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Cover it up or not?

JoeG4

JoeG4

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 11, 2002
2,901
589
Hiyas :D

I always wondered "why spend so much for aesthetics and then go cover it up with a plastic cover!" and now here I am beginning to want to do the same myself. In about 2 weeks (hopefully) I'll be buying a new MBP 15"! One of my friends is planning on doing the same in about a month, and he was talking about buying a speck case for it. HRMMM

I've always thought those were a great way to make a beautiful Apple laptop look like crap, but then I looked at my PowerBook G4.. it still looks pretty good, but it has scratches all over the bottom and the sides of the upper half. Aw.. I kinda want to keep my machine looking new, but the PB held up EXTREMELY well compared to say.. the Vaio I just sold off.

Should I? I see people cover their entire dang computer up with stuff like moshi guards and god only knows what else, and I can't help but think it takes away from the experience pretty heavily.. yet I want to keep it like new for once. What do I do?
 
Me personally, I've never used a cover and I do take exceptional care of my MBP. In fact when I sell it, most of the buyers remark at the condition of my laptop.

I'm not trying to sound arrogant, but rather state you don't need a case to keep the laptop in great condition, provided you take care in how you handle it.
 
It really depends on how it's used. I don't find the unibodies to scratch easily, but they do dent easily if dropped / set-down too hard (or if something is dropped onto them).

If you travel with it a lot, bring it around with you during the day, and especially if you have kids ... I'd recommend a case. I personally wouldn't want a spec case (i.e. always-on case / cover), but I can see how constantly dragging it in and out of a slip-case or what not would get annoying for you.
 
Slip cases are a great compromise. I also have a twelve south SurfacePad. It looks great (though that's always relative) and will keep the palmrest from getting scratched up from my watch, etc.
 
JoeG4 said:
Hiyas :D

I always wondered "why spend so much for aesthetics and then go cover it up with a plastic cover!" and now here I am beginning to want to do the same myself. In about 2 weeks (hopefully) I'll be buying a new MBP 15"! One of my friends is planning on doing the same in about a month, and he was talking about buying a speck case for it. HRMMM

I've always thought those were a great way to make a beautiful Apple laptop look like crap, but then I looked at my PowerBook G4.. it still looks pretty good, but it has scratches all over the bottom and the sides of the upper half. Aw.. I kinda want to keep my machine looking new, but the PB held up EXTREMELY well compared to say.. the Vaio I just sold off.

Should I? I see people cover their entire dang computer up with stuff like moshi guards and god only knows what else, and I can't help but think it takes away from the experience pretty heavily.. yet I want to keep it like new for once. What do I do?
Click to expand...

I happily buy the case.

I've a clear Speck brand case going around my 17"er. it can withstand pressure far better than the non-protected MBP. Not that people wittingly put things on their laptops, but protection is never a bad thing.

And it's portable. You might take good care of it, but in public areas were added random elements come into place, you never know what might happen.
 
If I'm not asleep, my Macbook is on and doing something work-related. I transport it a lot.

I have a sleeve, and I am a meticulously careful person, but ***** happens. A case have saved me on multiple occasions, and I'm pretty happy with the $20 "Rubberized Macbook Pro Case" I got shipped from eBay. Has served me well for 3.5 years.
 
I have two cases, a clear and a black one. I took them both off an prefer to not use them. They feel bulky to me and although I do use my MBP in some rough spots, it's not going to stay perfect forever. Also, I heard about it getting scratched FROM the case, because of dirt getting between it and the MB. I did notice a little "blemish" on mine from that. My opinion: it's aluminum, just take care of it and clean it regularly.
 
bdodds1985 said:
I have two cases, a clear and a black one. I took them both off an prefer to not use them. They feel bulky to me and although I do use my MBP in some rough spots, it's not going to stay perfect forever. Also, I heard about it getting scratched FROM the case, because of dirt getting between it and the MB. I did notice a little "blemish" on mine from that. My opinion: it's aluminum, just take care of it and clean it regularly.
Click to expand...

then you clearly dont know how to use a case on the macbook
 
I don't like to see mbp get scratched and lose some value. So I bought a Speck See Thru case because I take mbp with me everywhere I go.
 
Those plastic cases look fugly IMHO. The bottom of the macs are the most likely to scratch when setting on rough surfaces. You can get a clear thin sticker to protect the bottom without caring around a beautiful metal machine inside a cheap plastic case.
 
i bought one, took it off after about a week, adds unwated bulk and weight, and the scratches that would bug me the most would be on the inside which obviously is not protected with a hard shell

so just use it and be as carefull as you can
 
I would get a case or at least carry it in a case to protect it. You could spend $40 now but it will be worth a couple hundred more when you go to sell it.
 
miniConvert said:
Buy a slip case to store/transport it in. No need to do anything more unless you have a specific requirement.
Click to expand...

It depends on the things you will use it for. Personally, I use to think a slip case was fine. I'm a student, and I dropped my backpack (with my MBP in it) onto the ground. Even with it being in my backpack with a slipcase, I still managed to slightly damage the corner.

Just judge how well you can take care of it if you plan to transport it a lot.
 
my backpack has a really big bumper on the bottom where the laptop would rest against when it's in the bag, that itself shouldn't be a problem. My concern was about preventing scratches on the bottom mostly, and the sticker.. hrm.. I dunno :S lol.

I suppose at the end of the day it's impossible to keep it looking new, unless I cover EVERYTHING, and that's like covering a sofa in plastic! The keyboard would wear out before the case does anyway.. it's just disheartening to see a scratch on a new machine xD
 
I found that every once and a while i would slide my MBP on my desk and a grain of sand or something and it would leave a small scratch on the unibody. so I got a black satin case for my mbp. I love the way it looks. especially when you turn it on and the apple logo shines through the case. :)
 
By using just a bit of care, I've found I'm able to enjoy mine without spending extra money to cover it up. After a couple of years it looks virtually as good as new. People ask if it's new all the time. These are not fragile laptops.
 
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