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NEW Invisible Shield installed on Unibody MacBook Pro *Pics*
- Thread starter Neil1138
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Just installed mine. Looks great. I didn't spend as much time evening things out. I only spend an hour on it, so there may be bubbles. Oh well.
I didn't use the trackpad piece. I think the glass is pretty scratch proof and glass is easy to clean.
I didn't use the trackpad piece. I think the glass is pretty scratch proof and glass is easy to clean.
Well, it serves two possible purposes...one, to protect against scratches, and two, to add an extra level of glossiness if the glass screen isn't glossy enough for you.
I'm not sure I'd put that on my Macbook Pro. The heat seems to dissipate throughout the unibody metal. A plastic covering isn't going to allow as much ventilation, suffocating your Macbook Pro. I'm not sure it will make a huge difference, but it might.
Nicely done. If i was to put one on my laptop, i would remove the trackpad part as well, it doesnt need much protection, and it hinders the performance.
in all reality, it does. The tap to click is just about worthless with the invisible shield on. I use a mouse and I normally push down on the trackpad to click... but if you are the type of person that like tap to click, dont install the invisible shield on the trackpad. It sorta feels weird also.
Again, the only reason i installed this is for scratch protection. I have a sleeve for semi-drop protection. But i never have dropped an electronic, but i guess there's a first time for everything....
not true... any of it, really. i had the same type of product (mine was from www.applepeelz.com) and my "old" MBP was perfectly fine after application... in the desert heat of kuwait.
when apple replaced that machine with the unibody MBP, the applepeelz looked as good 12 months later as the day i applied it. and i took my time, just like the OP here did. really a fantastic product.
i personally kept my trackpad film, but that was on the old MBP. i've yet to buy the same thing for the new MBP, but when i do i will probably leave off the trackpad since i've started using tap to click now. thanks for the heads up, and fantastic work!!
FYI. You can buy just the wrist rest and trackpad skin for MBP from Best Skins Ever. They don't have it available under MBP but the macbook, then you need to email them to update the invoice to MBP.
I'll probably only end up using the wrist rest since I mostly use the laptop at home on various desks. I don't need the top and bottom covered, IMO. Might not use the trackpad skin if it is the same "stickiness" as my ipod touch skin. Or I might just wax it a bit with a synthetic poly sealant/wax to make it slick (not carnauba) before I apply it. I could just cut it down and use it on the back of my camera screen, saving me a few dollars (these things aren't exactly cheap).
My last mac was a white macbook with the wrist discoloration. In general, I'm wary of keeping 3 items clean on any mac laptop - keys, wrist rest, and screen. What do people use to clean the unibody screen?
I'll probably only end up using the wrist rest since I mostly use the laptop at home on various desks. I don't need the top and bottom covered, IMO. Might not use the trackpad skin if it is the same "stickiness" as my ipod touch skin. Or I might just wax it a bit with a synthetic poly sealant/wax to make it slick (not carnauba) before I apply it. I could just cut it down and use it on the back of my camera screen, saving me a few dollars (these things aren't exactly cheap).
My last mac was a white macbook with the wrist discoloration. In general, I'm wary of keeping 3 items clean on any mac laptop - keys, wrist rest, and screen. What do people use to clean the unibody screen?
The palm rest is made of solid metal now, meaning that it won't "wear" out. The texture may become a little softer and smoother, but there should be no real visible wearing of the surface.
The old MacBook Pro was made of painted plastic on the top, which is why it was so prone to wearing out. If you buy a "skin" to protect the palm rest on the new MacBook/Pro/Air then you are wasting your money.
The old MacBook Pro was made of painted plastic on the top, which is why it was so prone to wearing out. If you buy a "skin" to protect the palm rest on the new MacBook/Pro/Air then you are wasting your money.
I never put any kind of protection on my powerbook and after three years it was COVERED in scratches, mostly on the wrist-rest and the bottom. The worst damage that occurred over time was some kind of deterioration on the right wrist-rest because I used the thing often (and the oils in your hands interact with the aluminum?) That awful and ugly damage is the main reason that I put one of these invisible shields on my MBP. Also, about the whole voided warranty, I talked to someone at apple and she said that it doesn't void your warranty and the water is supposed to be pushed away from ports and opening, not towards them. If you install the invisible shield correctly and you exercise common sense you won't get any water into the machine.
Also, I wouldn't put the trackpad film on, it has too much friction. There are trackpad protectors out there that don't hinder the use of the pad - or at least there will be more choices in the next few months, but I would stick with invisible shield to protect the rest of the machine.
below are some photos of the wrist rest damage, it's hard to tell from the close up, but that damage to the wrist rest are thousands of tiny craters.
Also, I wouldn't put the trackpad film on, it has too much friction. There are trackpad protectors out there that don't hinder the use of the pad - or at least there will be more choices in the next few months, but I would stick with invisible shield to protect the rest of the machine.
below are some photos of the wrist rest damage, it's hard to tell from the close up, but that damage to the wrist rest are thousands of tiny craters.
Don't you think putting plastic on your sofa is a little more noticeable and extreme than an invisible shield? Those plastic sofa covers hinder the comfort of the sofa and make it look like crap while also protecting it. The invisible shield doesn't hinder any functionality of the MacBook but it protects it very well. It really is a bad thing to compare. And I think the main reason why people think invisible shields are stupid is because they are not capable of installing one themselves. They have tried but got air bubbles, ect. So they said f this and bash everyone who has one just cause they don't. Sorry, but the people that equate the invisible shield to a sofa cover are idiots.
just a suggestion for anyone installing this stuff coming from someone who used to use the stuff you ppl are covering your macbooks in day in day out... if you get a section that won't sit down (ie. around the keyboard) keep some 99.5% isopropyl alcohol on hand. If you spray a bit under sections that won't sit, then squeegee out with a paper towel, you'll find it'll sit better. You can also (if you think you're steady enough) use an exact-o blade to score the film then tear it off along the score... just don't press hard.
I disagree. Anyone on here wear a watch? I do... Reason enough right there.
My reason as well. I hate having to take off my watch just to use my laptop.
I installed my full-body InvisibleSHIELD on my new MBP a week ago. I waited cuz I was nervous, knowing it was the first thing I would do out of the box after removing Apple's own cellophane skin, before turning it on. Man, I was laughing at your post because I too panicked a lot, especially when the top piece folded. I was afraid to pull too hard cuz I didn't want to stretch and distort the film.
Having said that, I really like the "grippy" feel it has and a little gloss, and the slight orange peel texture is only discernible from close angles reflected into light. No one here mentioned that this is the same material that the military uses to protect helicopter blades. It is indescructible. And you can always remove it down the road with no harm to your computer. I agree the trackpad seems a little too grippy w/friction, so I may remove it or use a slicker shield.
I am an extreme perfectionist too, so I took several painstaking hours, using some choice curse words along the way. It is funny to watch the several YouTube videos of people installing it (do a search for "MacBook + InvisibleSHIELD", etc.). It is scary but I love it now. I lined everything up perfectly (sides and little screw holes were tricky and got out all bubbles except for the huge top piece. A fine ridge of the skin hangs slightly over where the thumb scoop is and a bit on the hinge area too. Also, there are about a dozen tiny microbubbles I never got out. They are miniscule, but the thing is when reflected in the light they "give it away" that there is a skin. Otherwise it looks like a pristine metallic gloss paint coat used on vehicles.
I like the bare "cold steel" feel of the machine but I also like knowing it won't get scuffed, banged, scratched or full of fingerprints & oils (wipes off easily with shield). I can see both points, but I spent a lot of money and am totally babying it. I use the iSkin ProTouch custom keyboard covers for the only part that the SHIELD doesn't cover (except the speaker grid areas). I also got a black RadTech ScreenSavrz cloth that not only keeps screen from keyboard marks when closed, but is a handy screen cleaner you always have nearby, wet or dry, that can be washed and used thousands of times over.
Your photos and line-up job look exactly like mine. I wish I knew that the cloudy streaks of solution that may get trapped under the film (like streaks when you don't clean windows well) didn't need to be cleaned out first, as they completely disappear in a day or two. I screwed around trying to wipe the solution off the surface and re-laying the film down over and over. I should have just focused on the microbubbles and line-up only. However, I may get a free replacement top piece (if the current one can't be re-used) and go to the InvisibleSHIELD mall cart we have nearby and have them re-install just that piece, with perfect line up and no microbubbles. I could probably do it perfectly myself this time, but for $5 or $10 to install that one piece it's worth the peace of mind and avoiding aggravation. They have a list of all their locations where they will sell and/or install it for you if you are concerned and don't want to go through what we did -- wish I'd known before!
P.S. Look at this thread; it is almost the same discussion but there's some great tips! https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/599584/
Having said that, I really like the "grippy" feel it has and a little gloss, and the slight orange peel texture is only discernible from close angles reflected into light. No one here mentioned that this is the same material that the military uses to protect helicopter blades. It is indescructible. And you can always remove it down the road with no harm to your computer. I agree the trackpad seems a little too grippy w/friction, so I may remove it or use a slicker shield.
I am an extreme perfectionist too, so I took several painstaking hours, using some choice curse words along the way. It is funny to watch the several YouTube videos of people installing it (do a search for "MacBook + InvisibleSHIELD", etc.). It is scary but I love it now. I lined everything up perfectly (sides and little screw holes were tricky and got out all bubbles except for the huge top piece. A fine ridge of the skin hangs slightly over where the thumb scoop is and a bit on the hinge area too. Also, there are about a dozen tiny microbubbles I never got out. They are miniscule, but the thing is when reflected in the light they "give it away" that there is a skin. Otherwise it looks like a pristine metallic gloss paint coat used on vehicles.
I like the bare "cold steel" feel of the machine but I also like knowing it won't get scuffed, banged, scratched or full of fingerprints & oils (wipes off easily with shield). I can see both points, but I spent a lot of money and am totally babying it. I use the iSkin ProTouch custom keyboard covers for the only part that the SHIELD doesn't cover (except the speaker grid areas). I also got a black RadTech ScreenSavrz cloth that not only keeps screen from keyboard marks when closed, but is a handy screen cleaner you always have nearby, wet or dry, that can be washed and used thousands of times over.
Your photos and line-up job look exactly like mine. I wish I knew that the cloudy streaks of solution that may get trapped under the film (like streaks when you don't clean windows well) didn't need to be cleaned out first, as they completely disappear in a day or two. I screwed around trying to wipe the solution off the surface and re-laying the film down over and over. I should have just focused on the microbubbles and line-up only. However, I may get a free replacement top piece (if the current one can't be re-used) and go to the InvisibleSHIELD mall cart we have nearby and have them re-install just that piece, with perfect line up and no microbubbles. I could probably do it perfectly myself this time, but for $5 or $10 to install that one piece it's worth the peace of mind and avoiding aggravation. They have a list of all their locations where they will sell and/or install it for you if you are concerned and don't want to go through what we did -- wish I'd known before!
P.S. Look at this thread; it is almost the same discussion but there's some great tips! https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/599584/
I think I'll be going bareback here. I just prefer the feel of the aluminum...I don't wear a watch much though so I can understand the concerns there. Even if I did go for this product I would never put anything on the trackpad. They spent all that time perfecting the feel of it for a reason, its made for your finger gestures to glide smoothly on it.
I do agree that plastic on your sofa is a bit more extreme than an invisible shield. However I do think they make your computer look tacky and feel like crap. In that aspect they are the same. Surely this is my opinion and will very from person to person. If you take decent care of your computer there really is no reason for one of these. Wipe it down every now then, don't use it as a plate for your lunch, and you will be fine. There really is no reason for name calling.
There was a point in time when I bought invisibleShields for all my electronics when they ran their 50% off promo - which they ran for months... if not almost a full year.
At 50% off, I thought the price was reasonable. At full price - there is no way I'd purchase invisibleShield over a competitor.. like.. say.. BestSkinsEver, which is 50% cheaper than the invisibleShield.
I'm considering getting a skin for my MBP, but I'm debating if its really worth $30 (BSE). I had an invisible shield for my iPhone which I used for 4 or 5 months and the sides collected a good amount of gunk/lint from my pocket - and frankly looked terrible.
I will cry a little inside when I get my first scratch on my MBP.
At 50% off, I thought the price was reasonable. At full price - there is no way I'd purchase invisibleShield over a competitor.. like.. say.. BestSkinsEver, which is 50% cheaper than the invisibleShield.
I'm considering getting a skin for my MBP, but I'm debating if its really worth $30 (BSE). I had an invisible shield for my iPhone which I used for 4 or 5 months and the sides collected a good amount of gunk/lint from my pocket - and frankly looked terrible.
I will cry a little inside when I get my first scratch on my MBP.
I compare it more to the old days of record albums (LPs), where you would just slit the cellophane at the opening to remove the record, but otherwise kept it in place to protect the album cover and artwork, LOL.
Remember though, you are covered for replacements for the life of your product for that price, although that may be 3-5 years only. Is BestSkinsEver the same military material that InvisibleSHIELD (and protech.com) uses? Is theirs a patented skin or is it the same material being sold under many different names and from different resellers?
Remember though, you are covered for replacements for the life of your product for that price, although that may be 3-5 years only. Is BestSkinsEver the same military material that InvisibleSHIELD (and protech.com) uses? Is theirs a patented skin or is it the same material being sold under many different names and from different resellers?