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one of the reasons I bought Applecare was because I run lots of programs that heat up the computer like crazy,

heat from usage won't break your computer. but a broken computer may overheat, preventing usage.
 
I didn't buy my 17 inch MBP to be a museum piece, I bought it so I could drive it hard like a slave! Same reason why you'd buy a pickup truck, it's meant to get dirty, get dents, and get all scratched up!

What crazy world are you living in? The pick-up trucks around here are lifted, polished to a high gloss and never have a spec of dirt, much less a scratch on them.

(I know what you mean, but seems like more are show pieces than actually used)
 
The safest amount of time is zero minutes. Leave it in the box it came in and put it in the closet. In 20 years, you will still have a working computer, but you may need to charge the battery if you plan on turning it on.
 
Games huh? Well it's not about the least amount of time for your computer's safety (those are meant for 24/7 workloads), it's all about your eyes. Can they take it?

This.

Computers are created to be used. You can use it 24/7 with no problems. If anyone tells you otherwise they are wrong.

My Macbook Pro used to act as my Maya render machine until I got my Mac Pro. It never got rest.
 
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I wonder... If I used my MBP for nothing but productivity, is it possible for the internal fan to fail (like if it wears out) as well? If the fan stops working and my mother who got the MBP on my B-Day bitches at me saying that I shouldn't have played games, what should I say to her? If games are really bad for computers, especially Macs, shouldn't retailers stop selling them?
 
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I wonder... If I used my MBP for nothing but productivity, is it possible for the internal fan to fail (like if it wears out) as well? If the fan stops working and my mother who got the MBP on my B-Day bitches at me saying that I shouldn't have played games, what should I say to her? If games are really bad for computers, especially Macs, shouldn't retailers stop selling them?

Compiling software or encoding video (productivity tasks) will run the fans more than playing game will. Bottom line playing games is not bad for laptops, fans can always fail (usually at some point after your laptop is so slow and old it is no longer useful). If you don't use your laptop in unsuitable environments that don't allow for airflow you will be fine.

In terms of your mother you could point outs games companies use MacBookPros for testing games all day even day and not had any of the laptops fail due to "too many games". :D

Edwin
 
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I wonder... If I used my MBP for nothing but productivity, is it possible for the internal fan to fail (like if it wears out) as well? If the fan stops working and my mother who got the MBP on my B-Day bitches at me saying that I shouldn't have played games, what should I say to her? If games are really bad for computers, especially Macs, shouldn't retailers stop selling them?

fans can always fail. Some people never have problems for years others might have a fan fail after several weeks.
If a fan dows fail then how about you dont tell your mum, buy a fan on ebay and exchange it urself. Its 11 screws (8 back plate, 3 fan) and a cable.
 
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I wonder... If I used my MBP for nothing but productivity, is it possible for the internal fan to fail (like if it wears out) as well? If the fan stops working and my mother who got the MBP on my B-Day bitches at me saying that I shouldn't have played games, what should I say to her? If games are really bad for computers, especially Macs, shouldn't retailers stop selling them?

I had a fan failing after 10 months on my 2010 MBP (15 inch), I contacted my local apple store and they exchanged the fan overnight for free.

I noticed it when I was doing some compiling and the machine was so hot (reached 101°C). After the compilation was done the fan still was making serious noise and I noticed that only one was running.

I told the technician what happened and if my use might be too heavy, and he told me that it was extremely rare they had to change fans, except on older macs with fans full of dust.
 
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I wonder... If I used my MBP for nothing but productivity, is it possible for the internal fan to fail (like if it wears out) as well? If the fan stops working and my mother who got the MBP on my B-Day bitches at me saying that I shouldn't have played games, what should I say to her? If games are really bad for computers, especially Macs, shouldn't retailers stop selling them?

You are over thinking things. Computers are meant to be used. Most people completely underuse their computer and have no clue what they are talking about when it comes to fan temps and such. (The computer will get hot, this is normal. If it becomes too hot it'll shut itself down, you don't have to worry about it it'll do it itself).

As far as fans not working its very rare. It can happen on any computer regardless of manufacturer but its not near as common as a hard drive dying for example.

Games are not bad for computers. Nothing is bad for computers. Computers are meant to run software and a game is software. Anyone telling you otherwise is an idiot.

I stated above that my Macbook Pro acted as my Maya render machine. That will put far more stress on a computer than game playing and I did it for months before I got my Mac Pro tower.

You'll be fine playing games, I promise.

----------

However, usage causes heat, which in turn shortens the life of your computer.

Um....no. Improper maintenance can (but not always) shorten the life of your computer. Things like not blowing out the fans every once in awhile, or not connecting it to a safe power source. Computers are very good at cooling themselves. What is hot for a human is not hot for a computer. If a computer gets too hot it'll shut itself off (unless its reaaaaly old).
 
Um....no. Improper maintenance can (but not always) shorten the life of your computer. Things like not blowing out the fans every once in awhile, or not connecting it to a safe power source. Computers are very good at cooling themselves. What is hot for a human is not hot for a computer. If a computer gets too hot it'll shut itself off (unless its reaaaaly old).

Exactly, usage of a CPU does result in wear at the atomic/electronic level.

The actual lifespan of the silicon transistors of a consumer CPU is typically in the range of 20-30 years before there is a failure, not 3-4years. It is asssumed by then that the item would be obsolete.

How does Intel/AMD know if there's no way to test a chip for 30years? It is tested under load under higher than normal conditions (heat voltage, clock) and the variables and failure data are then extrapolated and calculated backwards for typical use.

Of course there are other failure points such as the chip packaging wires and things of that nature, but low decades would be a fair assumption.

3-4 years is more of the practical obsolescence of the product due to Moore's law and all that.

Source: Course on chip design and fabrication during my University degree :)
 
I had an 800MHz powerbook g4 that had overheating problems - I played a ton of WoW on it, and the fans were running all the time. After a while, it would consistently shut down automatically due to overheating after about 30 minutes of usage. Since its hinge was starting to go and its DVD drive stopped working too, I decided to not bother fixing all that stuff and got a new machine... dunno if my WoW addiction killed it or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if it did...
 
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Also, just out of curiousity, in what kind of enviornment do you folks place your MBP while gaming? I once learned that where you place your notebook and the temperature of that environment could count as factors.

I know someone who was complaining about his fans running high and his Macbook Pro constantly under clocking. Ends up he was always playing games with his laptop on top of a pillow or a blanket.

Don't do that. :p
 
Um....no. Improper maintenance can (but not always) shorten the life of your computer. Things like not blowing out the fans every once in awhile, or not connecting it to a safe power source. Computers are very good at cooling themselves. What is hot for a human is not hot for a computer. If a computer gets too hot it'll shut itself off (unless its reaaaaly old).

Not sure why you're disagreeing with the obvious here. A computer that is unused will last the longest.
 
Not sure why you're disagreeing with the obvious here. A computer that is unused will last the longest.

Its far from obvious, its completely untrue. Ask anyone in IT or who works with computers for a living. People are too afraid to use computers for no reason.

Computers are meant to be used. There are computers that last years and years and years running non-stop. People generally upgrade their computer long before it stops working. Saying a computer will die sooner because its being used is just silly.

Why buy a computer only to not use it?
 
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