[schokid02]

So I keep hearing all this talk about iBooks durability, but not having one myself makes it hard to judge. I've got a TiBook, and this thing certainly feels durable and sturdy. I've had my fair share of time on an 14" iBook as well and the thing just feels cheap, like extra-thick plastic that I could jam a pencil through. Maybe I'm just used to the Titanium feel (or even the aluminum, now that I use one of those on occasion). Is it just me?

[Praxis]

iBooks are definitely durable. I've bumped my old iBook around a bit. My PowerBook got dented falling on to carpet from a couch.

[braindoc]

Depends on how you look at it. For me the metal bodied PB don't flex as much so they feel sturdier. I don't experience as much 'bounce' on the PB keyboard as the iBook. There's less audible creaks & groans on the metal PB as they age.
On the other hand, the iBook (as posted above) don't get dented so easily, surfaces scratches can be buffed out easily by end users, and they hold up well even in heavy use.
In the end though, the iBook is the one that travels with me most often. This is because: costs less to replace, don't conduct heat as readily - i.e. can actually sit on my lap for extended use, and have better wireless performance.

[schokid02]

Sorry about misposting this at first. Realized it just a little too late. Anyway, I guess it was the 'bounce' that just made things feel cheap. I still feel perfectly fine taking my TiBook with me whenever I need it. Only issue is the heat, and that's only an issue in the summer. In the winter it's great. No problems ever with dents, and I haven't exactly been the most careful to this computer.

[nelson92]

Yep, my iBook is as tough as old boots. Dropped it twice and it's not suffered at all. Not that I'd recommend anyone drop an iBook just to find out how tough it is. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Cordless_Drill]

See, I think this whole thing is overrated.
Sure, the iBook has its hard drive rubber-mounted. So? That's more for show. I've owned three powerbooks in my life -- a fourth is on its way -- and I've had a grand total of ONE thing that needed replacing. It was a power supply on my Wallstreet 233. That's it. Powerbooks are not brittle.
I think both powerbooks and iBooks are quite durable. Apple needed something to key its iBook marketing campaign -- "Hey, these suckers are cheap as dirt" didn't do well in demographic testing -- and the tough-as-nails myth was born ...

[Night_Porter]

Yeah Macs are tough.
Check out the following story.
The Great Survivor

[schokid02]

I think the durability medal should go to the Powerbook. Supposedly it can stop a bullet, something which I doubt the iBook could do. Not that I'm going to test either one--anytime soon (maybe someday long after Powerbooks have been replaced).

[braindoc]

This whole thread would be a good segment for "Myth Buster". There are so many good annecdotal myths that those guys could test. It'd be fun.
Schokid, I am visualizing you and the old PB... going to the shooting range... clipping the PB to the target lines to send it down range... the whole time there's a split screen to see the reactions of the other range patrons... /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Mississauga]

As an employee of a leading Apple dealer, I can attest to the fact damaged PBs outnumber iBooks 5 to 1. The iBook provides better resiliency in the event of a drop or hard contact. While the PB has a tougher feel, it's quite prone to damage through impact.

[Cordless_Drill]

Though I'm not arging the facts, Miss., that could be a very misleading piece of information.
Do you see more PBs? Are PB people less likely to live with a small problem?

[Mississauga]

We continue to sell a lot of both PBs and iBooks. What I'm saying is, even minor impacts with PBs have greater effect, usually ending with repairs. The iBook is simply more resilient to impact... so much so that we are now beginning to recommend iBooks to corporate clients who had previously bought PBs. I can assure you, having had numerous models of both lines apart, while the PB is built with every measure of attention to durability, the iBook's case provides an extra measure of shock absorption not found in a PB.

[schokid02]

When I talk about durability, I generally discount impact-related stuff. You drop your computer, regardless of what model, and you're gonna be shitting your pants. That, and I never plan on dropping my computer. I do, however, realize that general wear-and-tear such as scratches and such are inevitable. That's what I'm considering when I think of durability.
I would love to see mythbusters do a piece on it. I think it'd be best, though, if they put on a kevlar vest, then held the PB up to their chest and shot themselves. B/c I'd like to know that if I carry my TiBook with me I can protect myself from a gunshot if need be.

[Nobody]

And speaking of scratches,
is there a way that I could remove them from my heavy-duty iBook?
It's just a shame having a so-beautiful Apple computer looking really bad...
---fcodc---
iBook G4 1.2GHz
eMac G4 800MHz