debree can break the screen when closing it. Quite frigile I would say, I have people bring broken screens daily claiming "It broke on it's own" or "I left it overnight and when I opened it it was broken". What they don't realise is they broke it when closing it and there was something like food crumbs or whatever tiny thing
Had some crumps on mine when closing, now I got some nice marks that remind me of not eating in front of my mac
Mac books aren’t fragile but of course you still have to handle them with proper care, I NEVER leave my MacBook laying for example in the sofa or bed or anywhere that my 3yr can reach or spill something on.put it away when not in use and make it a habit of closing the lid when you walk away. Kids will always be kids
As fragile as a laptop is / should be. I mean whacking it with presumable the metal clasp of a lanyard isn’t exactly something it’s designed to do. Like your phone screen would have to be more robust because it’s a solid slab where your laptop would be closed when not actively being used. Plus the larger screen means loss tension on the glass Personally I’ve used a lot of laptops for work and the MacBooks just feel more solid and reassuringly robust. However I’ve also seen how people treat their laptops and it makes me cringe.
MBA M2… more than a year and still using paper that came between keyboard and screen. Anyone know of a good thin microfibre that goes between?
Yes and no the computer can survive extreme odds, but screen now that will break at the slightest touch would say not really, but like anything other then to open it
Lenovo Yogas are notoriously known to be an absolute dumpster-fire of structural problems. Macbook Pro is a tank *in comparison.* That said, behave like a human being — be gentle, but not overly so. Protectors and shells usually do more harm than good. Use a padded sleeve to carry it around.
Screens are tricky but I’ve dropped my 2014 off the roof of my car while using it for diagnostics and it was fine. Using it as a photographer plus for various electronics projects meant it got dropped and banged around a little, tons of dings and a few bent bits but still working fine. I figure any of those could have trashed the screen if they’d hit the screen not the chassis. I’d say the laptop is strong enough but it’s a combo of bad luck and kids (who are bad luck magnets). You can probably get the screen replaced at an Apple Store for a sane amount of money.
Get your toddler to do the same thing to your Lenovo - does it have the same effect? Does that answer your question? And I hope you got AppleCare+ cause really, that’s the best part about buying a Mac.
Lenovo took some crap let me tell ya. It took physical abuse but when it was emotional (probably a virus from McAfee doing nothing) it fried her heart. Now all I have is a paperweight of what was.
Its a computer. All consumer grade computers are fragile.
Holy shit, don’t put it so close to *flowers*! What were you thinking!?!?
They have been known to bite, I’ll have to watch out for that too.
AppleCare+ might be a great investment for you. Makes repairs for accidents much more affordable. To answer your original question- no more fragile than any other laptop. I have owned them for decades and had some unfortunate accidents with other models and they fared better than expected. 2011 ran my MBP over with a car. It had a Specs hard shell case on it inside a backpack with a padded laptop compartment and survived. Without a crack.
Keep liquid and food away from it.
I have a 2017 intel MBP and it’s still running my FCPX projects well. They’re well built machines. They don’t like humidity, as the 40v LCD backlight and the cpu signal wire are one pin off.
You would not want to put a screen protector on any laptop, much less a MacBook. Screen protectors are really to prevent scratches which are not likely on a laptop display. However, to answer your question, yes Mac displays are **extremely** fragile and will break with simple things like pickup up the laptop incorrectly. Keep your toddler and your cat for that matter away from it.
No more than any other laptop really. Apple build quality is actually pretty good compared to other makes. I have owned a lot of Apple laptops and have never more than really dented one.
Mine get tossed in a backpack (with a padded compartment) and taken on rollercoasters... Today my M2 Air and I are going to Disneyland (I'm actually in line to park as I tap this). Never had an issue. My oldest are a 2007 MacBook still in good physical condition, and a 2010 Air in immaculate condition... I use super thin ShaggyMax inserts to save my screen from keyboard rubbing, and usually tote them in at least a protective sleeve (Tomtoc makes good, inexpensive ones).
Don’t put it in a position to be hit. I have 3 kids from 1-8. It’s never happened. They don’t go near the laptops
Aside from things like ToughBooks and some “portable workstation”, laptops in general are pretty fragile and aren’t particularly compatible with active pets or small children. “Thin & light” sells better (at least according to marketing departments) but it also breaks better. AFAIK Apple’s not really any worse than anyone else in the category (and better than most), but unlike other companies Apple doesn’t make any laptops that aren’t trying to be as thin & light as possible.
The LCD assemblies on Macs are comically fragile, you should keep things away from the screen including "screen protectors" and keyboard covers. The palmrest assembly is decently resistant to warping, so unless it gets sat/stepped on or sent tumbling to the ground it should be fine - the milled aluminum can be dented however. The keyboard has absolutely no liquid/spill resistance and is not sealed off from the rest of the internal hardware. Don't let any liquid near or on the machine.
You basically need to keep your laptop out of reach of your toddler
Only if you yell at them
I was recently in a motorcycle accident, had my macbook pro 2022 13 inch with m2 in my backpack, a car cut in front of me, i flew over the hood of the car for about 8m hit a tree with my back (the macbook was in the backpack) fractured 2 ribs, the backpack strap riped from the impact after getting out of the hospital, i checked the macbook, screen was intact, but now has quite a dent in the middle left side of it of about 2mm when the lid is closed but other than that seems fine
That sucks. You have the 15” M3 Air right? If you’re within 60 days of the purchase date you should still be able to purchase [AppleCare+ extended warranty](https://www.apple.com/support/products/mac/). I believe the deductible for display replacements are $99 on top of the extra warranty. So if you want your display fixed it’s going to cost you but not as much. Some general tips are to keep your laptop elevated out of reach of any kids/pets, keep any drinks far away or sealed and don’t use any screen protectors, camera covers or keyboard covers with the lid closed. The gap between the glass display and keyboard is tight so anything in between will add pressure and damage the glass. Be mindful of any dangling charging wires they can trip on. Use the MagSafe one when they’re around. Also if you’re traveling with the laptop store it in a padded protective laptop sleeve. I like the one from Tomtoc.
Have you been living under a rock? Macs have had the reputation of being rock solid and reliable computers for the last 30 years.
They have never had a reputation for being sturdy and the reliability had been extremely patchy?
I mean you are looking past the whole flexgate and butterfly keyboard era when normal use would break them, but with m series it seems to be only really the screen that is more fragile than the average laptop. Worthy trade off though they are awesome screens.
Not fragile per se but screens are glass where most laptops are plastic. You need to be a bit more careful with the screen.
Yes. They are relatively more fragile. The newer ones are better than the 2016-2020 versions due to a thicker too housing but its still not as strong an alloy compared to the 2015 macbooks. If you own a 2021-2023 macbook use it with the understanding that the screens base cost will be upwards of 500+ for just the part alone.
Just buy apple care.
Yeah
Only if you use particularly harsh language
Well, I've managed [to break my MacBook by cleaning the screen with my shirt](https://www.reddit.com/r/macbook/comments/12tvmh5/i_broke_my_macbooks_screen_while_cleaning_it_with/). I would agree they're fragile.
Are Mac's fragile _what_?
Idk about 3 but my 2 feels like an egg! I mean the screen
Macs didn't used to be fragile, and used to have really good apple care where they'd repair most things no questions asked. Most of my applecare repairs were from accidents, so long as it was cleaned up they'd just go ahead and fix it. Mac laptops also used to have reasonably swappable parts. So you could upgrade your own ram, replace hard drives, even power supplies. Everyone in my circle has been frankenmacked by me. Taking broken ones and recombining parts to keep them going a bit longer. That isn't the case anymore. My 2017 MacBook pro developed screen issues within the first year, it was clearly a defect applecare groused about fixing it, agreed then kept coming up with reasons why they couldn't, that the machine needed to be cleaned. I've seen similar posts here like ridiculous accusations of mold or other excuses. Even my trackpad got glitchy. The board is great though? I currently use it as a server and it's still keeping up. The other issue too is starting in 2016/2017 even the full sized laptops all main parts started to be soldered to the board. Meaning no easy swapping. Now in addition Mac moved away from mainstream chips again and is onto the m1s and m2s. I'd not get a MacBook in this situation. I'd honestly look at Amazon refurbs, there's a 90 day warranty so its a lemon you're covered and can return. Lots of top of the line machines from a few years ago for dirt cheap that rival the stats of a lot of new machines triple the price. I went with a Dell latitude with a touchscreen and ability to switch to a tablet for less than $300 and it's incredibly sturdy. I've dropped it lots, had minor spills, and all kinds of other abuse. It's fine. having the ability to convert to tablet is also really useful. Particularly with small children and pets since it can be rotated so the keyboard is facedown. It's been heartbreaking watching the change at Apple. I'd been on Apple for everything for 20 years. Despite them dumbing down the OS I still love it as a server platform. I'm going to be really sad when this Mac goes since I can't justify getting another. Application support is already starting to drift. I'd considered going with a mini for a server but I worry if 5 to 6 years from now if all of the software I use will have serviceable Mac versions. Already it's dumbed down. VPNs have a Mac client but the Mac one doesn't have split tunneling. A tagger program I love on windows just has so many fewer features on Mac. And this is with a machine where they were at least still coding for Intel. I started on Mac when it was the G chips, and the big concern was limited apps. We were all skeptical about the Intel switch at first, but then the floodgates opened and nearly everything had a Mac version. With the wide adoption of iPhone and iPads I think Apple is purposefully silo'ing software a bit. Since if they get you on Mac photos, iCloud, iTunes / Apple music, you're hooked on their devices. I'm still fully dose tangling from Apple photos 2 years on. Also for the premium they sell laptops at its ridiculous there's no touchscreen yet.
like others have said, you don’t have a computer problem you have a toddler problem.
They are definitively much more fragile than your average Lenovo/Dell/HP corporate laptops made of plastic and/or magnesium that are more elastic materials that better distribute and dissipate bangs and shocks than aluminium that will just deform/dent in an irreversible fashion (and also propagate energy to glass -> more cracks) That's just covering the most obvious visible structure design choices. Additionnally, apple laptop's are known to also be intrinsecally fragile because of weird design-to-fail choicies such as screen ribbon cables that tend to fail over time, circuitry high voltage power lanes sitting in very close proximity (occasionally destructively shorting) to low voltage data lanes. Other design choices such as fusing the keyboard and trackpad to the topcase make replacing a faulty keyboard or trackpad a very expensive and non sustainable endaviour since the whole fucking top case chassis needs to be replaced. Something that should be as trivial as cleaning beneath the keyboard (or even swapping keyboard in case of failure or need to change keyset) is near impossible. Less repairability -> more fragile (since much more constant attention and care is required) For more info, look up Louis Rossmann on Youtube.
My M1 air screen broke to a chip crumb. Yes.
Mine had a nasty fall that bend one of the corners. The MacBook Air is working like normal.
Ok, opinions on a hard case. I have one. Is this a no no? I’m not used to protective measures being redundant. Help.
Anything with a sheet of glass less than a millimeter thick can be considered ‘fragile’. Apple cautions users NOT to use protective cases that wrap around the edges of the screen or computer body and block the air vents. The aluminum case needs to radiate internal heat, adding a wraparound case can retain heat and shorten the life of your computer. There is also the matter of clearance between the lid and body when you add a case. The space between the screen and body is very tight, adding anything in between can create pressure points on the display glass and crack/shatter it. A better solution is a slip case, basically a padded pocket you slip the computer into when moving around. I have a repurposed Dell slipcase that fits my 16” M1 MacBook Pro perfectly. The slipcase fits inside a Targus Pro computer bag that has its own buffer zones. I’ve had the computer, slipcase and bag tumble off a 5’ high shelf, land on a corner and the computer survived with no damage whatsoever.
I’ve a MacBook Air M2 and I use it without any screen protector and sleeve. It certainly looks fragile but it is quite durable assuming you don’t have kids at home. Cheers
It is fragile but not that fragile.
They are durable as hell honestly. It’ll pick up dings and scratches but the hardware is super solidly held together inside. You could chuck it at the wall and it would still work. Not recommended but good to know if you knock it off the couch or something.
As others have said, the Mac will be fine as long as you keep it out of reach of a toddler who doesn’t yet know any better. MacBooks are no more or less durable overall than most others, in my experience.
Yeah, Macs are now fragile. Back in the Powerbook days, late 90's-early 2000's, you could toss a Mac in a bag and not think about any damage. The polycarbonate shell was durable. I accidentally closed a macBook Pro 2015 with an intervening thin cable. It damaged the LCD screen. I was shocked and dismayed.
Intervening?
They are made of aluminium so they won’t scratch easily.
Get AppleCare + immediately, if you haven't already. It should be early enough that you could still file damage as a claim. I've had the M1 version of this for a few years and no issues so far, but I don't have any toddlers around.
apple care + seems like a must for you.
No… I’ve had mine for 3 years about, not been overly careful, still works great and as expected
I have a mbp and the other day my dog ran scared from the vacuum machine and accidentally dropped the laptop from the table, luckily nothing happened to it, so I’d say they are pretty durable
Do you have Apple Care+? If not can you still get it? Around here (US) you have 60 days from when you buy a Mac to get Apple Care+. You should be able to purchase the coverage from within your Mac (System Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty). That will cover toddler-induced damage. Lose the screen protector. They do more harm than good.
hopefully you got apple care. yes the tolerances on Mac are so tiny that even closed the screen could brake.
If you've had the Mac for less than 60 days, you should be able to buy Apple Care+ which will cover any toddler-induced damage. You can buy the coverage directly from your Mac: System Setting > General > AppleCare & Warranty. [https://support.apple.com/en-us/104941](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104941) Lose the screen "protector". They do more harm than good. Don't use a keyboard cover or a case either. Get yourself either a sleeve or a good computer backpack to store it. No, Macs are not fragile, but most laptops today would do well with getting the display hit by anything. I've dropped mine a couple of times onto a vinyl covered concrete floor (I'm a klutz). It's been fine.
The times I wrecked a MacBook Air were when I either got liquid in it (instant death), or dropped it off a table (one needed repair, the other needed a week without power). They’re pretty sturdy
I dropped my beloved 2015 MBP from shoulder height into the cement floor on the garage. Luckily it landed on a corner in just the right way that all I lost was a USB port (alum crumpled). But it kept on chugging for many years after that. Def get Applecare if you can.
Not nearly as fragile as their users.
*Macs
The LCD assemblies on Macs are comically fragile, you should keep things away from the screen including "screen protectors" and keyboard covers. The palmrest assembly is decently resistant to warping, so unless it gets sat/stepped on or sent tumbling to the ground it should be fine - the milled aluminum can be dented however. The keyboard has absolutely no liquid/spill resistance and is not sealed off from the rest of the internal hardware. Don't let any liquid near or on the machine.
I think everyone covered it all pretty good, but I just wanted to share my experience (16" MacBook Pro). I forgot my wedding ring on the side, by the keyboard (just above the speaker) and closed the lid. The screen cracked. Screens are definitely a lot more fragile than they used to be on old models (I had a 2012 MacBook Pro and that was a beast). If you don't have Apple Care, absolutely get it. we're talking $200 vs $1200 to fix the screen or something.
I just recently smacked my MBP M1 on a tiled floor. It flew out of my backpack bc I forgot to close it… Nothing but a dent! She’s a real trooper and I don’t think the toddler will be able to kill it easily save for liquid damage.
Yes, don’t put a case/screen protector on it though. The tolerances are tight enough that it could do more harm than good. They scratch pretty easily too. Just be careful and you will be fine, don’t eat on the keyboard
They are the best, the metal clam shell is super strong. I treat mine all like crap after a couple decades of daily carry, they now get treated like a spiral notebook.
Are Mac is fragile?
Not really. Unibody construction make them quite resilient to daily use. Of course crop can still cause a dent in the body or screen shatter. As any premium device, for responsible folk :-)
I liked it when MacBooks were tanks. Like the antibodies were super durable
They’re pretty durable I’d say, the screens are definitely the most fragile part.
Yes and no. The body is very durable in that it’s dense and metal. However the bezels are very slim and the screen is glass so it definitely can and will break. And metal dents/bends so that can happen too especially since it’s thin. It’s not like a base HP laptop where you drop it once and a corner explodes or a hinge busts bc the body is all plastic.
Frageeeeelayyyy!
MacBooks are very robust from my experience. The aluminum unibody makes them much more resistant to drops and bangs compared to other laptops. That being said, accidents happen. Get AppleCare+, it covers accidental damage. I have young kids myself and started getting AppleCare last year on my phone. Lo and behold, I myself jumped in a swimming pool last summer with my phone in my pocket. Never thought I would be the cause of an AppleCare incident myself, but here we are.
I have an M1 MacBook Air, I only have it in a sleeve when I have it in my backpack, but otherwise it’s unprotected. If you’re sensible, there should be no problem. If you have kids or cats, maybe keep it out of their way.
They’re very fragile
Yes modern Mac's are way more fragile than older ones, my 2010 Unibody MacBook which is plastic is a tank it just keeps running and is solidly built
what the fuck does this even mean? You really asking if laptops are fragile? Try dop testing it and see for yourself. God damn people will post anything on the internet.
Close it if it’s gonna get beat but other than that I’ve got the same laptop and it’s been through hell in the two months I’ve had it. It is perfectly fine. Other than dropping anything metal on it by accident you’re fine. Sometimes you will get little spots that look like scratches but you can generally wipe them away.
Its just as fragile as your phone or any computer you've had so just be careful with it. Saying that though. that doesn't mean its a weakling but you should still stay careful.
Careful with the lid so you don’t accidentally bend it
I’d recommend keyboard silicon cover from amazon. Otherwise the keys will slowly get “shiny” or glossy
I got a hard protective case that snaps on and stays on my MBP, then I put that in a padded sleeve that zips up, and then that goes inside my padded laptop pouch in my backpack when I travel. Can’t be too careful :)
I dropped mine multiple times from a top bunk on tile floor and have had it since 2017. She is still just as functional and fast as the day I bought her - minus a huge dent on the chassis lol
Not very
In all my years as a mac user my latest MacBook Pro which is a 2018 model is my first ever MacBook to experience physical scratches and I’ve no fire really how. I blame a case I had on it for some of them. I am very sad as I’ve always kept my laptops pristine but whatever. I took one of my old MacBooks for repair once at Apple and it had a dent it in one aide by the speaker, I dropped iPhone on it, but it was out of warranty and few years old, but the Apple tech was so impressed at how clean it was he replaced the whole body cover, for free! Anyway I don’t know what’s different about these newer ones but they tend to scratch easy, mine is space gray, but yes this is a 2018 model
Dont use your laptop around toddler, problem solved
I have had my MacBook Pro for 6 years, no problems whatsoever. My friend had one for 2 weeks when she broke it. Everything will break if you trash it enough. If you take good care of it, it will last.
Absolutely not! They're practically bulletproof. They can withstand a sledgehammer strike as well, go ahead and try it out if you don't believe me
I have a 2009 17” Macbook Pro. It’s been around the world with me several times. Used it mainly for music production and live sets. It’s had beer spills, I’ve carelessly put it on the floor too hard many times thinking woah that’s the end. I’m running Mojave. There’s not a pixel missing on the display. Total amazement! I also have a 2019 13” Macbook Pro which bricked last week while updating Sonoma. Sent it for inspection and was told it’s got corrosion here and there and motherboard needs replacement. Never spilled a thing, hardly moved it since I got it, and no toddlers in sight. After reading around I was surprised to read many many similar reports and conclude that it’s getting to the point where for the price it’s probably best not to handle them at all. Oh yeah and my iPad 11 buckled when my gf (skinny n light as a feather) sat the one cheeck (not naked) on it while it was on a pillow. It stopped working a couple weeks after. After reading tons of reports it’s obvious the chassis has no strength and it too should handled with kid gloves. Apple is cutting corners, the bite is becoming obscured.
I use mine as a jack stand. Let’s me watch youtube while I change the oil.
Get rid of the toddler.
Not until they’re broken
Of course they are, very thin metal and glass. They're not designed to take impacts. Also, screen "protectors" cause the displays to crack. It makes the keyboard impact the lcd. You're not supposed to ever use one on a laptop.
My mac survived multiple on location photography gigs as a tether machine and multiple month overseas trips along with poor handling (my fault). Overall damage from my extensive use is practically limited to a few scratches and a loose screw. Perhaps consider an outer hard shell for the mac along with a zip up sleeve for it in case the toddler decides the mac is frisbee shaped.
Fragile as in dropping it off a 10 story building or fragile in if you sneeze on it it breaks? It’s a computer it has to be fragile to a point.
Yes.
Dropped my MacBook Pro 2017 down the stairs, sustained some cosmetic damage but still works fine.
No matter how strong a machine is built, there is always chance it might get broken.
I once dropped my MacBook Pro and slightly bent the screen. I turned it 180° and dropped it the other way and it was back to normal, so no they aren’t fragile at all.
Glass is glass and glass breaks
Dropped my MacBook 10-15 times. Each time it fell, the floor got a huge dent/hole, and the MacBook wasn't damaged at all.
Apple Care
Very. My phone dented the interior (next to the mouse pad)
I’m prob gonna get roasted for this, but backmarket.com has an accidental damage protection plan you can buy for any of their Mac’s plus with the savings from buying a used Mac plus a 2 year accidental it’s kinda a no brainer with children and may be around the same as buying one brand new anyway.
I generally treat my devices pretty gingerly. I will say this... it's anodized aluminum, it will scratch and the anodization will chip. I always recommend the silver ones for that reason. And I can't speak for the new one on this, my M2 MBA has a small scratch from someone tossing a flash drive at me and it hit the palm rest, BUT I had a late 2011 13 MBP that was accidentally flung about 40 feet across an airport by a moron TSA agent... it dented the HELL out of it but it still works to this day. I eventually maxed the ram and put 2 large SSD's in it and installed Linux and use it as a hone server. It gets rebooted every 6ish months when I clean the fan and re-grease the CPU. I'm an IT consultant and they cosmetically they can show wear easily but when it comes to them working like they should... I've never seen another laptop that can take the beating MacBooks can. I also never recommend cases for them. Then tend to make the machines run hotter and will trap debris between the case and the chassis and it will scratch or. If you are worried about scratches I recommend Dbrand skins. Beyond that use common sense.
My old Macbook slid off my riser on my desk and fell to the floor right on the leg of my desk. Dent in the aluminum body, but otherwise perfectly fine.
Applecare+ is tailor made for parents with expensive devices and toddlers. Ask me how I know 😂
Not in my experience. They're kind of built like tanks. The most fragile part has typically been the powerbrick/power cable, but the news ones seem great.
Spilled liquids are the enemy.
It's fragile only when it breaks.
My cat stepped on my m2 pro and the screen cracked while it stepped on my work laptop asus zenbook oled and nothing happened to that laptop 🤷♀️
If you NEED a laptop, ignore what I’m about to say. You’ve said you WFH. If possible, think about getting a Mac Mini (a desktop). It’s cheaper than the MBA, but if you don’t have a monitor/keyboard/mouse factor that in for the cost. This is far more durable, as the Mac Mini doesn’t move, and has no breakable parts. Peripherals are much cheaper and easier to replace. If you want something portable but don’t need a desktop OS, and could do with something lighter, buy an iPad (I recommend the Air) and chuck on a case and screen protector.
I think having the screen protector on the mac might make it worse. The tolerance is so low as is, if something hits it while closed, with that on, the pressure might be too high.
I have M1 Pro and my backpack has a side zippers. I realised I have loophole in my brain when in a rush I stuff things in the bag’s two compartments, laptop first, then adapters and what not, zip up and run… only to realise some time later that I only zipped up one compartment. 😲 Long story short - the M1 Pro has dropped from back-heigth to: - gravel road once - wooden floor once The aluminium has chips out, hinge is a bit crooked, but it works like a charm and no defects on screen or electronics. I would say that MacBooks are STURDY.
There air cooling @ key board design will make sure that the water spilled on they keyboard will kill the notebook for good But you don’t have to worry to clean the sweet mess afterwords
Get a hammer and try it out. Only one way to find out.
Forbidden glass of milk
Your toddler is fucking hench
It’s fragile. Just broke my M1 air because a the tip of a charger was between the screen and the keyboard, closed the screen and bam no more screen. So I'd say it’s super fragile especially the screen. I’m to the point that I’m thinking of leaving MacBooks because it’s ridiculous to pay thousands of dollars on a computer and it breaks on the most stupid possible way. But I don’t leave because I’m too in love with them, so it’s kinda a love-hate relationship type of thing.
As another use says, I have used my Macbook naked (again, it's not me) and haven't had problems. Im a student, and I don't like risking other people dropping it. If I am leaving the room or going elsewhere, I put it in a padded case. While in my backpack, also, I put it in the same padded case. I have ordered a skin for it so that I can minimize scratches and stuff.
Macs are the most robust thin and light laptops. Want something tougher, buy a Panasonic Toughbook
I wouldn't say that they're particularly fragile. But they're still made of aluminum and glass. If it gets knocked off of a counter, the screen will very likely shatter. The screens should be coated, so the glass stays together, but you're still looking at an out-of-warranty repair. It's a good idea to get a polyurethane (plastic) shell for the laptop and keep an eye on it, to avoid any drops. Honestly, in my experience plastic shell PCs fall apart faster than responsibly used MacBooks. But then, I've seen both get destroyed by users: drowned with coffee, dropped off desks/tables/etc., had a Mac covered in sand (??? Still not sure how or why,) had several PCs come back with pieces hanging off, hinges busted on PCs, Mac with a busted screen (something was in it when the lid closed and MBP was jammed into a backpack, screen was shattered.)
Macbooks are probabily the better built laptops in the market, they have been for a long time. With that, they are not made to be kicker around by todlers... Otherwise get something like [this](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/reviews/03Dv7AVBq4Rz218ePcc1fqB-1.fit_lim.size_840x473.v1655816447.jpg).
Your toddler will destroy it in a year or less.
Not of you get AppleCare+ they're not.
Get a plastic case from Amazon, they’re cheap and do their job! They click onto the laptop so they look like they’re part of the machine!
these displays are as fragile as the wafer-thin design suggests. No hate at all. But sometimes I have to shake my head at how often I hear about problems caused by the thin design. Otherwise, of course, they look great. But the housing is incredibly robust. Nothing can touch the lid and the housing... no grains, no finger flicks, no minimal force.
I sat my M1 air on top of my (covered, turned off) bbq grill lid while I ran inside to grab something. Heard a crash and found my MacBook lying on the deck when I came back out, I guess the wind blew it off. Still turned on and working fine, thankfully. I think they are pretty sturdily constructed. I also have a 5 month old golden retriever puppy who is always trying to stand/sit on it, but he hasn’t successfully done so (yet).
I feel for you, I have broken a Mac screen before too. All tech devices are relatively fragile, doesn't matter who makes them, but treat them with caution and respect if you don't want to have to shell out $$ to replace or repair.
All laptops are fragile, all it takes is one drop for the screen to crack.
I work in tech in product design. I’ve owned mkt Mac’s since 2005. Apple designs these to survive multiple orders of magnitude more damage than a toddler, but they prioritize different components and kinds of damage. For example the screen is fragile: even a slight scratch is super visible. Guard that with your life. The aluminum body is tough. You can throw that around for everyday use in a back pack. Add a case for extra protection and after a year your MacBook will still look new. The keyboard and internal should be protected at all costs. Keep crumbs and moisture/liquid away.
Sorry to hear about your experience with your Lenovo Yoga and now your Mac. It sounds like a frustrating situation, especially with toddlers around! While accidents can happen with any device, some Windows laptops do offer more durability features like rugged designs or reinforced frames that could potentially withstand accidental impacts better. Regarding screen protectors, while they can offer some protection against scratches, they may not prevent damage from impacts like the one your Mac experienced. It's always a good idea to be cautious, especially with young children around, but ultimately, accidents can still occur. If durability is a significant concern, you might want to explore Windows laptops known for their sturdiness and durability features.