Is a case worth it for a college student?

[Rhyalus]

I have tried a couple of cases, and just was not happy. I ended up putting on a Dbrand skin which was not very easy to do, but ended up being the best solution.

The skin for the inside of the MBA was poorly cutout (it was not one contiguous piece) and so I had to do a lot of work to line stuff up.

FYI, I have a space gray MBA, and got the gray carbon fiber look which is a good match.

R

 

[trevpimp]

I will use the MacBook bare without a case but I will invest in a laptop sleeve, then when the time comes you can take it out and gently use the MacBook then put it back in the case much more safe

 

[ZachsMacDaddy]

I appreciate all the comments and opinions. We have decided to go no case, but I did pick up a skin and I'm putting it on today. The skin will give me a little peace of mind as far as scratches on the majority of the top and bottom, and if she decides to put any stickers on they'll be on the skin and not the metal. Some of the stickers out there aren't vinyl and don't peel off clean. The paper based ones are a nightmare to remove.

 

[TPadden]

I appreciate all the comments and opinions.

Sorry, I just have to laugh; your daughter's going off to college and you're worried about what her MBA is going to wear? 🤣

Tom

 

[whitby]

You need a case to protect the machine from the daily vagaries of life. Most of the cases I have used have no effect on the closing gap so the issue may be the case you are using. I have a couple of leather finished cases for my MBPro and MBA and there are no issues. But make sure it has a case. Scratch and dinged machines start to malfunction. And consider trade in value when you want to upgrade.

 

[DeepSix]

Ditched my slim hard case for the Air after 3.5 months. I liked it at first but I didn't like how rough in feel the clips that go around the laptop were and am confident that over time it will scratch the soft MacBook Midnight color.

People say that hard cases have to be removed from time to time and cleaned because dirt and particles will get through the cracks and seams. Im not sure about that. With a phone yes, always especially when you're in really dusty environments like I am. Dust and particles do go through the cracks of the case. But a laptop? Not so much.

Phones are constantly being taken in and out of pockets and laptops aren't. Laptops aren't taken out and about and exposed in different environments near as often as a phone is. So I'm not worried about particles getting through the cracks and seams on a laptop case, at least not enough to remove the case from time to time just to clean it. The more a case is removed and put back on, the worse it will fit as the case stretches and eventually it will be too loose and has to be replaced.

I ended up ordering a soft TPU case for my Pro. I wanted something that had softer TPU around the edges so it won't risk scratching the MacBook.

The main reason why I prefer cases on MacBooks is because I really don't like the cold metal feel on my hands, especially in the winter. It's very harsh and not pleasant on the hands. Plus I risk getting frostbite. Touching the case first is much more pleasant. And the fact it will protect the unit from dings and scratches for many years and I don't have to be super paranoid about scratches is a bonus. Marks on a case I couldn't care less about.

And despite what people say, a better condition MacBook will ALWAYS get you better resale value when the time comes.

Would still prefer to have protection on my laptop just gives me peace of mind. Even if you're super careful, you still have to be a bit more careful with a naked laptop compared to one that has a thin case on. And a MacBook that has no case on, is at a far greater risk of getting marked up over time than the chances of small particles and dust getting through the case's seams and scratching the MacBook over the course of several years.

I used to like skins but not anymore. Why? They only protect the front or back and don't give protection to the sides of the device. And if you find skins that do, it's a total pain to even apply them and aren't worth the time and hassle.

 

[TPadden]

The main reason why I prefer cases on MacBooks is because I really don't like the cold metal feel on my hands, especially in the winter. It's very harsh and not pleasant on the hands. Plus I risk getting frostbite.

... another plus; you don't have to worry about sticking tongue when you lick it in winter.

Tom

 

[DeepSix]

... another plus; you don't have to worry about sticking tongue when you lick it in winter.

Tom

Others have expressed too that they don't like the cold metal feel on their hands so I'm not alone here.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

I got my daughter a 13.6" MBA to take to college, and she wanted to buy a case to "make it pretty." I wanted to find one that will provide a little extra protection for the actual metal casing of the MBA. For our son I put a skin on his M1 MBA to protect it some, and to give it some texture to help him avoid dropping it.

The case arrived today and I put it on easy enough. But I noticed some other purchasers comments (for this and most plastic cases) about a slight gap when closed are accurate. Without a case the laptop closes snug and that little rubber lip around the screen touches the bottom case, keeping more dust out of the keyboard & screen area. But the tiny clip edges on these cases keeps that edge from sealing up, and makes a small gap all the way around. It's tiny, but if I hold the laptop up closed I can see the light from the other side between the top & bottom.

Am I overthinking/worrying about nothing? I just want the laptop to be protected since I know some college students don't think about that as much as I do.

View attachment 2404397

Get her a sleeve with corner protection and water resistance. Look into Tomtoc. $20 and be done.

Cases are overrated.

Think about it: when do you NEED a case? Almost never. Train your kids to put their laptops in sleeves WHENEVER they are not in use. This will protect them from bumps in transit and from the rain etc. There is no reason to protect it when in use. It is not gonna go flying off their lap when it is in use. If it does, they need to get better use habits.

 

[JPack]

Think about it: when do you NEED a case? Almost never. Train your kids to put their laptops in sleeves WHENEVER they are not in use. This will protect them from bumps in transit and from the rain etc. There is no reason to protect it when in use. It is not gonna go flying off their lap when it is in use. If it does, they need to get better use habits.

The reality of a college learning environment means you can’t control everything. There’s over 100 students in a typical lecture hall. Everyone is carrying a bulky backpack and squeezed into tight seats. Things get knocked over all the time by accident. Study groups involve sharing information, often by passing devices around.

Unless someone plans to be a loner by sitting at the back and acting sterile with their peers, they should plan for the unexpected and use a case.

 

[DeepSix]

The reality of a college learning environment means you can’t control everything. There’s over 100 students in a typical lecture hall. Everyone is carrying a bulky backpack and squeezed into tight seats. Things get knocked over all the time by accident. Study groups involve sharing information, often by passing devices around.

Unless someone plans to be a loner by sitting at the back and acting sterile with their peers, they should plan for the unexpected and use a case.

A case is absolutely worth it. Even if you're super careful, accidents happen. Using it in school, I'd for sure get a case.

 

[DeepSix]

Get her a sleeve with corner protection and water resistance. Look into Tomtoc. $20 and be done.

Cases are overrated.

Think about it: when do you NEED a case? Almost never. Train your kids to put their laptops in sleeves WHENEVER they are not in use. This will protect them from bumps in transit and from the rain etc. There is no reason to protect it when in use. It is not gonna go flying off their lap when it is in use. If it does, they need to get better use habits.

Cases aren't overrated, they're worth it. You can scratch the bottom of a MacBook easily from just putting it down on a surface if it has sharp particles on it and often you can't see it. Would rather have a case get dinged up instead of my laptop.

 

[phoenix-mac-user]

I have always bought cases for my Macbooks ever since my 2012 Air slid off my couch and dented a corner.

Or the time more recently when we went on vacation and my backpack ended up on the backseat floor of my minivan and when we got to our destination, the plastic laptop case was cracked and imagined what my kids must have done (or stepped) to break the plastic like that and what would have happened to my MBA screen had I not had that extra layer of protection.

The Air is specifically great for portability and one wrong bump and its on the floor.

Having a case will absolutely protect it and I have never had a problem with "the gap" making it not go into sleep mode.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Never mind. Old topic brought back to life.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

Cases aren't overrated, they're worth it. You can scratch the bottom of a MacBook easily from just putting it down on a surface if it has sharp particles on it and often you can't see it. Would rather have a case get dinged up instead of my laptop.

Rest it ontop of the sleeve

 

[DeepSix]

Rest it ontop of the sleeve

I wouldn't do that with something like the Pro with vents. Fabric under it will just make it heat up and trap the heat.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

I wouldn't do that with something like the Pro with vents. Fabric under it will just make it heat up and trap the heat.

The sleeve I recommended is firm and holds its own structure. Vents wont be blocked.

I think there is some miscommunication going on around what constitutes a good sleeve.

I’m thinking of hardshell sleeves, essentially, as opposed to cases that clip onto the laptop

 

[DeepSix]

The sleeve I recommended is firm and holds its own structure. Vents wont be blocked.

I think there is some miscommunication going on around what constitutes a good sleeve.

I’m thinking of hardshell sleeves, essentially, as opposed to cases that clip onto the laptop

Link to your sleeve? I haven't seen a good hard shell sleeve yet.

 

[DeepSix]

The TPU case I got last night was horrible. Not sure why it got such high reviews on amazon. Way too thick and it made the laptop feel like a brick after as it added noticeably weight to it. The bottom part by the trackpad was loose so I already sent it back today.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

The TPU case I got last night was horrible. Not sure why it got such high reviews on amazon. Way too thick and it made the laptop feel like a brick after as it added noticeably weight to it. The bottom part by the trackpad was loose so I already sent it back today.

I really like this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCF13U6/?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=F0401HZT1MZ8AEHEJS915YVZ2ASCS

I got it based on Wirecutter’s recommendation https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-laptop-macbook-sleeves-cases/

In my undergraduate years I had a heavy 15” MBP which I kept in an ALUMINUM hardshell case. I still managed to make a dent in it so I understand your worries. But honestly, I realized 2 things. First, that was completely unnecessary and a sleeve like I have today would have served me fine. This is all the more true now when a lighterweight laptop like the MBA can do everything my old MBP did and more.

But second: I also realized my obsession with protecting my laptop was a result of my mistake of 1) overspending on my laptop such that I would have to keep my laptop beyond the 2-3 years of coverage with AppleCare etc.

It was a miserable experience carrying that heavy thing around too.

My advice:
Don’t overbuy, especially today when for 99% of people a MBA (perhaps the model with 24GB and maybe 1TB ssd, perhaps, possibly) will be more than enough.
Plan to replace every 3 years, and get AppleCare and just use a sleeve like a normal person.

If you have an accident, AppleCare will be there. The sleeves will save you from most accidents anyway. Especially when combined with a padded backpack with a laptop compartment.

It is important for students today to not get too large a laptop because the reality is that many also will want to carry an iPad simultaneously. While it amounts to similar-ish weight to my old setup it can do more and having 2 smaller devices is much more durable than one gigantic fragile one.

Anyways, that’s my 2c. I am really confident today that this is the wisest route.

If my laptop breaks today I am not worried about replacing it financially even without Apple care, cuz it was $1500 not $2800 like my previous MBP.

 

[DeepSix]

I really like this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCF13U6/?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=F0401HZT1MZ8AEHEJS915YVZ2ASCS

I got it based on Wirecutter’s recommendation https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-laptop-macbook-sleeves-cases/

In my undergraduate years I had a heavy 15” MBP which I kept in an ALUMINUM hardshell case. I still managed to make a dent in it so I understand your worries. But honestly, I realized 2 things. First, that was completely unnecessary and a sleeve like I have today would have served me fine. This is all the more true now when a lighterweight laptop like the MBA can do everything my old MBP did and more.

But second: I also realized my obsession with protecting my laptop was a result of my mistake of 1) overspending on my laptop such that I would have to keep my laptop beyond the 2-3 years of coverage with AppleCare etc. I have lots of bags so don't need anymore.

It was a miserable experience carrying that heavy thing around too.

My advice:
Don’t overbuy, especially today when for 99% of people a MBA (perhaps the model with 24GB and maybe 1TB ssd, perhaps, possibly) will be more than enough.
Plan to replace every 3 years, and get AppleCare and just use a sleeve like a normal person.

If you have an accident, AppleCare will be there. The sleeves will save you from most accidents anyway. Especially when combined with a padded backpack with a laptop compartment.

It is important for students today to not get too large a laptop because the reality is that many also will want to carry an iPad simultaneously. While it amounts to similar-ish weight to my old setup it can do more and having 2 smaller devices is much more durable than one gigantic fragile one.

Anyways, that’s my 2c. I am really confident today that this is the wisest route.

If my laptop breaks today I am not worried about replacing it financially even without Apple care, cuz it was $1500 not $2800 like my previous MBP.

I love both the Pro and the Air. Pro is still very portable but man carrying the Air around (even better without a case on) is just on another level. I like sleeves but prefer full laptop bag as they provide more protection and you can carry it different ways (handles, shoulder strap). Plus the weight of a Pro at 3.5lbs is a bit heavy for a sleeve, I find a bag is better for the Pro. I wouldn't risk a $2700CAD Mac Pro in a sleeve for the fear of dropping it. More weight = greater chance of dropping it.

Sleeves are less bulk but you have no protection if you drop it. With a laptop bag, you can have it around your shoulder or carry it by the handles and not worry about dropping it.

But if I do decide to keep my Air, Im going to get a magnetic sleeve for it. Quicker to get in and out than a zipper. And it won't wear out like a zipper will over time.

I used to tote around Surface Pros in a cheap fabric sleeve that I got off eBay for $10. No handle, no strap. It lasted many years before giving it away when I sold my last Surface Pro. It was truly king for portability. Basically carried it around like a notepad. Thankfully I never dropped it despite not having a handle or strap.

Sleeve with the Air = Great
Sleeve with the Pro = Good but heavy, bag is better.

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

I love both the Pro and the Air. Pro is still very portable but man carrying the Air around (even better without a case on) is just on another level. I like sleeves but prefer full laptop bag as they provide more protection and you can carry it different ways (handles, shoulder strap). Plus the weight of a Pro at 3.5lbs is a bit heavy for a sleeve, I find a bag is better for the Pro. I wouldn't risk a $2700CAD Mac Pro in a sleeve for the fear of dropping it. More weight = greater chance of dropping it.

Sleeves are less bulk but you have no protection if you drop it. With a laptop bag, you can have it around your shoulder or carry it by the handles and not worry about dropping it.

But if I do decide to keep my Air, Im going to get a magnetic sleeve for it. Quicker to get in and out than a zipper. And it won't wear out like a zipper will over time.

I used to tote around Surface Pros in a cheap fabric sleeve that I got off eBay for $10. No handle, no strap. It lasted many years before giving it away when I sold my last Surface Pro. It was truly king for portability. Basically carried it around like a notepad. Thankfully I never dropped it despite not having a handle or strap.

Sleeve with the Air = Great
Sleeve with the Pro = Good but heavy, bag is better.

Haha, there's more assumptions not being made explicit that are causing confusion. I always carry my MBA in a sleeve INSIDE a bag. lol. Sometimes a backpack, sometimes a tote or briefcase, That extra padding of the bag makes it great. And again, the sleeve I recommended has padded corners so the laptop is *suspended* inside the sleeve. It kinda is drop proof--or at least, I never have to worry about placing my bag on the floor too forcefully or dropping it those last 8-10 inches to the ground when I collapse into a chair or something lol.

I think you are 100% correct on MBPs and sleeves--it changes the equation, the MBPs are still too heavy for sleeves. I mean, you can do it but it must be in a bag and you just don't get the same benefits as having a lightweight Air suspended in the sleeve. Tho I haven't tried it so I don't know for sure.

My Air is a recent purchase and I was very unsure of if I would be happy, coming from a pro, but I am sold. I really do wish the Airs had an OLED display with higher PPI and with ProMotion/120Hz. But...it was so cheap that I will upgrade immediately if they equip the Air with such a screen...even if it is in one year rather than two or three. Hell, I will do it in 3 months if they upgrade it. Because it cost half what my old MBP did.

And having no fan is just so. dam. nice.

I do plan on getting a Mac mini and will decide if I need an M4Pro or not for my photography stuff. But so far I have not done anything photography related that is really straining the Air...and because I am only human and not a bot running editing all day, I only really cause it to do short bursts of work when I do taxing stuff...so I am beginning to think I might be able to get away with the M4 Mini rather than the M4pro.

I got 24 GB tho and am happy I did. I have gotten up to 19GB RAM used at a time so far.

But I will add that my reasons for the Mac mini are not that the Air is underpowered. Rather, it is that I just don't enjoy hooking and unhooking the Air to my display every day before going out with it and would prefer a more seamless experience with switching by having 2 macs. And also, I want to have automatic backups to an external SSD of my iCloud Photos library, which is iCloud/optimized on my Air due to its size (~2TB). With the Air I have plenty of money leftover for the Mini as well!

The same company makes a sleeve-bag, also recommended in the Wirecutter article. I bought that too. I haven't used it as much as the sleeve as I usually put the sleeve in my LL Bean canvas tote (with sturdy sides) along with some papers and things and then put that in my passenger seat lol.

If I were still a car-less undergrad student I would very much appreciate the portability of this thing even more. I really don't know what I was thinking with a 15" Pro on campus. Most of my classmates had a 13" at the time lol

 

[GooseInTheCaboose]

I love both the Pro and the Air. Pro is still very portable but man carrying the Air around (even better without a case on) is just on another level. I like sleeves but prefer full laptop bag as they provide more protection and you can carry it different ways (handles, shoulder strap). Plus the weight of a Pro at 3.5lbs is a bit heavy for a sleeve, I find a bag is better for the Pro. I wouldn't risk a $2700CAD Mac Pro in a sleeve for the fear of dropping it. More weight = greater chance of dropping it.

Sleeves are less bulk but you have no protection if you drop it. With a laptop bag, you can have it around your shoulder or carry it by the handles and not worry about dropping it.

But if I do decide to keep my Air, Im going to get a magnetic sleeve for it. Quicker to get in and out than a zipper. And it won't wear out like a zipper will over time.

I used to tote around Surface Pros in a cheap fabric sleeve that I got off eBay for $10. No handle, no strap. It lasted many years before giving it away when I sold my last Surface Pro. It was truly king for portability. Basically carried it around like a notepad. Thankfully I never dropped it despite not having a handle or strap.

Sleeve with the Air = Great
Sleeve with the Pro = Good but heavy, bag is better.

I used to have my Pro in a metal case in my backpack because I rode my bike to get around BTW, and I wanted my computer to be OK EVEN IN THE EVENT OF A WIPEOUT.

Although I don't commute by bike anymore, I would feel VERY GOOD on a bike--even in a wipeout--with my Air in the sleeve I linked to, inside a backpack (such as my Patagonia Refugio backpack, which has a padded laptop section of its own, into which I would put the sleeve).

I think I put so much effort into that because it was unaffordable for me to just buy another one. But another thing was, I wasn't really using iCloud at the time as it wasn't as advanced/reliable as today. So, if I wiped out and broke my laptop all my data and schoolwork would be gone.

Today, if that happened, I would only lose the last few minutes of work, if even that, because everything is backed up to the cloud!

It is a different world than even just a few years ago lol

 

[phoenix-mac-user]

I really like this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCF13U6/?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=F0401HZT1MZ8AEHEJS915YVZ2ASCS

I got it based on Wirecutter’s recommendation https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-laptop-macbook-sleeves-cases/

In my undergraduate years I had a heavy 15” MBP which I kept in an ALUMINUM hardshell case. I still managed to make a dent in it so I understand your worries. But honestly, I realized 2 things. First, that was completely unnecessary and a sleeve like I have today would have served me fine. This is all the more true now when a lighterweight laptop like the MBA can do everything my old MBP did and more.

But second: I also realized my obsession with protecting my laptop was a result of my mistake of 1) overspending on my laptop such that I would have to keep my laptop beyond the 2-3 years of coverage with AppleCare etc.

It was a miserable experience carrying that heavy thing around too.

My advice:
Don’t overbuy, especially today when for 99% of people a MBA (perhaps the model with 24GB and maybe 1TB ssd, perhaps, possibly) will be more than enough.
Plan to replace every 3 years, and get AppleCare and just use a sleeve like a normal person.

If you have an accident, AppleCare will be there. The sleeves will save you from most accidents anyway. Especially when combined with a padded backpack with a laptop compartment.

It is important for students today to not get too large a laptop because the reality is that many also will want to carry an iPad simultaneously. While it amounts to similar-ish weight to my old setup it can do more and having 2 smaller devices is much more durable than one gigantic fragile one.

Anyways, that’s my 2c. I am really confident today that this is the wisest route.

If my laptop breaks today I am not worried about replacing it financially even without Apple care, cuz it was $1500 not $2800 like my previous MBP.

Now have kids and see how that works out. They are chaos machines. Sitting a laptop on a sleeve means nothing.

I think each person has to decide what works for them and their is no wisest route. I haven't ever really used sleeves because the furthest I transport my Air is mostly the couch but one of my kids goofing off in the living room means the couch can quickly be the floor and that extra mm of plastic that is barely noticeable can make a big difference. Sitting it on top of a sleeve wont help at all.

 

[DeepSix]

Haha, there's more assumptions not being made explicit that are causing confusion. I always carry my MBA in a sleeve INSIDE a bag. lol. Sometimes a backpack, sometimes a tote or briefcase, That extra padding of the bag makes it great. And again, the sleeve I recommended has padded corners so the laptop is *suspended* inside the sleeve. It kinda is drop proof--or at least, I never have to worry about placing my bag on the floor too forcefully or dropping it those last 8-10 inches to the ground when I collapse into a chair or something lol.

I think you are 100% correct on MBPs and sleeves--it changes the equation, the MBPs are still too heavy for sleeves. I mean, you can do it but it must be in a bag and you just don't get the same benefits as having a lightweight Air suspended in the sleeve. Tho I haven't tried it so I don't know for sure.

My Air is a recent purchase and I was very unsure of if I would be happy, coming from a pro, but I am sold. I really do wish the Airs had an OLED display with higher PPI and with ProMotion/120Hz. But...it was so cheap that I will upgrade immediately if they equip the Air with such a screen...even if it is in one year rather than two or three. Hell, I will do it in 3 months if they upgrade it. Because it cost half what my old MBP did.

And having no fan is just so. dam. nice.

I do plan on getting a Mac mini and will decide if I need an M4Pro or not for my photography stuff. But so far I have not done anything photography related that is really straining the Air...and because I am only human and not a bot running editing all day, I only really cause it to do short bursts of work when I do taxing stuff...so I am beginning to think I might be able to get away with the M4 Mini rather than the M4pro.

I got 24 GB tho and am happy I did. I have gotten up to 19GB RAM used at a time so far.

But I will add that my reasons for the Mac mini are not that the Air is underpowered. Rather, it is that I just don't enjoy hooking and unhooking the Air to my display every day before going out with it and would prefer a more seamless experience with switching by having 2 macs. And also, I want to have automatic backups to an external SSD of my iCloud Photos library, which is iCloud/optimized on my Air due to its size (~2TB). With the Air I have plenty of money leftover for the Mini as well!

The same company makes a sleeve-bag, also recommended in the Wirecutter article. I bought that too. I haven't used it as much as the sleeve as I usually put the sleeve in my LL Bean canvas tote (with sturdy sides) along with some papers and things and then put that in my passenger seat lol.

If I were still a car-less undergrad student I would very much appreciate the portability of this thing even more. I really don't know what I was thinking with a 15" Pro on campus. Most of my classmates had a 13" at the time lol

The Mac mini is a great device, I think you will be very happy with it. Great bargain price too for the base model. If I didn't already have a desktop I would have my mini replace it.

I agree that the Air is made for sleeves. Pro more for the bag. With the Air and not having to carry it in a bag, it makes it that much more portable. It's quicker to take out and put away. The weight difference between the Air and the Pro is noticeable. The Air is the perfect device for portability, it can't be beat. Just love how thin and light it is. The experience it gives you is unmatched.

I did some searching on amazon yesterday and I ended up ordering one of these. It's a soft sleeve made for women and the reviews are really high. It has the soft velvet material found in my sleeves and no zipper, instead a strong magnet. It opens from the top like a purse does.

I wanted to go with a magnet as it eliminates the chance of accidentally scratching the Pro when taking it in and out if you have a zipper sleeve. I will have it tomorrow. A bonus is it gives it more protection than a normal sleeve would and it has a small pocket on the inside that I can put my external drive in (very rare to find inside pockets on sleeves). According to amazon reviews, it fits the Pro 14 perfectly. So I want to see if it's as good as the reviews claim.

I was looking at another slim magnetic sleeve but I didn't like how it wouldn't protect it from bumps, only scratches. So this was a bit more money but figured I would try this one out first since it would protect it from accidental bumps. Also I think with the indents on the material on this one, it should make carrying it a bit more gripper than if it was a completely flat surface. Im going to try this out and see how I like it with the Pro inside compared to the Air in a slim sleeve.