Keyboard covers.

[JMies419]

What are you guys using? I want to get one for my new 13" MBA. I found a US seller on eBay that has 13" silicone covers in a number of different colors for $3.99 shipped. Thinking of going with that...is there a high quality better option out there? Thanks!

[JBazz]

I have always used iskin keyboard covers, but they are much more expensive.

Iskin.com

[sm0]

Don't ruin a beautiful machine with a cheap and nasty piece of silicon over it.

[s1ns]

never ever use keyboard cover. the speaker in macbook air is underneath the keyboard unlike the macbook pro if you are using keyboard covers you are covering the speakers if you know what i mean.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by s1ns

never ever use keyboard cover. the speaker in macbook air is underneath the keyboard unlike the macbook pro if you are using keyboard covers you are covering the speakers if you know what i mean.

The speakers are not under the keyboard. They're on the sides. A keyboard cover will have little or no effect on sound.

[ericDylan]

I know it will not affect the sound substantially, but i am fairly certain that the computer uses the keyboard to vent off heat. A cover might interfere with this.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by ericDylan

I know it will not affect the sound substantially, but i am fairly certain that the computer uses the keyboard to vent off heat. A cover might interfere with this.

Not true. There is no air intake or exhaust through the keyboard on any Mac notebook, and there never has been. Both intake and exhaust is through the vents in the rear, which allows venting with the lid open or closed (for operating in clamshell mode). There is a solid panel under the keyboard, preventing any meaningful airflow.

[KPOM]

Moshi and Rearth USA make some good covers. I use them only when I am on a plane (with the cramped quarters, a liquid spill is more likely), but have used both and they work for me. The Rearth ones usually sell for about $15. Moshi for about $25.

Note that some of the ultra-cheap covers are a bit thicker and thus touch the screen and leave marks when the lid is closed. The Rearth and Moshi ones are thin enough to avoid this.

[jmthigpen]

Don't use a silly keyboard cover or be OCD about the keys turning shiny! The machine is beautifully designed don't cover it up with cheap silicon!

[philxor]

I've been using the Moshi ones for a long time now, on my 2010 MBA and now the 2011. They work well and can be cleaned, because they do get dirty after awhile. I'm always eating stuff around my laptop and having the cover definitely helps in not getting crap stuck in the keys, although I really do like typing and the look of the laptop without the cover.

With the Moshi you can still get dirty marks on the screen with the laptop closed.

[JBazz]

Originally Posted by sm0

Don't ruin a beautiful machine with a cheap and nasty piece of silicon over it.

I was sitting beside a mother at the genius bar who brought her MacBook in for the third time because it had an "accidental" spill. When I suggest she invet in a keyboard cover she said, "my homeowners insurance pays for it". I guess she didn't want to "ruin" her machine with a "cheap and nasty piece of silicon" either.

[ModestMoo]

I bought that 0.1mm keyboard protector from eBay, its superb quality, fits very very accurate for £4.99.
I did use it for about 4days and I understood it feels like old laptop with sand under it when typing, so I threw it away.

[daonesteven]

Originally Posted by JBazz

I was sitting beside a mother at the genius bar who brought her MacBook in for the third time because it had an "accidental" spill. When I suggest she invet in a keyboard cover she said, "my homeowners insurance pays for it". I guess she didn't want to "ruin" her machine with a "cheap and nasty piece of silicon" either.

not sure why you resurrected a >2 month old thread to comment but since there's 2 sides to every coin, I immediately got a keyboard protector when i purchased my 11" mba for the sole reason to protect against spills, and exactly 2 months later, I spilled a quarter cup of milk over my mba where it ended up just running along the bezel and seeping into the grills, immediately shutting it off and costing me $755 to repair it (thank god amex protection covered it). This just got me to realize that it just takes a specific type of spill to render a keyboard cover useless.

[bogatyr]

AMEX Purchase Protection and Return Protection are the two best features of their cards - IMO.

[scarred]

Originally Posted by GGJstudios

The speakers are not under the keyboard. They're on the sides. A keyboard cover will have little or no effect on sound.

It has a huge effect on sound. With my keyboard cover on, the sound is muffled.

[Herrow]

When my OCD gets the best of me, I use a Shaggymac screen protector. Mostly during heavy travel and every other day for cleaning.

The silicone covers never made sense to me, a naked keyboard feels so good.

[DvlFig]

I'm using the Rearth USA cover and so far so good. Take a look! The sound is normal for me, no huge effects on mine.

[mba123]

Just to add my thoughts to this thread, having used a silicon keyboard cover for a few months on 2012 air, in case anyone is thinking of buying one.

They do affect sound - imo in a significant way. Volume is quieter and sound is very mono with cover on as opposed to stereo with the cover off.

Heat - under light use i.e. browser, word etc, heat is fine with cover on but under heavier use the keyboard does become warm. Yes this does happen without the cover also, but the keys do seem to cool slightly when cover is taken off. Whether this hinders ventilation i'm not sure.

Typing - not a good experience at all. The keyboard feels awful and is much harder to type on.

[jbzcar]

Originally Posted by philxor

I've been using the Moshi ones for a long time now, on my 2010 MBA and now the 2011. They work well and can be cleaned, because they do get dirty after awhile. I'm always eating stuff around my laptop and having the cover definitely helps in not getting crap stuck in the keys, although I really do like typing and the look of the laptop without the cover.

With the Moshi you can still get dirty marks on the screen with the laptop closed.

I have a Moshi on my '11-11". It is by far the best looking cover, can't even really tell it is there. I previously had an iSkin on my 15" MBP. I love that it's washable and you quickly get used to typing with it in place. It doesn't affect sound or temperature on my MBA, either.

[House Crasher]

Originally Posted by GGJstudios

Not true. There is no air intake or exhaust through the keyboard on any Mac notebook, and there never has been. Both intake and exhaust is through the vents in the rear, which allows venting with the lid open or closed (for operating in clamshell mode). There is a solid panel under the keyboard, preventing any meaningful airflow.

What you say is true about where the MBA vents however...heat rises and if you hold your hand just an 1/8" above the keyboard you can feel the heat. I'd NEVER cover the keyboard.

[plucky duck]

I'd rather deal with the extra heat, if it does indeed have a negative impact on thermals, than to deal with a dead laptop in the case of a liquid spill. $25 insurance and peace of mind on a $1000 laptop is cheap insurance. As for the feel of the keyboard and typing experience, yes while I do agree that it's not as nice to type on, it doesn't bother me enough to risk any liquid spills.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by House Crasher

What you say is true about where the MBA vents however...heat rises and if you hold your hand just an 1/8" above the keyboard you can feel the heat. I'd NEVER cover the keyboard.

You can feel the heat on the bottom, as well. Heat radiates in all directions and is transferred quite effectively through the aluminum body. A keyboard cover has very little impact on heat dissipation. Countless Mac owners have used them for years with absolutely no problems. Your Mac will automatically shut down if temps get too high.