Once you have a nice Albook, you'll want to keep it that way. So you might be more worried about scratches than you expect. The machine wasn't cheap new, but I got my use out of it. Normally I don't use a laptop for my main machine, only when I travel (which isn't all that often). That alone is likely why it lasted as long as it did. Its replacement, a hand-me-down Dell Inspiron e1405 will likely live for a few more years. I really can't justify a laptop purchase when I rarely use one to begin with. The most use that Inspiron saw since I got it was during an extended power outage after Sandy.