Nov 7 2006
Speck SeeThru Hard Case for 15-inch MacBook Pro
Speck’s new SeeThru Hard Cases for 15″ MacBook Pro bring to the Apple notebook user what Speck has long been known for in the iPod market: scratch protection and beautification.
Made of polycarbonate plastic, the SeeThrus come in clear and red varieties for the pre-Oct 24th 2006 MacBook Pros (on Oct 24th 2006, Apple announced a new MacBook Pro with different ports and thus, at the time of writing, I can only assume that the Speck SeeThru’s port openings and recesses will not properly line up with the new machines). The red SeeThrus add a cool tint to the MacBook Pros metallic enclosure and give the backlit Apple logo on the lid a crimson glow.
No tools are required to attach the SeeThru to your MacBook Pro but if you’d like to remove it, you might want to have a thin device like a plastic ruler handy to keep the SeeThru’s clips from getting caught in the MacBook Pro’s seams on the way off of its case.
Speck has addressed many of the concerns MacBook Pro owners might have about using the SeeThrus: some 75 or so vents on the bottom half of the shell allow for adequate ventilation, no actual air vents are covered, everything remains accessible (optical drive, latch release button, IR receiver and all ports on the sides). Even the rubber feet on the bottom of the MacBook Pro have been accounted for and duplicated on the SeeThru’s exterior. In fact, the rubber feet on the SeeThru are even grippier (if that is even a word) than the stock Apple feet.
Forgive my lack of commitment to product testing, but I will not be subjecting my MacBook Pro to any adverse conditions in order to test the SeeThru’s ability to deflect harm. I am suitably confident, though, that if any abrasive object were to commit an act of aggression against the machine while under the protection of the SeeThru, that attack would be thwarted…as long as it was launched while the MacBook Pro was closed or if the attack were focused away from the keypad and screen…the MacBook Pro’s soft underbelly if you will. I wouldn’t trust my SeeThru clad MacBook Pro to serve as a shield in the event that shooting broke out at my local internet café, but I have to believe that it offers the notebook more protection than it came with when I bought it.
I am also of the belief that the SeeThrus might even offer the MacBook Pro a bit more “structural integrity.” By keeping the aluminum enclosure in its intended form while uneven forces act against it, your MacBook Pro will (in my opinion, not Speck’s) endure the twists caused by picking the machine up my its corner that would otherwise torque the case out of true. Just a theory…take it or leave it.
Many who are curious about the SeeThrus will be so not because they seek scratch protection but because of the esthetics of the added red color. Those people might be wondering why anyone would ever consider a clear SeeThru. Ah, my friends, you need to use your imaginations. There is enough room between the lid of your MacBook Pro and the inner surface of the SeeThru to accommodate a thin piece of brilliantly decorated inkjet paper (or wrapping paper works well, too, if you’re not artistically inclined or don’t have the ability to print 11×17″ on your color inkjet). Yes, my friends–the clear SeeThru afford you endless temporary notebook decorating possibilities!! In fact, the clear SeeThru offers you a blank canvas upon which you may even paint your own custom creations. Behold!!
…of course, a thin piece of inkjet paper isn’t going to offer the opacity necessary to obscure the almightily glowing Apple logo in the center of your MacBook Pro, but I still think the option to temporarily and vibrantly decorate your portable computer is pretty cool. (Note: this idea is only coming from me–Speck does not promote this as a feature of the SeeThru and will probably not be sympathetic if the added bulk of the inkjet paper pressing against the back of your screen causes any damage to the LCD panel. Be aware that the possibility for damage is there and know that you have been warned…)
If you only consider this product as a cosmetic accessory, the USD$39.95 price tag on the Speck SeeThru Hard Case for 15″ MacBook Pro might seem a bit on the pricey side. But if you desire a little added protection from bumps and scratches for your MacBook Pro, along with grippier rubber feet and if you either like the look the red model gives, or if you would like to try your hand at decorating, the SeeThru Hard Case may be well worth the money for you–I really dig it!
