Sunday 27 June 2010

Laptop Cover - shell, macbook case


I bought this MCover because a black Speck case wasn't available. Plus it was cheaper. I'm glad I did. This case perfectly fits my 15" unibody mac. There are tiny plastic tabs that clip over the top and bottom of the laptop, making it very snug. To remove it for any reason, I unclip a tab on each side of the top shell. After I slide it off a few inches, I can easily unclip the rest of the tabs and remove the shell. The bottom comes off a little easier. The bottom has a bunch of slots to cool the laptop, and 2 little foamy circle pads, plus the little standing tabs.

Although the black colored shell is semi translucent, you can't see the mac logo until the laptop is on. Then the logo is seen glowing through the shell. If you don't like that, you can just tape a piece of black paper on the inside of the shell.

The top shell has a satin plastic finish with a 1" matte finish around the edges. The satin part holds fingerprints but I don't care. The top shell is light- my laptop screen stays exactly at the angle I open it.



Better than all this is the store's great return policy. My first package had a flaw, but they responded promptly and sent me a replacement within a week! They were fast and made my life easy so I could finally take my laptop outside. BLACK mCover® Hard Shell Case for 15" A1286 Aluminum Unibody MacBook Pro (Black keys, 15.4-inch diagonal screen)

Let me begin by stating that I seldom give five stars.



I was pleasantly surprised with this cover. Most of the reviews were right on, but since it was significantly less expensive than most I was not expecting it to be as well made as it is.



In response to one of the questions posted, The cover itself is glossy/shiny with the exception of about a 1 1/4" border around the top which is matte, as is the center square over the Apple logo.



Also, contrary to the experience of one of the reviewers, the cover for my 15" MBP DID come with the keyboard protector. I was not expecting this, nor was it a deal breaker because I did not see myself using it anyway. I have to say I am amazed at this little piece of "rubber." It slightly translucent and cut to perfection, molding nicely around all of the keys. It is perfectly designed to fit into the recess of the keyboard. The protector has sufficient weight and static cling to stay put all on its own. It extends roughly 3/8" beyond the outer edge of the keys rising up out of the recess and ending just shy of the speakers on either side. Sure, it is a different tactile experience, and one that I never thought I would want to deal with. But it is good to have and so well made, I will stick it out for a while and see if I can adjust to the change. My only question on this product in general is whether covering the keys will add to the internal temp?



When installing the top cover you will notice the both sides have the little clips to catch the edge, but only one of the long sides has the clips. Lacking any instructions I decided to put the cover on with the two clips on the front edge, figuring that they are more important at the front when lifting the cover to open it up. So far so good.



PROS: All of the above, plus the cover does not prevent the laptop from closing all the way. Some of the competition do, especially the leather ones. If it didn't close all the way you would have to shut down alll the time instead of allowing it to sleep. This is because if the cover is slightly open, it can wake up and the drive would be spinning while you are on the go - not good.



CONS:

1. With the bottom cover in place, the display angle is restricted some and will not open much beyond the 90 degree mark. I couldn't find my old plastic protractor, so I am guessing at 100 degree-ish. (Remember protractors? I tossed my in 1973!) If you do not lie in bed, knees up and cover wide open you will not find this to be a problem.



2. The other problem is more of a design issue with the laptop itself, but being that the display hinges are too "loose" already, the slight weight addition of the cover causes the lid to close too easily depending on the angle of the base. I would like the ability to tighten the MBP hinges. I will mention this to Steve.



Question to be determined: Will covering the keys will add to the internal temp? We shall see.



Wish List: As mentioned by another reviewer, the product photo is not totally accurate in its depiction of the Apple logo. This area is a black translucent material. With the laptop off, you do not see the logo. With the laptop on, the logo is visible, but not as crisp and clear as it appears in the photo. I do not have a problem with this, I only point it out in my anal need to be accurate.



A Prime Positive: On another note, I have been a Amazon Prime member for a few years now, and if my memory serves me correctly UPS had been delivering my goods. This of course meant no Saturday deliveries. When I placed my order on Thursday it indicated that it would arrive on Saturday. Prime includes free 2-day shipping on most eligible products, but I really didn't expect it on a Saturday. I was wrong. Early this morning (Saturday) FedEx delivered my packages. Nice!

I do not work for Amazon, and admittedly I do have a problem parting with $79 annually, but I do so nonetheless. But for those like me who didn't know, you can give four other family members their own Prime membership to use with their own method of payment as long as you maintain your account. There is no additional charge for this an as far as I can tell the only thing you share is a comment on your page indicating that the account is linked to mine as THE MASTER.



Advice: Don't get too caught up in being the Prime account MASTER. When my kids were small, I brainwashed them to refer me to as FATHERMAN! I even had a t-shirt with a big red "F" on the chest! The fun didn't last long, its amazing what the slightest bit of separation can do to an image. I quickly became known as FAT HERMAN, and have been so for about 20 years now with no end in sight! - Black - Macbook Case - Shell - Case'


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