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Macbook Pro rubber skins?

S

sehnsucht77

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 26, 2008
410
7
a previous thread on this forum got me thinking about the benefits of a rubber feeling protective skin for the macbook pro to help me with holding the laptop much better. although the brushed alu finish is cool i don't care much for the aesthetics versus the practicality of having something better to hold onto. the smooth exterior of the laptop is nice but, honestly, it doesn't help much at all with allowing one to keep a good grip on the case. does a rubber textured skin exist for the mbp? as far as i can tell, companies like macally (leather case), incase and speck all offer protective cases but they are plastic and add some kind of bulk to the weight of the laptop. the macally leather case looked promising but there are no vents on the bottom of the protective case thus raising my concerns about overheating issues.

any input?
 
sehnsucht77 said:
a previous thread on this forum got me thinking about the benefits of a rubber feeling protective skin for the macbook pro to help me with holding the laptop much better. although the brushed alu finish is cool i don't care much for the aesthetics versus the practicality of having something better to hold onto. the smooth exterior of the laptop is nice but, honestly, it doesn't help much at all with allowing one to keep a good grip on the case. does a rubber textured skin exist for the mbp? as far as i can tell, companies like macally (leather case), incase and speck all offer protective cases but they are plastic and add some kind of bulk to the weight of the laptop. the macally leather case looked promising but there are no vents on the bottom of the protective case thus raising my concerns about overheating issues.

any input?
Click to expand...

get bit by radioactive spider and start hitting on Kirsten Dunst.

but seriously, maybe consider getting one of the skins. They are the thinnest addition, but they provide a bit more grip than smooth aluminum.

I understand the effect you're going for, but i don't think the rubber skins (like for the ipod or iphone) for the new macbook exist

best bet is

http://www.asianproducts.com/compan..._id=P11758489308855530&cno=A11575952838969512

and keep checking for updates
 
thanks for the suggestion. i will keep on scouring the net and see if any good products catch my eye.
 
Sure there is

http://techshell.biz/cosoru15mapr.html sells them. They are rubberized. Speck just recently tried to rip off there idea by coming out wih a cheapo knock off version that only covers the top and bottom. They call it satin I believe. Anyway, I have the cobalt blue rubberized one from techshell and it's awesome!!! Rubberized everywhere not cheaply done like Speck. But quality comes at a cost.
 
Liquidpics said:
http://techshell.biz/cosoru15mapr.html sells them. They are rubberized. Speck just recently tried to rip off there idea by coming out wih a cheapo knock off version that only covers the top and bottom. They call it satin I believe. Anyway, I have the cobalt blue rubberized one from techshell and it's awesome!!! Rubberized everywhere not cheaply done like Speck. But quality comes at a cost.
Click to expand...

$79 smackers?! wow. pricey but they do fit my requirements. how is it? how much weight does the shell add? an alternative i am considering is the macally bookshellB which, for $20-35 bucks, is a fraction of the techshell. I am dropping by a local store today to check out the macally and see if I can pick it up for cheap on the web somewhere. the bookshellB looks nice, well made and doesn't have a cutout for the apple and an obnoxiously large embossed logo on the front.

i would love to have a rubberized protective case but I think i'd be hesitant to spend 80 bucks for it so i am willing to compromise with another product.
 
a silicone case like you can get on a phone would be nice but prob never happen. I have an incase hardcase, vastly improves the grip, also is quite durable. Ive and one on my mbp for a wile. I took it off after bout 2 months of use and no dust got in, unlike what ive heard from speck
 
It looks awesome but feels even better

sehnsucht77 said:
$79 smackers?! wow. pricey but they do fit my requirements. how is it? how much weight does the shell add?
i would love to have a rubberized protective case but I think i'd be hesitant to spend 80 bucks for it so i am willing to compromise with another product.
Click to expand...
I love it. It has an awesome grip. This baby is built very well. I get compliments all the time. It's pricey up front but you do get what you pay for. I would reconsider.
 
I LOVE SILICONE SKINS.

and I've been looking everywhere for my unibody MBP...

I have condoms for my iPhone, Nokia N82 and such small devices.. but not for my mbp yet...

I use SeeThru Satin for now, it's somewhat rubber-ish feeling, and it's pretty durable.

but once a white silicone case hits the shelves, it shall be MINE.
 
Liquidpics said:
http://techshell.biz/cosoru15mapr.html sells them. They are rubberized. Speck just recently tried to rip off there idea by coming out wih a cheapo knock off version that only covers the top and bottom. They call it satin I believe. Anyway, I have the cobalt blue rubberized one from techshell and it's awesome!!! Rubberized everywhere not cheaply done like Speck. But quality comes at a cost.
Click to expand...

Anybody know if these limit the angle the screen can go back?
 
rdoane said:
Anybody know if these limit the angle the screen can go back?
Click to expand...

@liquidpics: i'd be interested in this aspect as well. i went to a local store today to check out the macally bookshellB and I didn't like it at all. the texture wasn't what i wanted and the shell looked like it would add some bulk to the notebook too which makes it a no-go for me. the shell reminded me of a couch:) i did see some techshell stuff there as well but they were only selling the plastic clear cases though, no rubberized stuff. i will keep on looking for cheaper alternatives and if i don't find anything i will order the rubberized techshell. do you have any heat issues with the mbp at all?
 
Nope Nope And...

Anybody know if these limit the angle the screen can go back? Do you have any heat issues?
NOPE That was my concern too, but not at all. No heat issues. Having the 8600 GT GPU I couldn't take the chance.
 
Liquidpics said:
Anybody know if these limit the angle the screen can go back? Do you have any heat issues?
NOPE That was my concern too, but not at all. No heat issues. Having the 8600 GT GPU I couldn't take the chance.
Click to expand...

thanks for the feedback. looks like the techshell is my only choice...i guess i'll have to cough up some dough:)
 
Your going to really like it

It's the best choice of what's available. Very well made. It provides a great grip and feel and looks very streamline on your Macbook pro. Just out of curiosity what color are you going for?
 
Oversoul said:
I saw these at MacWorld: http://www.uniea.com/macbook/haptique.html

Maybe this is closer to what you had in mind? Though, I'm not sure if they make it for 15".
Click to expand...

Those are really nice. Actually, they are what I have been waiting for. Any idea if it makes the screen heavy and want to close or open on its own?

Any fit issues you could notice?

If they were at Macworld, is it safe to assume they're making them for the Unibodies too?
 
ndstrenge said:
Those are really nice. Actually, they are what I have been waiting for. Any idea if it makes the screen heavy and want to close or open on its own?

Any fit issues you could notice?

If they were at Macworld, is it safe to assume they're making them for the Unibodies too?
Click to expand...

One would assume that they do, because all others do.
 
ndstrenge said:
Those are really nice. Actually, they are what I have been waiting for. Any idea if it makes the screen heavy and want to close or open on its own?

Any fit issues you could notice?

If they were at Macworld, is it safe to assume they're making them for the Unibodies too?
Click to expand...

These skins were made of a sturdy sort of rubberized plastic. I wouldn't say they were heavy, but definitely not flimsy or rubbery like a silicone skin.

They were displayed on 13" unibody Macbooks, but I didn't see any for the 15" and I didn't ask. You should contact them directly for more info.

The fit was pretty tight, but not a death grip like the Speck shell. There are little teeth, similar to what you see on the Speck shell, that grips onto the screen and body of the MacBook. But these teeth are also part of the plastic shell so they're only as firm as the shell itself.

All that said, I played with the shell on the MacBook for a few minutes. It seemed to fit well enough, didn't add too much weight or bulk, and didn't force the screen loose. The top shell, which was attached to the screen, popped off once -- but I was opening the screen rather quickly and roughly.
 
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