Structural Integrity of Laptops?

d_m_i_t_r_i asks: "As a laptop-toting college student, I'm very interested in just how much abuse my laptop can stand up to. Just how many pounds of books can I stack on it? How hard can I bang the corner, before it will cave in? Things like that. Does anyone review the cases of laptops for their structural integrity? Are there any sort of statistics out there of things like strength tests, dropping from a height, etc?"

Comments

ibook -vs- Dell -vs- Acer

[Perdo]

Dropped clamshell ibook from 6 feet and made a pathetic attempt to catch it that sent it flying in cartwheels. Hit concrete. No damage. None.

Lifted my Dell by the front gripping it gently on both sides with the display open. Cracked the motherboard inside the cheap flexible plastic case. Few rows of keys stopped working. While troubleshooting I smelled electrical fire. Dell replaced it saying that was "common".

Acer one year old, negligible abuse. Hard drive slid back in it's slot and shorted against motherboard. Acer told me to go fly a kite.

Re:ibook -vs- Dell -vs- Acer

[tunah]

Yeah, but those iBooks cost $4.50 more than the Dell and Acer, and they won't run Microsoft Pinball XP!

Re:PC/Computing

[SoftwareTechie]

>> I cancelled my sub when they dropped Penn Jillette in like 1994.

From what height was he dropped? And was he still working afterwards?

Apple iBook survived the stairs

[green pizza]

My 3-month-old iBook (the 500 MHz white model, not the colorful toilet seat) tumbled down 12 carpeted steps when it slid off a stack of books I was moving. Held my breath and opened the lid... no cracks, booted up fine. I've been a lot more careful since then.

Not that great

[The Madpostal Worker]

http://users.bestweb.net/~rogerd/MyLaptopWasHalfOf f.jpg