Can using a laptop on a bus harm the hardware?

Question

If I use my laptop while on the bus, could this damage the hardware? How might the hardware become damaged?

Answer 1

Aside from damage from someone or something hitting it, e.g. from a sudden stop? That kind of thing would most likely damage the screen.

Otherwise the most likely would be sharp movements damaging the HDD. Most recent laptops and their HDDs are quite resilient against this kind of shock, but it can potentially cause damage. Using a laptop on a bus should not be any more damaging than using a laptop with any kind of movement. In fact, a bus ride is typically smoother than walking.

Personally, I just go ahead and use mine. I haven't had a single damaged/crashed HDD from the movement of a laptop while in use, even dropping one, despite the horror stories. Your mileage may vary.

Of course, if your laptop has a SSD this won't apply.