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My Head is spinning - Protect the laptop?

C

Cmu93

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 4, 2007
55
0
Michigan
Hi all, I'm looking for advice. I plan on buying either the Macbook or the MBP in January, and that's an entirely different headache! For now, I have a simple question.

Do all of you protect your laptops with palm rest guards and speck cases, or other kinds of film shields? I've read more about Marware, Moshi, Speck, Best Skins, Ishield, you name it! My head hurts!

I don't want scratches on either the Macbook or dings and scratches on the MBP, or discoloration, etc... but I'm at a loss. One review is great, the other says "it is peeling off"... "doesn't fit as well in my backpack" ugh, I can't take it.

I'm thinking Moshi for a Palmguard, and maybe the Speck Clear case for the laptop... I just HATE the thought of putting extra plastic on my laptop for a case, but I don't trust myself installing, or the reliability of the sticking skins!

Anyone here just be careful with thier laptop and use a nice sleeve? Does that work? I'd love to just leave the laptop alone, but I have no experience with the Macs... my old Dell 8600, never got too scuffed up at all, just the palm area where my watch would hit it.

Any advice, greatly appreciated and very much encouraged!

EDIT - I should add, I do take the laptop to and from work, 5 days a week.

Tom
 
Cmu93 said:
Do all of you protect your laptops with palm rest guards and speck cases, or other kinds of film shields? I've read more about Marware, Moshi, Speck, Best Skins, Ishield, you name it! My head hurts!
Click to expand...

I've never used any of that stuff on any of my laptops, and I never plan to. If I can't use a laptop without needing to baby it with a dozen different accessories, then it's not worth buying.

Anyone here just be careful with thier laptop and use a nice sleeve? Does that work?
Click to expand...

It works for me. It worked with my Gateways, and it works with my Macbook.
 
Cmu93 said:
Hi all, I'm looking for advice. I plan on buying either the Macbook or the MBP in January, and that's an entirely different headache! For now, I have a simple question.

Do all of you protect your laptops with palm rest guards and speck cases, or other kinds of film shields? I've read more about Marware, Moshi, Speck, Best Skins, Ishield, you name it! My head hurts!

I don't want scratches on either the Macbook or dings and scratches on the MBP, or discoloration, etc... but I'm at a loss. One review is great, the other says "it is peeling off"... "doesn't fit as well in my backpack" ugh, I can't take it.

I'm thinking Moshi for a Palmguard, and maybe the Speck Clear case for the laptop... I just HATE the thought of putting extra plastic on my laptop for a case, but I don't trust myself installing, or the reliability of the sticking skins!

Anyone here just be careful with thier laptop and use a nice sleeve? Does that work? I'd love to just leave the laptop alone, but I have no experience with the Macs... my old Dell 8600, never got too scuffed up at all, just the palm area where my watch would hit it.

Any advice, greatly appreciated, and very much encouraged!

Tom
Click to expand...
hi my macbook pro hardly ever leaves the house, i just make sure my hands
are clean, there's no liquid near by and i dont smoke in the same room
when it does go out i use a moshi sleeve
 
I bought a speck case for my wife's macbook and it works great. Installation easy (it just snaps on) and easy to remove for cleaning.

Since her macbook is used as a laptop and actually goes places it does protect it nicely and has already been worth the money I paid for it.
 
I bought an Axio 15.4" MacBook Pro Hard Case for my MBP and I love it. Its fitted perfectly for the MBP so it doesn't move around at all. It also has a great deal of protection on the inside using EVA foam covered with some nicely fitted lycra, as well as an ABS plastic shell on the outside. The zippers are sealed on the inside so the laptop will never touch the zipper track or zipper. It fits in my backpack just fine. The hard outer shell has proven to be very useful for keeping by MBP scratch and dent free. There have been times when my bag was in the front seat of my car and I slammed on the brakes, sending my bag flying forward into the glove box and onto the floor. Every time the MBP is just fine. It costs about $80 but it is high quality and tough. I figure if I am willing to spend over 2k on a laptop, why not spend $80 to protect it. Couple that with Orbicule's Undercover and you will have some great protection for your MB or MBP.

Check it out at http://www.axio-usa.com/
They also have backpacks and a fitted hard case for the MB.

Best of Luck
 
Best Skins Ever

I just put a best skins ever on my macbook. The installation is a bit long and easy to screw up, but once you get the hang of it, it's not bad. There are some very small bubbles and stuff under the skin, but other than that it looks GREAT on a black macbook (makes it look very shiny).

I did not like the trackpad/mouse button protector that came with it, so I took those off.

I ordered a Moshi palm guard today and will see how that works. Hopefully it's easier to use the trackpad than the best skins ever trackpad protector was.
 
I've had my mbp for 6 months and I only use a sleeve to carry it around inside my backpack. Still looks almost brand new.
 
Don't buy those "shields" and/or covering hard cases.

They WILL scratch your Mac, and hey MacBooks are made out of durable polycarbonate and MBP out of anodized aluminum so they aren't that weak. Of course buy some back-pack or a notebook case because those are needed. I baby my Mac because I want it to look as new, but it just take this precautions: 1. have it always in the case when traveling, 2. when going to put it on a new surface y just swoosh the area with my hands to remove dust that might scratch my MacBook and 3. avoid food near it and wash my hands (if dirty of course) when using my MacBook. Just try to follow #1 and 2 and your Mac will be as good looking as when you bought it.

Those hard shells and shields besides looking horrible end up doing damage, the only one I have somewhat similar to that is a skin that goes on top of the keyboard (only the keyboard area not palm rest etc etc) for when Im using it in the outdoors as I don't want any dust to get in the keyboard.
IN summary: buy a notebook case or back-pack for moving your computer, take mild care of it (regarding thing you put on top, where you put it etc etc) and avoid dangerous situations that might harm your Mac. Hope this helped,
BTW I had my MacBook for a year now and just some use signs can be seen, and my sister abuses (to her it means nothing, lets jut put it that way) her MacBook (same as mine) and besides some scratches (which is not much considering how bad she really treats it) nothing else has happened.
-Victor
 
I find the palm guards to be very unappealing. I used use a little caution when using my MBP. It can be as simple as not wearing a watch and rolling up your sleeves. Ago If there are times (say at work or home) where the computer will be on a desk, just use an external keyboard. This will cut down on the wear and tare.

I do not use a sleeve or one of those speek cases. My MBP could use a good cleaning but is not scratched or dinged up at all. I credit that to having a very good laptop bag. I think really thats all you'll need.
 
Well, thanks everyone, that was awesome... I was hoping to get some opinions, and that was perfect. I think I'll just go with something like this:

Case/Combo

I think that will be plenty. If my work causes me to go out of state again, which does happen from time to time, then I'll probably buy a Speck just for the airport. Tossing my MBP into one of those x-ray bins, ugh, makes me ill :( Use for the airport abuse only!

Anyone have any experience with that case combo I linked above? Again, thanks to all the posters who helped me out!

T.
 
i have a speck clear case and i don't use it all the time. i use it on campus and when i'm in a situation where i'd want to use it. the only part of my 6 month old mbp that has scratches is the battery because it bulges out farther than the rest of the mac, and theres this tiny scuff you can only really see in the right lighting and if you look up close.
 
I have an invisible shield on the outside and a marware wrist rest on the inside (it gets stained otherwise). Works great, and you can hardly tell anything is there.
 
heatmiser said:
I've never used any of that stuff on any of my laptops, and I never plan to. If I can't use a laptop without needing to baby it with a dozen different accessories, then it's not worth buying.



It works for me. It worked with my Gateways, and it works with my Macbook.
Click to expand...

I second that. If you spend all your time worrying about what you're doing to your notebook, then you can't really enjoy it.

I just put it in my notebook bag (sans sleeve; haven't got one of those yet). Doesn't have any scratches/dings as of yet; not even on the left palm-rest where my watch rubs against sometimes (when I forget to take it off; I do remove it, but more for comfort reasons than aesthetics).

And it does get moved around a fair bit; I'm back and forth from my office 5 times a week as well, and this thing comes with me each day.
 
My MBP is 6 months old, and the only protection I use on it is a Tucano neoprene sleeve. In that 6 months, the only damage that has happened is a very very small dent where I dropped a USB cable end on the lid. You have to get real close to even see it. The spacebar is starting to get a little shiny on the right side from my thumb hitting it all the time, and the trackpad is also getting a little shiny from use. At first I was a little bummed out about it, but I realize it just adds character.
 
It seems this thread has run its course, but I'd like to revive it with a variation on the original question. I'm the proud owner of the new 13.3 in aluminum unibody MB. Althoiugh I love it in every other respect. , I fear it will go flying in the hand of some clumsy oaf. I'd like to protect it against scratches, bumps and major falls.

It didn't pay to put a skin on its predecessor - the 13in black book. It seemed less vulnerable to everyday challenges. And i wasn't nearly as slippery when carried.

Some nice weightless thin neopryne skin might work. Nothing dorky.

I already have an InCase for traveling. I'm thinking more for around the house & office.

Any advice?
 
Its really quite simple:

If you have a metal watch it can scuff the palm area unless you either take it off when working or get a palmguard.

The exterior can get scratched unless you are a bit careful or get an invisible shield.

Buy a bag or backpacked based on how much stuff you carry. If that bag doesn't have a separate padded compartment for the laptop, buy a cheap padded sleeve like the Incase I have.

I'm not particularly clumsy but I have a scuff on the top from a large silver ring that I forgot I was wearing. The invisible shield would have prevented that, but I'm not too worried because its a laptop and laptops get scuffed occasionally.

So how clumsy are you?
 
Protect the aluminum MB

Actually, I'm worried less about scratches than I am about having the computer slip out of my hands when moving it about. The aluminum body seems a lot "slipperier" than its plastic predecessor. So it's an external skin I'm thinking about, not one to protect the internals. I do have a nice soft carry bag, but a sleeve seems redundant. I'd hate to just affix some oversized decal to the outside. Rather, a rubberized skin - sort of like those protective covers for my iPhone - would be great.

Thanx.
 
I use an incase hard case, it works great, no dust intrusion, it doesnt scratch, ive always heard that speck scratches MB, i have a moshi palmguard with the button and trackpad film that came with it. I like the way all of it feels and you cant even tell its there, by color i mean.
 
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