Customer Reviews

Macally Protection Shell for Macbook (BookShellB)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Length:: 2:06 Mins

The Macally BookShell is one of the best solutions available to protect your Macbook from finger smudges and scratches. Plus it looks great and gives your MacBook a grippy feel for further security from dropping your MacBook.

I'm so glad I bought this cover for my Macbook. It took, oh, about 10 seconds to snap into place, and has stayed on securely through several commutes, puttings-into-bags, and so on. The leather exterior is very soft and the suede lining will protect my Mac's surface from scratches and other damage. The vents on the back seem adequate to allow the computer to stay cool, even during extended use. One thing I did notice is that the leather exterior seems to "stick" to surfaces a bit (for instance, it doesn't slide out of my briefcase as easily as my naked laptop used to), but I've decided that this is actually an added benefit, since it means that the computer is less likely to slip out of my hands or off a slick surface. This is a great Mac accessory, especially for the price. I bought this item from antonline (through Amazon.com) and was very pleased with their service and reasonable shipping fees. All in all, a very good purchase!

I like preserving large purchases such as my recent acquisition of an Apple Macbook. While the Laptop is sturdy and durable I don't like the idea of the outside getting scratched or dinged from general use.

I bought a Macally Protection Shell from Amazon. I give it a five out of five for being what I expected. It's a hard, two piece case that snaps onto the outside of the Macbook. The leather finish looks excellent as well as durable. One thing I would not do is expose it to anything sharp that could cut the leather.

The bottom piece is molded so that all the ports and fans are unobstructed. Everything is very easy to access.

I have been monitoring the temperature of my Macbook with iStat and have not noticed a significant increase in heat.

The case does increase the thickness of the Macbook by half and inch and ups the weight half a pound. It really isn't that noticeable and makes me feel much better.

The case looks excellent. The black leather finish is an eye catcher and can protect your Macbook from scratches and small falls.

I purchased mine at Amazon in the New and Used section for $20.10. I consider it a great deal for the exemplary protection it provides.

I've found that for light scuffs, the something like iKleer protective polish is hard to beat - but that won't handle light scratches or worse. MacAlly brings protection that extra mile.

The case itself is plastic, but completely covered with a sheer, textured leather that's easy to handle, though it makes the MacBook slightly thicker (1-1/4 inches). The cover comes in two sections, and they easily fold onto the MacBook. All the ports remain open, and the leather is stretched so tightly that the covering seems almost natural. The leather surface can be taken on and off easily, by simply sliding off the shell when the MacBook is closed.

Most MacBook covers leave a small, square opening at the top so that the Apple logo can be seen. The Macshell opts instead for smooth leather - and looks classier as a result.

A few concerns need to be addressed, however:

= You get superior protection, but the added girth is noticeable. Conversely, if you place a priority on protection, the Macshell is remarkably stylish.

= Heat is an uncertain issue right now. MacBooks, and Mac portables in general, can have an issue with heat, which gradually wears down the logic board. The main vent is on the back-left;; it's still is still fully open to air circulation from back, it remains relatively warm (98-115F, which is only slightly higher than without the cover). As caution, it's always a good idea to equip new Mac laptops with a Buyer's Protection Plan. It's four years of reassurance that banishes worries of expensive heat-related repairs. The good news is that, under the toughest treatment, the surface is never more than pleasantly warm. It's possible that the cover disperses heat more evenly.

= After a few weeks, you may find that there's a faint imprint of the keyboard visible -though you'll see it primarily with glossy-screen MacBooks. The problem can be addressed by cleaning the screen with iKleer screen polish, which you may already own. To prevent it from happening, put an 8-1/2 x 11" piece of paper in the keyboard space before closing your laptop. If you still have it, you can also use the thin foam that came with your Mac Book.

The Macshell has become so popular that major suppliers regularly run out stock - but thankfully never for too long.

Top works great but bottom doesn't fit the new more curved corners of the new MacBook!

I bought both the red and the black in this product and they are both quite good. Firstly, I think that the associated image doesn't quite capture the beauty of the shell. At first I was a bit concerned that they would look cheap and "plastic-y" based on the price and that the red would have been a bit too loud but all of my fears were put to rest when I did get them. They looked pretty good and the quality of the leather is comparable to that on the seats of a mid-range luxury car; the red was bright enough to be interesting and admirable without being loud and shocking.

The shells are very light yet sturdy, and easy to put on and take off. Some can argue that it should have come with more instructions on how to put it on, but regardless of this, one can figure it out pretty quickly; in the order of 5 to 10 mins. The interior is soft and protects your machine from getting scratched.

Lastly, the addition of the shell to the machine does not seem to make any noticeable changes to the usability and ergonomics of the machine in my experience. The shell does not increase the dimensions of the machine significantly, so your mac should still fit into whatever you were using to get it around. It doesn't appear to make the machine retain heat over extended periods of time; although the machine does get hotter the increase in temperature doesn't appear to be attributed to the shell. If there is any change in this area, it would be that the shell makes the machine less slippery than the actual machine surface and hence less likely to fall out of your hands on those rare occasions when you are awkwardly positioned for some reason and are holding your mac by 2 or 3 fingers.

In all, I have had no complaints with either product to date; so again I say good product.

I bought it and yes it works fine goes on easily but myself being a new MAC user did not realize that it does cover up two MAC features. 1st being the MAC logo on the top of the Laptop (ok not that big a deal), I must say they did make a alternate with the logo cutout but that is $45+ (which ridiculous upcharge just to make a hole).

But the second being the on battery meter on the bottom of the laptop for me that is a big deal because now the only way I can tell the battery strength is to turn it on or remove the cover I think they could easily made a cut out for both with out the price gouging!!!!!!!!!!!

Which, is actually a good thing. At first, when I received that package, i wasn't impressed with how the shell looked under the shrink wrap. After putting it on though, it's a clear winner.

It's simply and, well, tasteful. Additionally, I'm very conservative with battery usage, so I'm constantly popping the batter out of the bottom of my Macbook when it's in the charger. This shell is easy to take off at a moment's notice, and the interior lining keeps it looking gorgeous. Simply put, it's surprisingly nice.

First of all the price was a great. Very fast shipping, it, actually, arrived much early than was anticipated. Snapping on the cover was child's play. I looks great, complements my MacBook oh, so, nicely, even though it the white model. It, also does not hinder my mac cooling. All, in all, it is a great buy at even a greater price. You should not pass this up.

I am not new to the computer world, nor new to the Apple/Mac world, but I am new to the laptop world. I just purchased a Macbook with Combo drive (review to follow) and was pleasantly surprised that I had a new gadget that I *could not* live without. Unfortunately, I immediately went into babying it and in only a few days found myself annoyed that I couldn't work on my laptop for fear of me messing it up!

In comes the search for a sleeve or case that wasn't cheap looking or feeling but that would ship immediately. I found the Macally Shell on Amazon, read the reviews and I was sold. I bought it for $2 cheaper than it is now, so I was pretty happy at my purchase and waited for it to arrive in the mail. In the meantime, I checked out other sites for cases and was surprised at the prices and types of cases for laptops (remember...new). I started doubting my purchase of this "leather type" case and hoped it wasn't a tacky case that other reviewers had given high ratings because of buyer's remorse.

I was set at ease. The case is elegant and easy to attach. No fear of scratching your notebook with attachment or removal because the edges are smoothed and soft enough for the macbook's outer casing. As far as thickness, well the Macbook is 5 lbs and 13"...I feel MUCH better carrying it around with the case on and I truly don't believe that the extra thickness makes a difference.

Can't say too much about heat as I've only used it a total of an hour so far, but I am very pleased with this case. Style, design, price(!!!) This works in all avenues.

Hmmm, I would have liked a way for the Apple logo to shine through in some way, but it would probably just make the case look tacky. As it stands, it looks like you have a leather laptop on your lap.

I would have gotten the red one, but I carry my macbook around at my job also and might get funny looks at the fire red color.

Can't say too much more that others already haven't. If you're looking for a nice cover that protects at a low price, check these out.