Originally Posted by
bryanhayn
i ride with a 13" macbook. i only put it in my backpack or laptop bag and carry it on my body. it's too fragile to strap to the bike...all the bumps would most likely damage/loosen something, don't ya think?
No. When your laptop is running the hard disk is prone to damage from vibrations and movement, but it'd _probably_ be fine on your bike (modern hard drives spin very fast, even the 5400's, and it takes quite a bit of force to cause a head crash).
When your laptop isn't running the head is parked. Everything else is screwed in tight because it has to be. The vibrations should be no more damaging to it than they are to your bike.
And a proper carrying case will absorb many vibrations anyway.
However. If you crash the laptop in your backpack will see much greater forces than in your panniers. Because it's being thrown from higher up attached to a heavier object which will act to protect itself (that object being your body).
I'd probably still ride with it in a backpack though. But that's why I'm with you and bought the $1500 macbook instead of the $2500 macbook pro.