Just got my new Macbook Air 1.86 / 128 SSD

I'm pretty anal about protecting my equipment.. mostly for resale value as I blow through tech pretty quick.

I use both the zagg invisible shield, and the incase sleeve to protect mine.

richxps said:

I sold my first gen mba and deceided to get the new top of the line air, my only question is how is everyone protecting them ? Does anyone use those types of cases that actually stay on the pc while you use it ? Or just a bag to put it in ? I picked up the Incase bag for the air and i love it so far.
Just wanted to say that this machine is fast and its even faster than my wifes Dell M1330. But i was wondering will this machine play WoW decent ? I use to have a dell m1210 back in the day and it played WoW pretty good so im sure this will play it better.

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It should handle WoW just fine. The previous Macbook/MBA with the integrated Intel was still able to handle the game. I imagine the 9400M should not have any problems whatsoever.

richxps said:

I sold my first gen mba and deceided to get the new top of the line air, my only question is how is everyone protecting them ? Does anyone use those types of cases that actually stay on the pc while you use it ? Or just a bag to put it in ? I picked up the Incase bag for the air and i love it so far.
Just wanted to say that this machine is fast and its even faster than my wifes Dell M1330. But i was wondering will this machine play WoW decent ? I use to have a dell m1210 back in the day and it played WoW pretty good so im sure this will play it better.

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What did you manage to get for your previous MBA? What model? What venue did you sell it through?

Did you buy the new one retail or refurb? Discount?

I'm considering the same thing but want to know how to minimize the upgrade cost.

A couple years ago I stopped purchasing sleeves/bags for my laptops. I was always religious at protecting them when new, but quickly, as new car smell wore of I realized I'd start just tossing them in my bag until soon I wasn't using anything at all.

Now I just forgo any sleeves/padding and toss my laptops into whatever backpack or computer bag I'm using. They aluminum wears very well and although a little scratched up, I've never had anything damaged or wrecked in doing so.

Am I alone in doing this? When I picked up my MBA Rev B, I checked it out before leaving the store. I took everything out of the box and put it into my backpack inlcuding the unprotected MBA and asked the Apple guy to throw away the box. The guy looked at me like I was nuts!

richxps said:

Halon, you are nuts LOL - the box alone is kind of cool, its nice and small.

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That is what the "n" in Halon stands for

The box is sexy

richxps said:

Halon, you are nuts LOL - the box alone is kind of cool, its nice and small.

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Sometimes I think Apple puts more time into designing their packaging than many competitors put into their actual products! Unfortunately, even though the packaging is small, I'd need a small closet just for boxes if I kept all of mine!

Halon X said:

Sometimes I think Apple puts more time into designing their packaging than many competitors put into their actual products! Unfortunately, even though the packaging is small, I'd need a small closet just for boxes if I kept all of mine!

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The Rev A box is a lot nicer then the Rev B. And yes, I still have both boxes! I tell myself it is for resale value, but they just look so nice!

I use an Incase sleeve to protect my Macbook Pro!
It's a very god design, and they make sizes that fir the MacBook Air.
Thsy also come in some beautfiul designs!

http://www.goincase.com/products/category/MacBook+Air

I am currently using the Speck hardcase that covers the Air and stays on when I flip the scrn open.

I am one heck of a heavy mobile user, and even taking things out from a sleeve means too much to me, I just want it 'ready to go' anytime I want!

I know I am one heck of a ruthless, manner-less user,
the Air would've still pick up lots of scratches along with other stuffs if I decided to go with the sleeves.
I can tell from the scratches on my Speck case

The speck case came in shiny and smooth, the shinny surface finish reflects like a mirror,
right now, they are more like...let's just say, went through some sand-paper treatment...

Imo, if you know it's gonna be a really 'on the go' type of user, it's gotta be the hard case (esp if you still wanna sell it),
otherwise, I am very impress with the level of protection the sleeves are capable to offer

just my 2cents, hope this may help

richxps said:

I sold my first gen mba and deceided to get the new top of the line air, my only question is how is everyone protecting them ? Does anyone use those types of cases that actually stay on the pc while you use it ? Or just a bag to put it in ?

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I put it in a Kenneth Cole leather bag and it seems pretty well protected. In another thread if you drop it, all bets are off, but for bumps against tables/chairs and the like, it should protect from scratches and bumps. I don't like any of the bags at the Apple Store and don't want to ruin the look of the Air with some stickers/hard cases. A leather bag is pricey in comparison but it doesn't look out of place in a business meeting. I've included a picture of mine below.

tubbymac said:

I put it in a Kenneth Cole leather bag and it seems pretty well protected. In another thread if you drop it, all bets are off, but for bumps against tables/chairs and the like, it should protect from scratches and bumps. I don't like any of the bags at the Apple Store and don't want to ruin the look of the Air with some stickers/hard cases. A leather bag is pricey in comparison but it doesn't look out of place in a business meeting. I've included a picture of mine below.

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With a bag that large, umm why have an air? Just asking....

tigres said:

With a bag that large, umm why have an air? Just asking....

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Heh, good question. It's mostly for transport and carrying around documents, pens, papers, books, and all that other stuff.

If all you're carrying is the Air any bag is overkill. A sleeve would be fine in that case. For situations where I just need my Air I like the Incase sleeve that doesn't have zippers the best. Not a fan of sleeves with zippers.

tigres said:

With a bag that large, umm why have an air? Just asking....

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Me thinks someone is overcompensating for something maybe?

Just kidding tubbymac, but your gear does highlight an issue....that for some people having a smaller/thinner/lighter laptop just means they stuff more paperwork and other crap in their bag anyway.

Me, I like to think I have the perfect setup for play and work.... my MBA (which should be returning back to me with either no lines or a rev.C whichever comes soonest) sits in a Tucano Elements sleeve (I swear by these), and if it needs to board a plane, train or automobile with me for a meeting, that then goes inside a small and svelte fantastic Porsche Design-esque bag I found at Muji last year....leather/alu handles, synthetic textured material, with a 13" padded compartment and a separate zipped area for a bit of paperwork, pens, iPhone etc. Best €50 I ever spent.

Veinticinco said:

Me thinks someone is overcompensating for something maybe?

Just kidding tubbymac, but your gear does highlight an issue....that for some people having a smaller/thinner/lighter laptop just means they stuff more paperwork and other crap in their bag anyway.

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Heh it definitely looks that way, I admit. You're right though, my computer takes up about 1/5th the contents of my bag. The other 4/5ths is jammed with non computer stuff. I've tried to go paperless quite a few times, but I keep coming back to the trusty pen and notepad for most things. I keep trying to read PDF and ebooks and always end up with the trusty paperback, hard cover, or textbook.

Pens, papers, and books still rule my world. One day when Apple gets rid of this bloody useless keyboard and gives me a tablet instead I might finally get rid of all the other stuff in my bag and go down to something smaller.