Can accidentally bumping, hitting, or slamming an electronic (such as a laptop, an mp3 players, a cell phone, a handheld gaming system, a portable HDD or DVD writer, etc.) cause it to malfunction or even break?

I don’t mean anything hard (like dropping it on the floor), just accidentally hitting it against something or with your hand. Are most consumer electronics “built” to withstand and protect itself against such shocks or force?

For instance, could accidentally bumping an external DVD burner against the table cause it to malfunction in any way?

I pretty much never drop anything on accident on the floor, but More >