Customer Reviews

Speck Products See Thru Satin Soft Touch Hard Shell Case for 13-inch MacBook-Pro Aluminum Unibody/Black Keyboard (Black) - DOES NOT FIT WHITE MACBOOK

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

After scoping out several options on the casing market, I finally settled on the Speck See Thru Satin, Soft Touch Hard Shell Case in Black for my new MacBook Pro.

Pluses:
- What I love about the Satin Soft Touch is that it provides the protection of a hard shell plastic case but has a nice rubbery coating that provides a light grip and nice feel.
- Texture allows the added benefits of not showing fingerprints and other smudges.
- Although I will admit to liking the Apple logo, I also like the sleekness provided by the fact that the Apple logo is hidden when laptop is closed, and only shines through when open & on.
- Open cutout on side for ports does not hinder access whatsoever.
- Almost unnoticeable that it's on there, I can still easily fit it inside my already snug neoprene sleeve when traveling.

Minuses:
- The cutouts for the remote sensor and the battery check button aren't 100% dead on, but aren't so far off as to handicap the features.
- It's inevitable that some dust and other particles will cling to it, but it's fairly easy to clean by simply dusting or blowing on it.
- I've noticed in reviews of similar Speck products that people have experienced difficulty in removing the case for cleaning, and while I haven't removed mine yet, it seems like a simple enough operation as long as you are somewhat delicate and pay attention to all of the tabs that allow the case to snap on to your computer.

Overall:
I'm completely satisfied with this case.

NOTE:
- Don't buy this from the Apple Store, it's much cheaper here

PROS:
- Mac's always look sexier in Black and there's finally a way for you to rev up your Aluminum unibody MacBook
- Velvety softish feel makes it much easier to grip, and cleaning is not a problem at all
- Fits snuggly and adds hardly any weight
- Is semi-seethrough so the illuminated Apple monogram on the back shines though (however with a purplish tint)
- All ports are accessible
- Snaps on and snaps off

CONS:
- Easy to leave finger marks on it but they wipe away in a flash with a conventional cleansing wipe.
- A little on the expensive side, even if you buy it form Amazon. Should be priced at around $20. After all, its only a cover and probably costs pennies to manufacture.

BOTTOMLINE:
- A great investment to:
1. Protect your MacBook
2. Finally get a Black MacBook Pro in the Unibody line
3. Excellent grip and easily cleanable
4. A little pricey

I spent quite a bit of time debating over whether to purchase an Incase or Speck cover to protect my new Macbook Pro. The reviews were mixed--pretty much equal pros and cons on both. So since I have a Speck Candy Hardshell case for my iPhone and LOVE it, I decided to try out Speck's See Thru Satin case. The cranberry color is awesome--looks very rich. The satin finish has a nice grip, so I don't have to worry about my Macbook slipping out of my hands! Additionally, I found it very easy to put on and, after watching the instructional video on the Speck website, found it easy to remove. The case has NOT scratched my Macbook. I am a perfectionist and this was a great concern. I must say that overall I am pretty pleased. Nevertheless, I do have two complaints: 1) the edges on the lower cover were very rough. I used a nail file to make them smooth, otherwise they would have continued to irritate my wrists when I typed on the keyboard. 2) the satin finish retains fingerprints. You cannot clean them off. For these reasons, I can only give Speck's See Thru Satin case 4 stars. I'm so glad I checked for this item on Amazon before purchasing through the manufacturer or Apple...I saved $10 on the case and received free shipping as a Prime Member! This makes me feel better about keeping a case with minor imperfections!

Currently I use this for my 13" MacBook Pro, and it fits just fine.

Pros
Due to the notches, this case attaches well, and is very secure. It's also stylish - if you want to add a touch of color to your MacBook, this is the way to go. It's great that you can still see the apple logo clearly through the case when lit up. The red color is a deep red, very sophisticated, and adds a color without becoming too flashy.
As far as the satin goes, there's a grip to the material, which is great if you're worried about the MacBook slipping out of your hands like with plastic.

Cons

This will attract fingerprints, make no mistake about that, so consider that if you're obsessive-compulsive about fingerprints like I am, then make sure you have a good cleaner for this product. And, like other reviewers have said, it can be a little difficult at times to remove, but I find it's not a problem once I get a notch or two off. The battery meter button isn't exactly easy to push with the case on, but I didn't find that to be too much of a big deal. The case also adds a little weight to it, but I don't find it to be very bothersome.

I'm very pleased with this case. Although I've listed a lot of cons, I don't find them to bother me all that much, yet I listed them so that anyone considering purchasing this case will have a more complete picture of it. Overall, it is a very good purchase.

This case definitely does the job of protecting the computer and it's easy to put on. However, the case itself scratches very easily and gets dirty quickly and is hard to clean. You can see fingerprints and scratches all over it and I'm very careful with my computer. I do travel around a lot, but treat it well. Overall, it does the job of protecting the computer. But if you want something that will still look nice after a few weeks, you may want to look further.

I've had many laptop cases. One of my favorites was the SPECK hard shell case for the MB Air. When I got a new MacBook Pro 13" recently, I sought out an appropriate cover for it. SPECK came up to the top of the list again. This MB13AU-SAT-PUR is great! It's rigid but slightly soft to the touch. Not soft exactly but like a really smooth, sleek slightly rubbery feeling. Satin-y is the best way to describe it, I guess. It has just enough tactile grip to it that makes it easy to pick up and carry. It doesn't feel like it could slip out of your grip, as with slick, hard plastic cases. And it just looks cool. The color lightens and darkens depending on whether its the flat surface or a rounded corner. I got the purple, cuz I like purple (looks great with the steely silver of the MBP), but I'm sure all the other colors in this line are awesome too.

I recently bought a new Apple Mac book Pro 13" model. After searching online, I decided on the Speck case. Amazon had the best price online. Although i have not put it to any "impact protection" test, i would think that it is better than nothing. More than anything, I wanted a case to keep the outer case protected from scratches. After receiving the case, i was somewhat concerned that the hard plastic inside of the case might scratch the laptop. Easy fix. I went to the local "BIG BOX" home improvement store and picked up a pack of assorted plastic/felt furniture/table top pads(about $3), and placed the self stick pads to the inside of the top and bottom of the case(i used the 5/8" by 1/16" thick clear flexible pads on all four corners and two towards the center on each cover). The case still fits perfectly. The case is very easy to attach and provides access to all the ports and disk slot. Other reviewers commented that the soft touch outer layer was "hard to keep clean". I wipe mine down with a slightly moistened warm wash cloth. I also like the "soft touch" case as it is easy to hold onto securely. I have had this case for about 3 months, and i remain very satisfied with the purchase. Although it adds some weight to the laptop(most noticeable to the lid once you open it past say 120 degrees open), i feel that is worth it for the added protection.

This is an awesome case for a pretty good price compared to cases you'll find in Mac stores and even online. It feel really nice. It's tacky enough to not slip in your hand, but not overwhelming and gross feeling like other cases. It's also really smooth but not too slippery like other plasticky cases. Everyone compliments me on my purple one and sometimes ask if they're making MacBook Pros in colors now. Looks great and feels great and isn't bulky. Snaps right on for easy installment.

Only complaint is it does get that kind of dirty look once you've handled it for some time. But all I do is clean it with some of that computer specific spray and the microfiber cloth that came with the case and it's good as new.

I spent quite a bit of time thinking over this purchase. Paying 40-50 dollars to put a piece of plastic over my slick MacBook Pro was not an easy decision. For a brief background, I use my laptop on a daily basis as a student. Since purchasing it in July, I have been using the incase neoprene sleeve as my main source of protection. Recently, I began to feel like I needed something more because I DJ a lot and am always worried that someone is going to mess up my laptop when leaving over to make requests. Along with my keyboard skin, I am worried a lot less about the safety of my machine.

The Speck case is a product I would recommend to any person who uses their macbook pro on a very regular basis. Like any product, it has its pro's and con's. To elaborate on the latter, the case does add a substantial amount of weight to your computer. I would say it is also a little more than a centimeter thicker with the shell on. Unlike some reviews (I conducted thorough research on this product before deciding to purchase it), I found no problem installing it. It requires you to exert a little bit of force to get the shell to "click" and attach itself properly, but there is no problem with that. I think a few people have mentioned the case does not fit to the macbook pro with precision. Perhaps these same reviewers installed the case incorrectly, because the speck case fits my 13 inch macbook pro perfectly.

It's not a cheap product, and as explained, neither is it perfect. However, if someone is looking for a product like the Speck case, there is no competitor that beats it. My friend just got the new Incase hardshell that was released for the 13 inch macbook pros. I could not see any kind of notable difference between my case in his. I was actually considering the incase version of this product (mainly because I was happy with the quality of their neoprene sleeves) but it seemed to basically be the same exact case as the speck one and ten dollars more.

In conclusion, if you need a hardshell case, this product gets the job done well. It's not cheap, but there aren't any other competing product that do a better job.

This See-thru Satin Case was everything I expected. It fits my 13 inch Macbook Pro like it should. It has a feel of sturdiness and well built. All of the ports are open, and I enjoy it. The feeling on both sides help protect the laptop. The inside is a hard shell that supports the actual lap-top. The outside has a soft touch feel that supports opening, closing, and just protecting the laptop. The only negative about this laptop is that at times the soft touch my smear with your finger prints, but don't let that affect your choice. This case is a great buy, and I found it for a great cheap price.