How sturdy/durable is the aluminum on a MBP?

Pretty sturdy and durable or Apple wouldn't use them. They are carved out of a solid block of aluminum. But they can be damaged if your prone to dropping them from table tops or higher distances, and you can damage internal pieces like a hard drive or a display. They also don't do well as frisbies.

MacBook Pros are not bulletproof!

Also, when a hard drive is running, it is very easy to damage them from drops, bumps, falls, etc.

chattphotos wrote:

They are not bulletproof!

Also, when a hard drive is running, it is very easy to damage them from drops, bumps, falls, etc.

HD....hard drive yes can damage.....not SSD solid state drive no moving parts unlike hard drive

Hard drive's have delicate moving mechanisms called a read/write head. Jarring the computer sharply can cause the head to scratch the platters and/or damage the head. The computer's Sudden Motion Sensor will immediately park the drive's head if there is sudden movement, but sometimes that simply isn't enough protection

If you drop the computer just right (or wrong) you can crack the display, damage the hinges, or bend it.

Although the above are rare occurrences, we've seen them reported in the forums, so they can happen. Reports from users who have had the computer "leap" out of a back pack and land on a sidewalk, for example. Others who have dragged the computer off a table from becoming entangled in the charger's cable is another example.

Note, however, that every portable computer made is subject to these same limitations. Most are not nearly as well made as a Mac portable.

it wouldnt matter if the macbook case was as thick as a bank vault.

If that "vault" had eggs inside and you dropped it............

HD are sensitive creatures that dont like drops 😊

The SM Sensor doesn't work with some axis of motion on the MBPs I've used.

Closing the screen and then raising the left side so that the MBP is vertical will not park the heads while it tries to goto sleep, do it fast and the heads will hit.

SM seems to react to jarring motions, slow rotation does not park the heads and I can hear them hit the platter.

It's not movement but the "suddeness" of and detected G-force. Tie it to a rope and start swinging it around your head, I'll bet the heads will not park.

chattphotos

The SM Sensor doesn't work with some axis of motion on the MBPs

You using your macbook Pro like a Frisbee or something?

I know people that have...

Then there's this: