MacProductive Products: Speck’s SeeThru
Posted by Chuck on January 30th, 2007
Most road warriors can be tough on equipment. A backpack or laptop bag can only protect your Mac when it is tucked safely inside. Despite your best efforts, scratches, dings and the like can mar the surface of your computer, not only damaging the appearance, but also the resale value. That’s why I decided to try one of the Speck SeeThru hard shell cases for my MacBook.
The Facts:
The polycarbonate plastic case comes in two pieces, top and bottom. The top goes on easily and fits securely. You need to pay a little more attention to the bottom because of the five “hooks” that fit on the back vent of your computer. These are what hold the case securely on, and you want to be certain they are all in the proper position. Once in place, the SeeThru isn’t coming off unless you want it to.
The Bulls
Once on…that’s it! Your MacBook now has a protective and attractive outer shell that resists the common scratches, dirt and whatever else you can throw at it. Depending on what color you select (clear, red, blue, pink, with more on the way), your MacBook may look must the same or vastly different. If you want to preserve the natural good looks of your computer, pick the clear case for either a black or white MacBook. If you feel the need to customize Mac, say, to keep it from getting confused with others in a crowd, pick up one of the colored shells. Those look best on the white MacBooks, appearing to colorize the computer at a much more reasonable price than any of the repainting services.
A couple obvious concerns: First, ventilation. The SeeThru comes with plenty of vents on the bottom piece, and does not obstruct the back vent at all. In a few weeks of daily use I haven’t notice any temperature issues at all.
Next are size and weight: the SeeThru does technically add a few ounces to your computer, but it is so insignificant as to go unnoticed. Likewise with the overall bulk of adding the case. There is a slight increase in size, but within a day you won’t even think about it; it is so small that even by adding the SeeThru, my MacBook fit just fine into the Boot of my Spire Meta backpack…and the MacBook alone is a secure fit to start with.
Finally, access to ports: Speck has done a terrific job of being certain that all the MacBook’s ports are fully accessible. Every external monitor, headphone, FireWire and USB cable I’ve tried has fit without the least bit of obstruction, and the DVD slot is fully accessible.
The Bears
You have to look hard to find any downside to the SeeThru; if there is one, it is that it is too secure a fit on your MacBook - getting it off can be a little challenging, at least at first. Why would you want to? Only to do a RAM or hard drive upgrade, or more likely for the road warrior, to change batteries on an extended plane flight. Speck has thoughtfully provided excellent instructions for accomplishing the task on their web site. If this is something you will have the need to do, it is best to get some practice before trying to do it in a coach airline seat.
The Bottom Line:
At $49.95 list for the 13″ MacBook and 15″ MacBook Pro, the SeeThru a product that definitely qualifies as a Weapon of Mac Production: it protects your computer and helps it keep looking good even in the most challenging business environments, and should be one of the first purchases you make after buying a new Mac laptop. Having gotten used to the feeling of the MacBook with the SeeThru, my 17″ MacBook Pro feels rather naked and vulnerable. I’ll feel better once Speck releases the SeeThru for that model.
