Customer Reviews

Speck Products See-Thru Case for 13-Inch MacBook Pro with Aluminum Unibody/Black Keyboard Only (Clear)

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I bought my MBP 13 in June 2009. I don't know how, but two weeks later - the laptop had a deep scratch, making the laptop look like it had a crack. After going to two Apple stores for a Genius check....they used a tool to confirm it was just a very deep scratch. I've looked at several shells and cases since, and the cases were either over priced or blocked/obstructed certain ports (including the sleep indicator). I waited for the Amazon reviews to be posted on this case, because I wanted to make sure all ports were available and not being blocked by the case....especially since there were other Speck models available online for the older MBs. The other cases I looked at were the InvisibleShield and the BookShell.

* All ports accessible and not obstructed.
* From the edge of the security lock hole (towards the mouse pad) to the nearest edge of the case is about 0.5 inch.
* From the edge of the headset jack to the nearest edge of the case is about 5/8 of an inch.
* There is a battery indicator "indentation button" molded into the case...so you can press it to check your battery level.
* There is a hole cut out for the infrared.
* The case comes in two pieces, and were easy to snap on.
* The case fits very well and snug to my MBP 13. I even put a decal sticker on the inside of the screen piece, and the case fits fine.
* A microfiber cloth comes with the case.
* There are vents on the bottom case, but as mentioned on an older review - not all vents are cut out. I'm not concerned with this since I'm not a gamer, and the MBP unibody case sorta acts like a heat sink to help dissipate the heat.
* With the laptop screen fully extended with the case on, the angle was around 137 degrees.
* There are "foot pads" where the MBP's "foot pads" are...elevating the case from the flat surface and adding some grip.
* The case does add a little extra weight, but not a ton.

Because the case is "see through" I can see the sleep indicator - which I refer to a lot. I chose the clear color, so I don't attract attention/distraction during meetings.

I finally bought the case on Amazon due to great price ($50 at Apple), waiting patiently for Free Shipping, and knowing this case was made specifically for the MBP 13.

I've read older model reviews of dirt getting between the case and laptop - causing scratches. The environments I work in don't promote flying dust or dirt, so I'm not worried about that...but if you do, maybe one of the leather like or plastic stretch type cases might do better to seal/block entry of dirt/dust.

I just recently bought a 13" Macbook Pro and have been looking for a case to protect it. I looked around and finally settled on the Speck See Thru Case in green. This is an awesome case!!! First of all the green color looks really great and the see thru case allows you to see the glowing apple which looks cool. It also fits perfectly and it basically seems like you don't have a protective cover on the computer at all. It adds very little if any extra bulk on the computer and so if you use an additional case or sleeve to carry around your mac, it will fit without any problem. Also, all the plugs and buttons are all accessible. This is a great product and I highly recommend it to protect your investment. It also comes with a nice dust rag to dust off your computer before you put the case on.

I was torn between the satin purple (the only colored one that looks really good IMHO) and this one. But finally, I settled on clear because I didn't want to cover up the silver aluminum unibody. And, actually, it looks terrific, allowing the silver to show through a glossy sheen! I'll just start by saying that buying from Amazon is obviously the smart thing to do; these cases are sold for $50 at the Apple store. That being said, these cases are the best I've seen because they are true to the form of the Mac. Other cases have sort of boxy looking edges and some sort of weird box around the glowing apple, which is just plain tacky, I think. And while I love the smooth unibody of the Mac, I noticed that when it gets smudged (easily), the surface looks dull, and though it's actually held up really well to scratches, it's not scratch proof. In a few months after purchasing, you will begin to see some scratches forming on your Mac, so don't wait as long as I did to buy the case!

One important thing to point out is that I was really worried that this particular one was not made for the newer Macbook Pro model, but rather for the aluminum unibody Macbook; I only recently learned that there's a difference. But rest assured that the item on this page DOES fit the current Macbook Pro 13 inch perfectly. Bottom line, the headphone jack is completely unobstructed and the power adapter that Apple currently supplies fits comfortably facing both directions (with the long part facing toward you or away from you). I also have a palmguard on mine, but the case still clasps perfectly in that area. Also, the top cover is not heavy enough to pull the screen back.

That being said, you do have to be a little careful when installing it, as you don't want the edges of the case to scratch the Mac. And it is a bit difficult to take off once you've put it on; you can't just pull it off. You have to carefully lift from both sides where the clasps are, and make sure you don't bend it too much.

*Also, I wouldn't recommend using the orange cleaning cloth that comes with the case. I opened it to wipe the inside of the case before putting it on and ended up having tiny orange cloth particles remain between the Mac and the case. So I had to take it off and clean it with my black Apple cleaning cloth and reinstall it. So basically, use the cloth that came with the Mac or something that doesn't leave particles behind.

Finally, this cover *will* make your Mac look as though it's twice the thickness it used to be and it will feel a little heavier, too. This is the only drawback to putting a case on it. But I'll take a little added bulk over scratches. And my Mac still fits in my laptop sleeve which is a close fit without the case, so I know that the case didn't make it too much bulkier.

I recently got a macbook pro 13 that I wanted to take to plane trips to clients. It took the first trip to realize that placing the laptop on the airport tray and having it bounce on the belt as it goes through the machine was going to scratch it sooner than later. I embarked to get a shell case and of several offerings decided to get this Speck MB13AU-SEE-CLR-01 clear shell case.

Pros
see-through material shows laptop finish
leaves all ports exposed including security-lock
protects laptop from scratches

Cons
lid edge pops off a bit when opening laptop
smooth gloss finish shows fingerprints
laptop feels a bit chunky

All considered the cons are minor and I would definitely purchase again.

This case was originally designed for older model of Unibody Macbook 13",
but other than ventilation whole on the bottom which is unnecessary for the New Macbook Pro 13" model,
everything matches perfectly. (SD card slot, and etc.)
It even has a button to push the button for battery check on the side of MBP. (Very nice)

I was debating whether I should get Satin Black case or Clear case, but I'm glad I chose clear case.
It makes my Macbook Pro much cooler without killing it's Aluminum look,
and also after doing some research I read many reviews that Satin cases gets dirty easily.
I'm glad I didn't buy this case at the Apple store where they sell it for $49.95+tax.
If you live in California like me, Amazon is the way to do it.

$29.95 with Free Shipping no tax

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Update
Today I found out a little problem with this case. Will it has to do with the change of Apple's power adapter plug design. Apple's new power adapter for MBP now has stick like plug that connects to magsafe port.
When the plug is connected to the magsafe port facing outward it doesn't block firewire800 port.
This case doesn't allow me to connect the plug outward, but only toward you, so this means whenever I need to use firewire800 port and power adapter together, I have to take off the case. (It maybe hard to understand but if you have New MBP model (April 2010) you will know what I mean. I originally gave 5 star, but I'm giving 4 star because of this inconvenience.

I like the Speck See-Thru Macbook case. It looks good on my Mac, and protects the Aluminum, without causing any scratches.

However it doesn't keep the computer from not getting dirty. I found that around the sides of the computer, dirt and dust would get in between the case and the computer. I've had to take off the case and clean it, several times.

In terms of durability, the satin Speck case was better, but I like the fact the See-Thru doesn't show all the fingerprints the way the satin does.

I'm still using the product because I want my Mac protected at all times. If the case breaks, I'll buy another one. But all in all, it's a nice accessory.

I was debating over whether I needed to place a cover on the newly purchased MacBook Pro 13 laptop, but after experiencing a few dents and scratches on my old PowerBook G4 it would be prudent to at least try and protect the new investment.

A plastic cover is obviously tacky versus exposing the beautiful design and material of the MacBook Pro. But then again, that's another reason why you should protect it. So I settled for the "See-Thru" case.

It's own retail product packaging doesn't give the product justice. In fact I was having second thoughts purchasing it. But I trusted the online reviews and photos. After taking it out of the package and snapping the two-piece plastic into place, it blends well with the MacBook Pro. The matte aluminum material is transformed into a glossy skin. But the light grey colour shines thru including the glowing Apple logo.

Form and fit is excellent. All ports remain uncovered with a cut-out to remain accessible and functional. While the screen can still respectfully tilt back to a great degree.

Features:

- Four translucent rubber feet that sit on top of the original laptop rubber feet so prevent sliding and scratching the clear cover
- Slotted vents on the bottom cover to help dissipate heat

Overall:

A worthy purchase for the price. Great to have if you plan on constantly bringing it on the road for work or school. Like I said a little bit tacky, but while still providing a good amount of respect for the Apple designed product.

The seller got the item to me super fast so shipping was good, arrived in excellent condition. It's easy to install so easy a cave man can do it! lol... all you have to do is snap it on and it's ready for use that is after you wipe it down with the microfiber cloth provided. It does not cover any ports not even the sleep light and battery check button on the left side of the new macbook pro. It's also easy to remove also just unclip. My only problem it's not as snug as i would like it to be as far as the back cover but the bottom one works fine. The bottom part has vent hole cut out on the bottom that helps cool down the battery from heating up in the cover which i thought was a plus. It was for a good price compared to the one they sell at the apple store for $50 so if ya love to save but want to protect your investment from scratches then i suggest you buy one of these cases just like me!! -:) lol... Too bad they were out of black i ended up getting clear cover that was the only bummer i couldn't wait for it to become available!! I had to protect my babe!! lol....

There are many other good reviews of this product so I'll be brief.
I've had this case for a good 11 months now.
These are the pros and cons of having this case

Pros:
- gives you a good sense of protection for your $1200+ investment
- protects the bottom base and top from major scratches (especially drops)
- multiple colors further personalization
- ports are completely unobstructed
- very snug fit and ease of install
- base pads provides good grip on table surfaces

Cons:
- adds unwanted bulk to a very sleek computer (you will notice this after having the case on for a while and take it off)
- adds some weight and heft
- covers up the amazing texture and feel (in my opinion) of the aluminum case with the cheap feeling of plastic
- the front lip of the base section (part of case that faces you) of the case gathers much dirt and debris that has caused many minor scratches and a few pretty deep ones...
- case adds another layer for the heat to dissipate through making the computer a bit hotter (although the top right corner of the base where the cpu is does have vents cut completely through to compensate for the increased difficulty of heat dissipation)


Overall this is the probably best case that I've seen out there although I am wondering if I made the right decision in buying it because to be honest I feel like I don't need it and that it has done my computer more harm than good. I say this because it has caused many deep scratches to the front side of the base making it quite ugly. I feel that this case is not really necessary for those who take good care of their computer (and who wouldn't, its $1200+) and who have a soft neoprene sleeve like this one that I very highly recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/Incase-Neoprene-Sleeve-13-inch-MacBook/dp/B001D8J7CA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1292099027&sr=8-3

For those who don't take particularly good care of their computer or carry it around naked or just in their backpack I highly suggest this because, for you, the pros far outweigh the cons as it will prevent major scratches, especially from drops, and adds another layer of structural rigidity.
For those who are like me and have a neoprene sleeve and takes good care of their computer, I advise reading other reviews and leave the decision up to your discretion.
Guess that wasn't brief, haha, Hope it helps.

I purchased a Speck Products see-thru cover, in aqua and pink, for my iMac last year and I really liked them. Since it was a desktop, I didn't need the cover to protect my computer so much as to jazz it up a little.

Well, when I bought my MacBook Pro, I needed something that would protect my investment. I got the 13" MBP so it would be portable for me to take to and from school (it's the perfect size for my over-sized purse, since I don't like to carry backpacks). However, keeping it in my bag means that there is potential for scuffing and a scratched aluminum finish isn't so hot.

I bought this item on Amazon because even if Speck Products was running their 50% off sale (they aren't and I haven't seen that sale in over a year), their shipping fees are so exorbitant that it was only a couple of dollars more to get it from Amazon and have it now.

The plastic is pretty cheap, but relatively thick and doesn't feel as brittle when it's attached to the laptop. The color is a hot, neon-ish pink. It's a great color, especially when the apple lights up.

The problem, though, is that it scratches and scuffs like you wouldn't believe!

I mean, I know I carry it in my purse, but as large as my bag is - it's organized. I have my planner and wallet. I have all of my makeup in a makeup bag and a separate bag to contain my keys, coin purse, pens, and other miscellaneous items. I also carry my binder and calculator in there while I'm in school (it kinda sounds like a bottomless pit, huh?). Anyway, my point is that there are no loose items floating around in there that could really gouge the case. No rogue writing utensils, eyelash curlers, keys - not even loose change. I know that all of the scuff marks (and there are A LOT of them) are from rubbing against my binder because I use that as a partition to divide my laptop from my mini-bags, but I have no idea where the scratches came from. It seems weird to me, anyhow, that my binder could mar the case so much - it's not like it's studded with rhinestones or anything - it's flat for goodness sake!

All in all, this case is okay. I needed something to protect my laptop and it does that. I also wanted something that was an eye-catching color and this is, except the scuffs and scratches cause the case to look dull, now, when it used to be shiny.

For the price, it should hold up better to daily use. Speck Products sells it for ~$50. I paid ~$38 on Amazon. I think a fair price for the quality and all would be around $20. If you want to check out the quality, they usually have some for sale at the Apple Store, but if you decide to buy, you'll save a lot more money by ordering it through Amazon.