Technology Bytes

When I was in The Netherlands a few months ago, I outfitted my 17″ MacBook Pro with a MarWare Protection Pack that consisted of a keyboard cover and a hand rest that adheres to the rather large piece of real estate surrounding the touchpad. While this does wonders to protect my screen from keyboard cuts, the outer shell of my MacBook was still vulnerable to scratches and scrapes.

A few weeks later, Jay Lee threw a box my way with the understanding that I would write a review of its contents. That was the better part of two months ago. Luckily for the folks at Sonnet Technologies, I took my time. The product in question is their newest edition to the MacBook protection line, the 2fit Laptop Sleeve.

The first time I tried to insert my MacBook into the sleeve, it was a *very* tight fit. Given the heft of the 17″ MacBook Pro, I needed some aid from the top of my desk. This left me wondering if the 2fit would do harm than good to the corners of My Precious. The trouble inserting the the MacBook was eclipsed only by the difficulty of getting it back out.

Given my track record with hardware, I knew that it was only a matter of weeks before I earthed the laptop while taking it out of the sleeve. The risk/reward ratio on this product was just too high… I was about to call it quits when I noticed that the grey microfiber fabric went smashingly well with a new courrier bag I had picked up in London on the last leg of my trip to The Hague. The sacrifices we make for style…

Now that I’ve spent some time with the sleeve, it has loosened up considerably. Instead of trying to pull it free of the 2fit’s protective clutches, I now have enough wiggle room to pull the sleeve back onto itself, allowing the MacBook to emerge from its protective cocoon in much the same way a banana emerges from it’s skin. Without the rips in the fabric, of course… The fabric seems to be very durable and somewhat stretchier than I had first thought.

I failed to mention that a screen protector was also in the box, nearly identical to the Marware protector that I was already using (there’s only so much you can do with a fitted keyboard cover that doubles as a microfiber screen cleaner). After having cut the screen of my 15″ TiBook, I was already sold on this product. If you’re not already using something to protect the screen of your Apple laptop, it’s only a matter of time before you can start to see the outline of keys biting into your screen. Don’t make the same mistakes I did…

While I have yet to soil the Sonnet 2fit sleeve, their site does claim that it is machine washable. I’ll amend this review once I toss it into the wash, perhaps including a video of the safer way to holster and remove your weapon of choice.