Macally BOOKSHELLPRO2 Leather Protective Cover for 15 Inch Glass Display MacBook Pro

by Macally

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 10 x 1.2 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001QU8HAI
• Item model number: BOOKSHELLPRO2
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 27, 2009

Product Description

Black leather protective cover for your 15" glass display MacBook Pro.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good protection, looks decent, adds weight, weakens closure., August 3, 2009

By 

Braden McGrath (Mayfield Heights, OH - USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Macally BOOKSHELLPRO2 Leather Protective Cover for 15 Inch Glass Display MacBook Pro (Personal Computers)

I purchased one of these on a whim from a local brick & mortar store (Microcenter). Their price was worse than Amazon's, but it was an impulse purchase because the product looked nice.

I just put it on my 15" MBP (mid-2009 version).

The fit is amazing. I am surprised at how the minuscule little clasps hold on the edges of the unibody machine. Two attach on the back edge of the vent area, just below the display hinge. The other two are on the left and right sides, just past the corners. This alone does hold the bottom on, it is pretty sturdy. The top holds on by four clasps, two on the left and two on the right.

I use an eBags "Firewall" notebook bag; the 15" MBP flops around a lot in the dedicated notebook section. The Macally hard case helps with this a LOT due to the (faux?) leather and slight girth that it adds. The bottom does have a little bit of padding in it and helps insulate the notebook when using it on a lap as well.

Both the top and bottom have a little bit of weight to them and you can feel a slight difference when installed on the machine. The worst part of this weight is that it makes the screen heavier. Combined with the slightly larger gap when closed (due to the small clasps on the bottom), and you have a recipe for the notebook self-opening. The magnets that hold it closed aren't as strong because of the distance. If you have it flat, the screen stays closed, but if you stand it up on the hinge edge, the screen will pop open slightly. It does NOT open far enough to cause the Mac to wake from sleep, but if there is nothing nearby to support the bottom, it will fall due to its weight and you will come out of sleep. So, if you're putting it in a slightly loose fitting bag it should be ok. If it is going into an otherwise EMPTY messenger bag, you may have to be concerned about it popping open and self-waking "in transit."

The other concern with this product is that the top cover and base cover actually contact each other before the hinge of the Mac is fully open. The case limits the "opening range" of the lid, which is already pretty bad compared to many PC notebooks that will open to 180 degrees. Also, since the vent system is under the hinge, the more you open the lid, the more the vent is obstructed. I haven't used the product long enough to know if this will adversely affect the cooling system, but it's a definite possibility. I'm using the 9400GT integrated graphics right now, and writing this review in a room that's about 75F, and the CPU temp is hovering around 110F with gradual change up to 119F or so. I was not monitoring my temps before adding the case so I'm not sure if this is higher than normal for the newest MBPs, however the brief research I have done on Apple's own forums states that 100-150F is completely standard for light usage and nothing to worry about. So, it seems like temperature isn't an issue at the moment.

One unintended positive -- the edge of the bottom piece helps to shield the corner of the base. Anyone who has used a newer unibody mac on their lap for any portion of time knows that the front edges can and do "cut" (more like "put sharp pressure on one area for a long time") into your arms/wrists after a while. The edge of the case sticks up just slightly beyond the edge of the notebook, so my arms are hitting the leather/vinyl-wrapped case instead of the MBP. No more arm imprints from the aluminum!

Oh yeah. It covers the apple logo on the back. If you care about this kind of aesthetic bull, you don't want this case.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This does not work with new 2010 MacBook Pros, July 30, 2010

By 

The Consumer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macally BOOKSHELLPRO2 Leather Protective Cover for 15 Inch Glass Display MacBook Pro (Personal Computers)

Make sure you DONT... DO NOT have the newest Macbook Pro (the uni body one w/ the black keyboard), as it will not fit.

The power cable doesn't fit, the top does not clip on properly, and its hard to open.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great case, only one con but that shouldnt stop you from buying, June 28, 2010

By 

allamazon - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Macally BOOKSHELLPRO2 Leather Protective Cover for 15 Inch Glass Display MacBook Pro (Personal Computers)

This is a great case for the macbook pro. I've dropped my mac once, and trust me aluminum dents like no other so I decided to get a case after that. The $30 case is worth protecting my more than $2000 investment. The case is very sleek and stylish. No it doesn't show the apple logo but I prefer that, your computer is no longer a target for thieves. The case is better than other cases I've seen on the market, the inside has a sort of felt lining to prevent scratches to your mac, also the outside is a very soft pleather texture. Other plastic cases trap dirt and dust and anything that can get inside the case that can also scratch up your mac, this case doesn't. All in all its a great case, stylish too. My only complaint is that it hinders the mac from magnetically locking, the lid might open depending on how its held. Most cases have this problem though, because of latches used to hold the case in place prevent the lid from properly closing. I would recommend getting this case and a laptop sleeve as well to prevent the lid from propping open while in your bag.