On any given day Kate Watters would rather be biking than stuck in her car in traffic. She and her husband collected several vintage one-speed bicycles on their honeymoon road trip from Flagstaff to Vermont, riding around small towns along the way. She writes about her field adventures, creative episodes, and the wonder of the natural world in her blog, oh sweet spontaneous life.
I can't have nice things. I am hard on stuff and my Mac laptop is constantly at risk. Luckily, this bombproof Thule Attaché Case for MacBook Pro came along and I can still go where I need to go with less worry and more style.
My job requires that I take extended trips into the field and to conferences. Often I bring my computer because I procrastinated yet another deadline. In the last month, I have tested this case in the windswept sandstone landscape of the Vermilion Cliffs and through airport security.
The sleek design garnered many favorable comments along the way, most memorably from a security guard at the Bozeman airport (who probably has seen his share of laptop cases).
I feel confident carrying my computer in this case when I bike commute, due to the increased security of the durable Polyurethane exterior. It fits nicely into one of my pannier bags, and in the front basket of my Schwinn one-speed.
It is pretty heavy at 2.2 pounds, which is a bummer for bike commuting, and traveling long distances with it over your shoulder. However I believe the weight issue is outweighed (ha!) by the fact that it is built solidly for riding the bus, a plane, a bike or coffee shop hopping.
Of course, I didn't try crashing with it, hosing it down, or dousing it with a bucket of sand. I have yet to take it horseback riding or hang gliding, but my general experience is that your Mac will be safer in this thing than most products available to civilians.
The sleek 007 look solicits many positive comments from people. It is not very cutesy or feminine, so if you are drawn to sassier, brighter colors, this might not be for you. It is much more James Bond than Hello Kitty.
This case is a cross between the hard briefcase and the soft neoprene. But for the end of the world, I think the Thule is the better bet. I personally would like it better if it came in leopard print or bright red, but I might take the opportunity to personalize mine in the future.
I found that the zipper is a little sticky, and seems particularly difficult on the corners but it is water-resistant, so that is a plus. I did read other reviews that expressed frustration with the zipper pulling away, but the case has a 25-year warranty.
This case is specifically designed for Mac geeks. All of your other Mac crap has a home in this thing, including your iPhone and iPad, your cords, etc.
I would be careful of that extra stuff pressing down on your computer, since there is not a ton of padding.
You can see that I actually have a 13" Macbook and it still fits okay.
The clamshell design actually enables you to work on your computer while it is still in the case, however you can't use any of the ports because of the contoured fit.
Essentially this is the perfect portable office. The shoulder strap is a good idea but the way it is attached is awkward when opening the case.
This is not a messenger bag; so don't expect to have enough room to cram your jacket and a to-go sandwich into it.
I will warn you that this case is designed to fit a 15-inch MacBook or MacBook pro. So don't try to stuff a fat, square Dell 15" in it, like I did with my work computer.
The corners are rounded specifically to fit like a glove around your Mac, so the zipper doesn't work for the Dell. Now I need to convince my boss that I need a 15" Mac for work, and the fact that I have this awesome case will hopefully be another good reason.
The Thule Gauntlet TMPA-115 15-Inch PC/MacBook Pro Attaché lists for $79.95 US (apparently only from Apple). A version for 13″ MacBooks is also available from other retailers.