The Speck SeeThru SATIN is as close to a MacBook softener as you can get. The matte finish helps make the hard aluminium shell feel smoother to the touch, and the soft-touch coating rounds the sharp edges of the wrist pad. Add to that the full-body scratch protection that preserves access to all the lights […]
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Review: Speck SeeThru SATIN for 13″ MacBook Pro

Apr 22nd 2011 by

The Speck SeeThru SATIN is as close to a MacBook softener as you can get. The matte finish helps make the hard aluminium shell feel smoother to the touch, and the soft-touch coating rounds the sharp edges of the wrist pad. Add to that the full-body scratch protection that preserves access to all the lights and ports, and you’ve got yourself a case!

 

SNAP ON, SNAP OFF

I’ve used some other Speck cases that needed dedicated tutorial videos to install or remove, and although I ended up watching one for the Satin, I’m glad to say that the instructions weren’t needed after all. Installing the hard case is a simple matter of wiping both it and the MacBook down and then snapping all the corners into place. Removing it requires a few tugs on the corners, and the only thing I had to be careful of was not to pull too hard. One thing that I find really classy about the Satin’s design is how the Speck logo is integrated. You can see it on the top cover when the case is off, but it’s basically invisible when the cover is on the MacBook. I think it’s always better when a company lets quality stand for their products, instead of stamping a logo everywhere they can put it.

LIKE IT ISN’T THERE

At the desk, I have found no difference between a naked MacBook and one wearing Satin, and that’s great. I have even made sure to check the temperature of the machine as it runs to see if it’s any higher, but the fans still run at their usual 2500-3000 RPM and the CPU temperature stays stable at around 65 degrees Celsius.

HEAVY, NOT HEAVY DUTY

I see the Satin as a shell to provide a bit of colour (or all-encompassing satiny darkness, in my case) and style, but not as any sort of heavy duty protection for the MacBook. Surprisingly, though, the matte finish and scratch protection that the Satin provides clocks in at around 1 pound, or a little under 25% of my 13″ MacBook Pro’s weight. You can definitely feel this extra mass when you lift a MacBook with a SeeThru Satin installed, but I don’t mind it because I don’t tend to move my MacBook around half as much as I used to.

CONCLUSION

I think the Speck SeeThru SATIN should be a pretty easy decision as far as purchases go, as long as you don’t mind the bit of extra weight that the plastic shell will add. Now that I have an iPad, I don’t intend on lugging my MBP to nearly as many places, so having the Satin installed simply feels like an awesome matted-finish upgrade to my speedy little laptop, and I’m quite happy to have it around.

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You can pick up the SeeThru Satin from Gearzap’s MacBook Cases section for about £30 (tax included) or about $50 from Speck’s website (tax not included in price).

The Speck SeeThru SATIN was provided by Gearzap for review on iSource. For further information regarding our site’s review policies, please see the “About” page.

 

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