The iBook isn’t just cute; it’s also tough-or so Apple claims. Made with bulletproof plastics, the laptop should be able to withstand most hazards, certainly any pitfall an average user might encounter in the real world. But just how durable is an iBook in the hands of highly trained Macworld Lab technicians, fueled with an appetite for destruction, who needn’t worry about voiding the warranty? Well, you wouldn’t want to try these stunts at home, so we’ve saved you the trouble. Here’s what you might expect from your loyal laptop if . . .
YOU FREEZE YOUR iBOOK The two coolest places we could think of were the local ice rink and the Macworld kitchen freezer. No problem: the iBook woke right up after 30 minutes in the cooler.
A LUNATIC ON A SCOOTER RUNS OVER YOUR iBOOK It’ll get scuffed up, but it should still boot like a champ.
YOU STAND ON YOUR iBOOK Surprisingly, nothing happened when we tried it. Our laptop creaked a little, but no parts broke.
YOU SIT ON YOUR OPEN iBOOK Smashing down your iBook’s keys will make it crash. But ours managed to reboot-after we stood up.
YOUR IBOOK GETS HIT BY A FOUL BALL Despite some wicked fastballs that damaged our iBook’s case, the unhurt screen woke up with no problem.
YOU THROW YOUR iBOOK LIKE A FRISBEE The screen will break. The machine will still work, but it’ll have a desktop picture that never goes away.
YOU SPILL A VENTI NONFAT MOCHA ON YOUR iBOOK It’ll die. But if you dry it out overnight, your iBook may reboot the next day.
YOU TAKE A BLOWTORCH TO YOUR iBOOK Sophisticated circuitry and plastic do not respond well to open flame.