Speck - Transform your Macbook

Shortly before moving to New York, I swapped out my rev. A macbook for the recently-released Santa Rosa equipped Macbook Pro. As it stands, this is my third Apple laptop, spanning back all the way to my switch computer, a 1.5ghz Powerbook, and if I’ve learned anything it is that while Apple’s products may be beautiful, they are easily made not-beautiful. I vowed that this time, I’d protect my precious, even if it meant protecting it from myself.

The Powerbook, nickname Scully (X-Files thing, don’t ask), lost its factory perfect finish after I sent it flying off the bed in the middle of the night and dinged the palm wrest directly above the drive bay. As a result, it became damn near impossible to insert or remove discs without a gut-wrenching sound and possible data-loss.

My Macbook was thankfully a black model and was not plagued by the yellowing of the white models. That said, the matte finish definitely scratched, scrapped, and smooshed itself whenever possible. And this happened despite my constant use of an InCase neoprene laptop sleeve whenever it wasn’t open and on a secure surface.

Needless to say, when I picked up the Macbook Pro (what I’m typing this post on), I wanted something that would protect my computer no-matter-what. After loving the case that Agent 007 made for my iPod Nano, I realized that the only surefire way to protect my computer

was to get a “sleeve” that was in force 100% of the time. And that sleeve would need to be molded plastic. Enter Speck and its SeeThru Hard Shell Case. Please ignore the fact that Speck’s logo looks a bit like a tightly pursed butt. I promise their stuff is quality.

Made out of polycarbonate plastic, the case snaps onto the screen enclosure as well as the base of the Macbook Pro, providing sturdy protection to almost every part of the computer. Be warned that this is a very model specific case. Not only does it include custom cut-outs for all your ports and placements, but this will NOT fit your 15″ Powerbook, no matter how hard you try.

A little known fact is that when the Macbook Pro re-appeared on the scene with its Intel processor, it also gained .4 inches in size. The case WILL work for Core Duos and Core 2 Duos, and the company provides other cases for the 13″ Macbook and the 17″ Macbook Pro. 7 color choices include blue, black, red, green, pink, orange, aqua, and clear for those who prefer the look of brushed aluminum.

To be perfectly honest, when I first saw a Speck case being used, I thought that the owner had chosen to have their precious mac painted by a service like ColorWare. The fit is so snug and perfect that I assumed it was the machine’s skin bathed in a rich red tone, with the apple logo shining through. It even has ventilation spots cut to allow for the hot running laptops to get some much needed fresh air.

Although I doubt everybody will agree with me, using the Speck case has one added benefit: By covering it in stickers, I have been able to disguise my expensive and beautiful laptop from would-be NYC thieves, something I would never do to the actual machine. From a distance, it looks like just another shit-box Dell, until I crack it open to reveal its true nature. And at $40 dollars, when I get sick of the sticker design, I can just pop the case off and start over.

My one grip with this otherwise perfect addition to my work companion is that the back of the case wasn’t a perfect fit. Sometimes while opening the case, the screen enclosure would catch with the bottom and make a load snapping sound. While I haven’t seen any real damage, I could see this messing with the already delicate alignment of the screen. I have since filed down the back edges and the sound is long gone.

Also: It’s hard as BALLS to get off. To remove the bottom enclosure, with the case closed, flip it upside down, and wedge your finger nails under the sides. Pull up until it makes a snapping sound. To remove the top, you need a credit card or other tough thin plastic card. Wedge it between the side and the screen, and slide up and down. With a little practice you can get everything off pretty quickly. Prior to visiting the site and reading the FAQ, I was completely dumbfounded as to how to free the machine of the case short of sawing through it.