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SPECK SeeThru case questions...

demonsavatar said:
Grr after looking at it closely my GF's macbook unibody does have some light scratches in some corners where dust got trapped under her Red speck satin case.

I ordered a black satin case for my MBP 15" (made sure it was the new model MB15AUSAT-BLK-D). I definitely need a hard case since I bump it around in my backpack alot during travel, Zagg invisishield or wrapsol won't do.

Honestly, I may just line my MBP with some scotch tape around the problem areas before sticking on the Speck case. Scotch tape is thin, comes off with no residue, and you won't see it under the Speck case anyway :p
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Ahh that makes me nervous. Putting some tape along the inside the case is a good idea. Can you try to explain what part of the case scratched the Macbook pro...and where the scratches are?
 
DocDoom said:
Ahh that makes me nervous. Putting some tape along the inside the case is a good idea. Can you try to explain what part of the case scratched the Macbook pro...and where the scratches are?
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Gah I looked at it in poor lighting before, its worse than I thought.

There are some light scratches near the sleep LED as ihonda mentioned. The real problem is near the curve on the bottom of the laptop directly under the ports. There are quite a few scratches there. I asked my GF about it, she says she didn't clean it for 5-6 months after the first time she put it on, thats when they showed up.

The area make sense. It is near the largest opening on the Speck case (for the ports), and dust rolls down and into the curve on the bottom of the unibody macbook and rolls around there between the case. There are minor scratches all along other parts of the curve also, which extends all the way around.

I don't have a good camera so here is the "curve" part im talking about on a 15" Unibody under the ports:



So it will take a lot of scotch tape :(

Also I guess you should be cleaning out gathered dust on a monthly basis...
 
demonsavatar said:
Gah I looked at it in poor lighting before, its worse than I thought.

There are some light scratches near the sleep LED as ihonda mentioned. The real problem is near the curve on the bottom of the laptop directly under the ports. There are quite a few scratches there. I asked my GF about it, she says she didn't clean it for 5-6 months after the first time she put it on, thats when they showed up.

The area make sense. It is near the largest opening on the Speck case (for the ports), and dust rolls down and into the curve on the bottom of the unibody macbook and rolls around there between the case. There are minor scratches all along other parts of the curve also, which extends all the way around.

I don't have a good camera so here is the "curve" part im talking about on a 15" Unibody under the ports:



So it will take a lot of scotch tape :(

Also I guess you should be cleaning out gathered dust on a monthly basis...
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It makes sense to clean it every month, or at least I know why they tell you too. But wont removing and installing the case over and over again scratch ur macbook too? And now I'm worried as well. I thought it would scratch it so I put an invisible shield on first but it doesn't really cover the little tabs at all. Not the way I installed it anyway.
 
I emphasized cleaning monthly if not on a weekly or bi-weekly basis
No scratches will be found if maintenance is performed

change the motor oil every 3k miles not 15k
 
Don't worry, the aluminum body of the MBP is more durable than you might think... at least it's harder than the polycarbonate of the shell. At first, I was worried too, but I learned that I can remove the shell and put it on without having to be too careful about it because it just won't scratch! You have to clean the shell once in a while, that is if you don't want any specks of dirt to get stuck in between the shell and your MBP because that will DEFINITELY increase the probability of your MBP getting scratched...
 
AnodizedFish said:
Don't worry, the aluminum body of the MBP is more durable than you might think... at least it's harder than the polycarbonate of the shell. At first, I was worried too, but I learned that I can remove the shell and put it on without having to be too careful about it because it just won't scratch! You have to clean the shell once in a while, that is if you don't want any specks of dirt to get stuck in between the shell and your MBP because that will DEFINITELY increase the probability of your MBP getting scratched...
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But does 'dirt' really build up in between the shell. I figured 'dust' would just be an issue, but i never thought that dust would be able to scratch aluminum. Still, i think the Speck case, in the long run, will keep to Macbook in better condition then if it was left without it.
 
I have had a red Seethru satin since september 09 when I bought my MBP, and it does tend to collect dust. however, I've also taken the case off about every 2 months and washed it while in the shower, and that has helped keep it looking nice and new. so far, no scratches or damage to the MBP finish.
 
DocDoom said:
But does 'dirt' really build up in between the shell. I figured 'dust' would just be an issue, but i never thought that dust would be able to scratch aluminum. Still, i think the Speck case, in the long run, will keep to Macbook in better condition then if it was left without it.
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You're right. Dust isn't the problem, but dirt/crumbs/stuff does get in there over time. The dust gets crusted on but it rubs off with some effort. Its the dirt/crumbs/stuff that is able to scratch the aluminum.

And yeah, I still think the Speck case will keep it in much better shape than without it. The question is, is there a suitable alternative. Except for some larger cases I haven't seen much else...

Some alternatives:

Incase - will have same problem as Speck
BookShell Pro2 - has a suede inner lining which my avoid this problem.
Codex - way to big for me

I like the look of the BookShell but its kinda thick. It is cheaper than Speck though too.

EDIT: Found this review of the BookShell Pro2, looks decent: http://www.geardiary.com/2009/04/08/macally-bookshell-pro2-review/
 
I will definitely clean the macbook every month. However how do I clean the case without taking it off? It has alot of fingerprints on the top shell and its starting to look very ugly. With only ONE week of use!
 
demonsavatar said:
You're right. Dust isn't the problem, but dirt/crumbs/stuff does get in there over time. The dust gets crusted on but it rubs off with some effort. Its the dirt/crumbs/stuff that is able to scratch the aluminum.

And yeah, I still think the Speck case will keep it in much better shape than without it. The question is, is there a suitable alternative. Except for some larger cases I haven't seen much else...

Some alternatives:

Incase - will have same problem as Speck
BookShell Pro2 - has a suede inner lining which my avoid this problem.
Codex - way to big for me

I like the look of the BookShell but its kinda thick. It is cheaper than Speck though too.

EDIT: Found this review of the BookShell Pro2, looks decent: http://www.geardiary.com/2009/04/08/macally-bookshell-pro2-review/
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Yes, that BookShell is way to thick, and seems significantly heavier then the SeeThru.
 
I just purchased the Speck SeeThru (Clear ...or see through?) and it seems pretty nice. I have a few concerns: the heaviness of the top half makes the screen fall fairly easily, and the clips seem very small and could probably break off very easily.
 
Corndog5595 said:
I just purchased the Speck SeeThru (Clear ...or see through?) and it seems pretty nice. I have a few concerns: the heaviness of the top half makes the screen fall fairly easily, and the clips seem very small and could probably break off very easily.
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Thats too bad. The effect of the weight of the case on the Screen was my biggest concern.
 
it isn’t as bad as I made it seem.

the screen will get to about 45 degrees before it starts to fall on its own. And it never falls backwards on its own. When standing up the inertia made it move a bit, but its no big deal.
 
Corndog5595 said:
it isn’t as bad as I made it seem.

the screen will get to about 45 degrees before it starts to fall on its own. And it never falls backwards on its own. When standing up the inertia made it move a bit, but its no big deal.
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So im assuming your saying, when your closing the screen shut, and pulling the screen towards yourself, it falls a little faster cause of the weight...right..?
 
So does the screen ever fall when your trying to get a better look at the screen, when you adjust the viewing angle..or just something you notice when closing the macbook? ....
...thanks for your replies...
 
I have the same problem on the 13 inch. Its not as bad as posted, but when you stand up with the laptop it, or if its titled too far back it will fall back as far as it can go by itself. I couldnt imagine it on a 15 inch since they are reported to having weak hinges, making this problem even worse. Just the few times it happened to me made me cringe, couldnt imagine it being any worse.
 
TaylorJ said:
I have the same problem on the 13 inch. Its not as bad as posted, but when you stand up with the laptop it, or if its titled too far back it will fall back as far as it can go by itself. I couldnt imagine it on a 15 inch since they are reported to having weak hinges, making this problem even worse. Just the few times it happened to me made me cringe, couldnt imagine it being any worse.
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That would of made me cringe as well...
Do you have the SeeThru or the SeeThru Satin? Are the weight on both the same, or is the Satin heavier? I figured, since the Matte coating is applied additionally to the glossy plastic case, that it would be a little heavier then the regular SeeThru...Anyone know if the Satin is heavier then the glossy SeeThru case??
 
Has anyone with a speck case noticed a weaker magnetic attraction when the lid is closed? I know one of the reviews for BookShell complained about this a bit. I think the speck is designed better to allow the lid to close completely though, at least the old unibody macbook one...
 
DocDoom said:
That would of made me cringe as well...
Do you have the SeeThru or the SeeThru Satin? Are the weight on both the same, or is the Satin heavier? I figured, since the Matte coating is applied additionally to the glossy plastic case, that it would be a little heavier then the regular SeeThru...Anyone know if the Satin is heavier then the glossy SeeThru case??
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I have the Satin, I'm not sure about the difference. But if that is a reported difference then maybe that is why I'm experiencing that. I just learned to pick up the notebook with two hands, one on the lcd and one on the bottom. So far so good.

I dont feel any added weight by touch though, so I dont think the added weight should be *much* of a problem (besides the fact is may make the screen drop time to time)
 
TaylorJ said:
I have the Satin, I'm not sure about the difference. But if that is a reported difference then maybe that is why I'm experiencing that. I just learned to pick up the notebook with two hands, one on the lcd and one on the bottom. So far so good.

I dont feel any added weight by touch though, so I dont think the added weight should be *much* of a problem (besides the fact is may make the screen drop time to time)
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I only assumed that the Satin would be a little heavier then the regular SeeThru. On Speck's site it says, the "SeeThru Satin is made of our special hard polycarbonate plastic with an added soft-touch rubberized exterior coating..."
So i thought the added rubber would add some weight to the case...
 
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