Customer Reviews

GTMax Aluminum Unibody Apple MacBook / Pro / Air Silicone Keyboard Skin Cover - Black

5 star:		(297)
4 star:		(197)
3 star:		(99)
2 star:		(50)
1 star:		(64)

 

 

I ordered this for my new MacBook Pro 13". It came in a manila envelope, keyboard was packed in a cylinder shaped paper packaging with a rubber band wrapped around. Since it is only silicone, it lay flat as soon as I opened it so no issues there (I was afraid it would stay curved). The cover is basically silicone with the Mac keyboard layout printed on it (black keys with white letters/numbers). I do want to mention that I use my MBP very extensively, perhaps 12-14 hours a day at a minimum. So I have tested this keyboard rather thoroughly over the past few weeks.

FIT - The keyboard fits perfectly in the keyboard tray. I was initially under the impression that this would stick in some way to the base, but it doesn't. Wasn't sure how this would stay in place just floating above the keyboard, but it actually stays on very securely. I have closed and opened my MBP several times over the past few days and the keyboard adheres very well. There really is no need for any adhesive, which is a good thing.

FEEL - It looks exactly like the MBP keyboard so the Mac still retains its amazing looks. It doesn't interfere with the palm-rest area either so typing feels "almost" as good as typing on the Mac keyboard itself. If you were to look at the Mac closely, you still wouldn't know that there is a cover on the keyboard.

Haven't had any overheating issue yet, as mentioned by other reviewers.

CONs - 2 primary issues and 1 minor one:

1. Typing accuracy - This keyboard does change the typing experience to some extent. Having gotten fairly comfortable with typing on it over the past few weeks, I don't mind the imperfections now. However, you are likely to notice that you miss a key as you are typing. Fortunately, most such mistakes are corrected with the auto-spell check, but sometimes it just picks up the wrong word, so you will need to be careful. The highest likelihood of mistakes occurs with keys on the top rows of the keyboard (qwerty keys). I guess this is because with your wrist resting on the Mac, the fingers fall on the top keys more horizontally (i.e. with less pressure) than they do on keys in the bottom half of the keyboard, where they fall more vertically (i.e. more pressure). I have average sized wrists and fingers, it's entirely possible the experience for someone with large or small fingers my be different.

2. Finish - After only 3 weeks of heavy use, some of the black color in the keys has already started coming off. Not a big deal so far, but I can see the letters wearing off within the next 5-6 weeks. Again, this factor would depend largely on usage time for each user.

3. The hole for the Caps Lock light is spot on, exactly where it should be. However, given the not-completely-transparent silicone material, the light is visible only if you're typing in the dark. At any other time, the light is so faded that it's not really visible through the cover. Same issue with the back light, the cover does dim the back lit keyboard somewhat. Either of these factors is not a deal-breaker for me personally.

All in all, given the price of this cover, I would be happy if I can get even 2-3 months of use from it. Most of the other such covers I looked at were priced at $20 plus, which I think is a rip-off given that it's only silicone. This product is a good investment in protecting an expensive device that I'm sure most of us would like to keep for at least a few years!

Basically I was very impressed with this keyboard protector UNTIL my macbook pro fans started to spin faster. I called up Apple and they told me ventilation uses the spaces in the keyboards to pull in air. So using this will block the intake, and cause the fans to spin harder. So you have two options stay vigilant and keep your keyboard clean or use this and maybe cause your macbook pro fans to spin harder. I choose to take the cover off, even though I tought the product was great initially.

I was a little skeptical about purchasing this since there were only a few reviews, but I think this was a great buy! I was originally geared more toward the transparent, thin keyboard skin but the price deterred me. This particular product was way cheaper, and the quality is great! I really like the fact that the keys are black, because at first glance, people don't even realize I had a keyboard skin on! The fit is perfect, and I actually like the fact that it is slightly thicker than the clear transparent ones because the edges don't curl or lift up at all (however its thin enough that the laptop opens/closes without any issues). It comes in the mail in just a plastic USPS bag, with no filler material, so I was scared that it would be bent or have fold marks, but it was just fine!

I purchased this keyboard for my MacBook Pro 13" Aluminum Unibody.

I didn't like the transparent keyboard covers so I was happy to find this one, with the keys printed on it. It said it was just for the aluminum macbooks, but I have a new white macbook unibody, and the keyboard looked similar enough. I was a little nervous that it wouldn't fit, but happily, it fits very well! It doesn't slide around when I type, and it fits over the keys very nicely.

My only concern is that the keys that are printed on the cover might rub off after a while. It seems fine so far, and it's not expensive so I could buy another one if I needed to.

Also, I do have to type a little harder than I did before (but that applies to every cover). And it's just something I have to get used to.

Overall very happy with purchase.

fits nicely, only wish the light from the letters on the keyboard could show through... but other wise, good product.

I just got mine and it looks great but I have a brand new macbook air and the top row do not match my keyboard.

I have the new white unibody MacBook Amateur (May 2010 release), and I was a bit worried about the fit, as this seems to have been designed for the MacBook Pro; however, it fits perfectly. In fact, based on the other reviews, it may even be better for the Amateur than for the Pro. It gives the computer a really spiffy look and since the keys don't light up on the Amateur anyway, you don't lose that functionality.

It isn't perfect, however, and there are some significant drawbacks. First off, two of the keys already had the lettering partially rubbed off before I even got it. Due to the nature of this defect, It looks like the skin got folded at some point and two keys got stuck together or something like that, so I would definitely highly recommend NOT folding this up. I know some people take the skin off whenever they aren't using the computer, so this could be kind of a pain. It also does indicate to me that, most likely, the markings will rub off over time from use; however, it's really cheap, so I have no problem with replacing it.

The reason I have heard for taking off the skin whenever you close the book is to prevent the keys from ruining the screen, as this raised piece of silicon is being pushed up against it for long periods of time. I haven't seen any proof of this; however, I haven't been using it for very long. I would be very curious to hear feedback regarding this from people who have been using the skin for a while now.

It also does make it harder to type. You have to hit the keys harder and there also just seems to be something awkward about typing on it. Maybe it's just the feel of the silicone? I can't fully explain it, but I definitely type a lot slower now, and I don't think it's just because you have to hit the keys harder, as I've got one of those old springy keyboards at work that require hammar like strength to use. If I don't get used to it over time and it continues to hinder my typing ability, it will make this worthless to me. I'm a really fast typer, which is extremely necessary as I'm a law school student, and all we do is type constantly.

As a side note, the reason I have this new computer is because I spilled coffee on the keyboard of my previous MacBook. I haven't spilled anything on this one (yet), but it does entirely cover the keys and lays very nicely on the board; so, when I do spill something, I am pretty confident about the ability for this to protect my Amateur. I would do a test like they do on TV with ziplock bags and detergents by pouring various types of liquid on it, like red wine and coffee, to be able to attest to it's ability to prevent meltdown; however, I don't think the fine people at Apple intended the extended warrantee to cover field tests.

Product arrived extremely quick, after having an initial problem with another issue. Had contacted the seller earlier regarding an issue, and they replied very quickly. Seller is top notch and very friendly, always willing to help solve the issue. The product came inside a bubble filmed 8.5'x11' envelope. Product was folded in half but immediately popped back to its flat original state.

Product is silicon, so it grips on the fingers more. You will find it odd typing at it at first, but is easily adaptable as I am now typing back to 75% of my normal words-per-minute after just a few hours. Looks like it will protect extremely well against spills, as there are no holes for liquid to penetrate through. Would do business again.

I really wanted to like this cover after reading the reviews. It looks amazing! It perfectly fits too, but typing on it is difficult.

The keys don't feel smooth - it's got an almost sandpapery feel to it, it makes my hands feel very dry. I couldn't use it for more than 10 minutes, I definitely prefer the comfort of the grungy looking clear case to this prettier alternative.

The keyboard that I thought I bought was black with clear so that the backlit keyboard would still work. The one that was sent to me and opened is pure black. I cant use the keyboard lighting. I cant return it because I opened it and did not realize it until too late.