Design flaw in Macbook Pro late 2013?

Hi,

My Macbook Pro late 2013 (13inch, Model: A1502) has developed a protuberance at the back and an Apple Store (Genius Bar) technician told me that this is a result of "excessive pressure" on the soft aluminium bottom case, resulting in an internal bracket causing an internal dent.

There hasn't been an accident, I surely haven't stepped or sat on my laptop, the only pressure I can think of is when carrying it inside a padded pouch, inside a high quality, laptop-grade double-padded backpack, i.e. under normal everyday use.

This is only a cosmetic issue and can be easily repaired by replacing the back plate (it costs about £90 in the UK), but how excessive is the "excessive" pressure that caused this? Should this happen?

After a bit of research, I think it is a weakness of the device, a design issue. I've explained my findings (so far) and screenshot here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6876250

I'd be grateful if other users who may have experienced the same problem -under normal everyday use- come forward and share their experience.

Kind regards.

ntsarb said:

My Macbook Pro late 2013 (13inch, Model: A1502) has developed a protuberance at the back…

...but how excessive is the "excessive" pressure that caused this? Should this happen?

After a bit of research, I think it is a weakness of the device, a design issue.

Click to expand...

This is a computer model that was released October, 2013…so it's been around for approximately 17 months. If this was truly a design issue…I'm pretty sure with the large membership we have at Mac-Forums…we would have run into this issue not once…but many times.

I cannot recall anyone posting a thread regarding this specific issue. So this would lead me to believe (just like the Apple Genius advised)…that this "protuberance" was caused (by a one-time or multiple time) high pressure in the general area of the protuberance. This high pressure exceeded the ability of the aluminum case to resist it…thus the protuberance.

It's not a question of a design flaw in the MacBook Pro. Because if the MacBook Pro was treated with "TLC"…this would not have happened. The question is…what the heck are you doing to your MacBook Pro to cause this??

A MacBook Pro that is carefully & gently moved from once location to another, would never experience this sort of damage/cosmetic issue.

- Nick

Post as suggested in Apple Feedback?

We've run across this before when students carry their MacBook Pro (retina or standard) in a backpack. Having a case usually doesn't protect the machine from having pressure exerted on it from books or other objects being transported at the same time in the back pack. Pay the £90 for the repair and from then on, keep your MacBook Pro separate from the back pack.

chscag said:

We've run across this before when students carry their MacBook Pro (retina or standard) in a backpack. Having a case usually doesn't protect the machine from having pressure exerted on it from books or other objects being transported at the same time in the back pack.

Click to expand...

Good example Charlie. In my post above I was mostly thinking of how this would happen if the computer was "by itself"…no case or backpack involved. Basically just being moved around "naked" by the user.

- Nick