What makes less damage prone notebooks?

Having recently had a crack develop through the panel of my Seanix 15.4 inch model for no apparent reason (no exterior damage visible anywhere on the screen housing), I've been thinking about this a fair bit recently.

I'll admit my Seanix had a fair bit of screen flex when you opened and closed it, and the screen backing was both thin and allowed distortion of the screen to occur when you pressed on it. But so do many of the other notebooks I've seen while looking for a replacement. I'm wondering, are modern notebooks really just that fragile? Are generally thicker and more solid feeling IBM and (certain) Dell models really the only way to ensure it's not going to break so easily with going for something "mil spec"? Or are there thin and light models that are fairly durable too? Is there any way to predict durability?

(While overall durability is important, I'm very interested in screen protection here, since it seems to be one of the more damage prone and expensive parts of the machine.)

 

Notebook manufacturers usually manufacture two types of notebooks. One is for the consumer, the other for the business user. The models for the business user are usually better built, but come at a higher price (for example the Dell Latitutes, which are better built but more expensive than the Inspirons).
Furthermore, customer support is usually much better for business models. So, the next time you purchase a notebook, make sure not to purchase a consumer model.

 

Like with just about everything else...you get what you pay for. So an inexpensive notebook will likely have a lower-quality build and be made of cheaper materials. Not all modern notebooks are made cheaply. Reading user reviews is a good way to find out about how well a notebook is constructed.

Handling your notebook gently will also help.

 

I saw the toughness of the Panasonic Toughbook first hand. I had Verizon FiOS installed at the house about a week and a half ago. The Verizon installer had one...man...he pushed it along the ground. Threw it onto his truck...I mean literally handled it like no one should. Then came time to come and get my router registered, etc...and that puppy fired right up. I even asked him to see it for a minute...talk about scratch and dent...I have never seen anything like it...They really do take a pounding...Even so, I wouldn't want to beat something up like that because it says you can...

Bob

 

The thing is, when I say my Seanix had the screen crack for no apparent reason... I mean it. I actually do treat my gear with a lot of care. That's why I'm so freaked about the build quality of modern laptops now, I don't want to be out hundreds of dollars a second time around.

I only have two theories on what happened: one is that I kept in a laptop backpack with the screen facing my back. So if I ever happened to sit or something with the backpack on, the pressure may have been uneven across the machine, although that backpack does have some pretty hefty padding on it. The second theory is that since I often have the backpack with me on a bench when hanging out with my university anime club, someone used the bag as an elbow rest without realizing what was in there. If it helps, it started as a tiny crack and then got huge by the time I got home from classes that day...

I'm kind of wondering if casing hardness (IE doesn't distort when pressed on) or flex is more important... I've noticed quite a few smaller notebooks have problems with both of these, such as Asus and Sony's 12-13 inch models (though some of the 14s and 15s from these brands I tried were okay.). I've seen one of the Panasonics before but... I think it's a little overkill for what I need, especially when price is factored in.

 

ThinkPads are very good and a more cost effective option than the Panasonics.