Customers
I ordered this for my new MacBook Pro 13". It came in a manila envelope, keyboard was packed in a cylinder shaped paper packaging with a rubber band wrapped around. Since it is only silicone, it lay flat as soon as I opened it so no issues there (I was afraid it would stay curved). The cover is basically silicone with the Mac keyboard layout printed on it (black keys with white letters/numbers). I do want to mention that I use my MBP very extensively, perhaps 12-14 hours a day at a minimum. So I have tested this keyboard rather thoroughly over the past few weeks.
FIT - The keyboard fits perfectly in the keyboard tray. I was initially under the impression that this would stick in some way to the base, but it doesn't. Wasn't sure how this would stay in place just floating above the keyboard, but it actually stays on very securely. I have closed and opened my MBP several times over the past few days and the keyboard adheres very well. There really is no need for any adhesive, which is a good thing.
FEEL - It looks exactly like the MBP keyboard so the Mac still retains its amazing looks. It doesn't interfere with the palm-rest area either so typing feels "almost" as good as typing on the Mac keyboard itself. If you were to look at the Mac closely, you still wouldn't know that there is a cover on the keyboard.
Haven't had any overheating issue yet, as mentioned by other reviewers.
CONs - 2 primary issues and 1 minor one:
FIT - The keyboard fits perfectly in the keyboard tray. I was initially under the impression that this would stick in some way to the base, but it doesn't. Wasn't sure how this would stay in place just floating above the keyboard, but it actually stays on very securely. I have closed and opened my MBP several times over the past few days and the keyboard adheres very well. There really is no need for any adhesive, which is a good thing.
FEEL - It looks exactly like the MBP keyboard so the Mac still retains its amazing looks. It doesn't interfere with the palm-rest area either so typing feels "almost" as good as typing on the Mac keyboard itself. If you were to look at the Mac closely, you still wouldn't know that there is a cover on the keyboard.
Haven't had any overheating issue yet, as mentioned by other reviewers.
CONs - 2 primary issues and 1 minor one:
1. Typing accuracy - This keyboard does change the typing experience to some extent. Having gotten fairly comfortable with typing on it over the past few weeks, I don't mind the imperfections now. However, you are likely to notice that you miss a key as you are typing. Fortunately, most such mistakes are corrected with the auto-spell check, but sometimes it just picks up the wrong word, so you will need to be careful. The highest likelihood of mistakes occurs with keys on the top rows of the keyboard (qwerty keys). I guess this is because with your wrist resting on the Mac, the fingers fall on the top keys more horizontally (i.e. with less pressure) than they do on keys in the bottom half of the keyboard, where they fall more vertically (i.e. more pressure). I have average sized wrists and fingers, it's entirely possible the experience for someone with large or small fingers my be different.
2. Finish - After only 3 weeks of heavy use, some of the black color in the keys has already started coming off. Not a big deal so far, but I can see the letters wearing off within the next 5-6 weeks. Again, this factor would depend largely on usage time for each user.
3. The hole for the Caps Lock light is spot on, exactly where it should be. However, given the not-completely-transparent silicone material, the light is visible only if you're typing in the dark. At any other time, the light is so faded that it's not really visible through the cover. Same issue with the back light, the cover does dim the back lit keyboard somewhat. Either of these factors is not a deal-breaker for me personally.
All in all, given the price of this cover, I would be happy if I can get even 2-3 months of use from it. Most of the other such covers I looked at were priced at $20 plus, which I think is a rip-off given that it's only silicone. This product is a good investment in protecting an expensive device that I'm sure most of us would like to keep for at least a few years!
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