This calendar week ’s Mobile Mac Weblog paper issleeves — broadly defined as a compact showcase design to hold just a laptop , either for protection when carry the laptop around by itself , or for throwing the notebook inside a larger bag or a grip . ( Although some sleeves screw a number , give you elbow room to store a few document , or even a few low accessary . ) On Monday , I compose about a number of soft sleeves and difficult shell that we had n’t previously had a opportunity to cover . Today I give you the detail on a few set compositor’s case . I ’ll be looking at leather case on Friday .
Rigid cases
Soft sleeves are great for avoiding scratches , but if you need something sturdier — to carry your MacBook Pro on its own , or if you ’re apprehensive about your MacBook getting bumped or dropped while inside another bag — a arm that provides impingement security may be a better option . One caution : unlike soft sleeves and toilsome shells , which provide some stage of security without sum much bulk , the extra tribute offered by a rigid case comes at a cost to your laptop computer ’s refined figure .
The froth inside of the Hardsleeve provides a 3/4 - in roadblock around the boundary of your laptop and a thinner cushion on the top and bottom . When indoors , your MacBook or 15 - inch MacBook Pro ( depending on the Hardsleeve model ) fit like a glove , moving only a fraction of an inch from side to side . The case ’s zippers generally slither easily , although I occasionally had to give them a firm towboat . Axio also admit a set of adhesive , rubber feet for the bottom of the case — you’re able to apply these infantry to keep the case from sliding around on flat open , or to protect those surfaces from the case itself .
The downside to the Hardsleeve ’s excellent protection is , as noted above , add bulk ; for example , the version for the 15 - inch MacBook Pro is nearly 16 column inch spacious , 11.5 inches cryptical , and 2 inches thick , and summate nearly two pound to your payload ( the MacBook Pro itself is 14.1 by 9.6 by 1.0 inch ) . But if you need the protection , the mass may be worth it — the Hardsleeve is the most protective sleeve - style case I ’ve seen .
The other unique feature of the Hardcase is a clip - on pliant compartment , approximately one - third the size of the case itself , for storing a few accouterment , such as your laptop computer ’s AC courser and a few cable system . This adds considerable mass to the case , but it does number in ready to hand when you ’re carry the Hardcase by itself .
Although this design mean the Portfolio does n’t furnish virtually as much impact protection as the Hardshell , the Portfolio can conciliate quite a act more geartrain . enceinte than even the bulky Hardshell at 17 by 13 by 2 inches , the Portfolio holds your MacBook Pro and still has enough way for a zippered , nylon pouch to the side for salt away a mouse and several line . There ’s also a thin document pocket in the case ’s palpebra that can hold a file folder or a couple magazines . Your MacBook professional is secured in the case by a nylon shoulder strap that fastens using Velcro .
The Portfolio also offers a couple contain options not determine on the Hardshell . A thin shoulder joint strap , made of the same simulated - crocodile textile , attaches to two calciferol - rings on the outside of the case , and you get two unpadded nylon handgrip that fold into the case when not in consumption . A four - inch encompassing flaps at the top of the case gives you a Velcro closure for carrying the case — for short distance — without hurry it up .
The Portfolio is n’t intimately as protective as Axio ’s Hardshell , I in person do n’t like the fake - crocodile - skin appearance , and the lawsuit is too big to fit in all but the magnanimous of bags . On the other hand , it ’s less expensive than the Hardshell and offer a telephone number of commodious carrying and storage option .
Two unpadded , nylon handles and a brace of connectors for a shoulder strap ( not include ) allow you carry the Brain Cell on its own . An external document pocket accommodate a couple file folders , magazine , or a book ; the pocket is actually somewhat elastic , so you could use it contain your laptop computer ’s AC adapter and a few cables in a pinch .
Although not exactly a hardshell case , the Brain Cell protect about as well and offers more carrying pick ; the power to carry a few small items is a nice bonus when you ’re toting the guinea pig by itself .
( The Brain Cell theoretical account I tested , specifically made for the 15 - inch MacBook Pro , is 15 by 11.8 by 2 inches and weighs approximately one pounding ; variant are available to fit almost any laptop . The Brain Cell is also available in a top - shipment upright model design specifically for use in backpacks . )
