mCover iPearl Hard Shell Case with Free Keyboard Cover for 15" Model A1286 Aluminum Unibody MacBook Pro (Black Keys, 15.4-inch Diagonal Regular Display) - Blue

Let me begin by stating that I seldom give five stars.I was pleasantly surprised with this cover. Most of the reviews were right on, but since it was significantly less expensive than most I was not expecting it to be as well made as it is.In response to one of the questions posted, The cover itself is glossy/shiny with the exception of about a 1 1/4" border around the top which is matte, as is the center square over the Apple logo.Also, contrary to the experience of one of the reviewers, the cover for my 15" MBP DID come with the keyboard protector. I was not expecting this, nor was it a deal breaker because I did not see myself using it anyway. I have to say I am amazed at this little piece of "rubber." It slightly translucent and cut to perfection, molding nicely around all of the keys. It is perfectly designed to fit into the recess of the keyboard. The protector has sufficient weight and static cling to stay put all on its own. It extends roughly 3/8" beyond the outer edge of the keys rising up out of the recess and ending just shy of the speakers on either side. Sure, it is a different tactile experience, and one that I never thought I would want to deal with. But it is good to have and so well made, I will stick it out for a while and see if I can adjust to the change. My only question on this product in general is whether covering the keys will add to the internal temp?When installing the top cover you will notice the both sides have the little clips to catch the edge, but only one of the long sides has the clips. Lacking any instructions I decided to put the cover on with the two clips on the front edge, figuring that they are more important at the front when lifting the cover to open it up. So far so good.PROS: All of the above, plus the cover does not prevent the laptop from closing all the way. Some of the competition do, especially the leather ones. If it didn't close all the way you would have to shut down alll the time instead of allowing it to sleep. This is because if the cover is slightly open, it can wake up and the drive would be spinning while you are on the go - not good.CONS:1. With the bottom cover in place, the display angle is restricted some and will not open much beyond the 90 degree mark. I couldn't find my old plastic protractor, so I am guessing at 100 degree-ish. (Remember protractors? I tossed my in 1973!) If you do not lie in bed, knees up and cover wide open you will not find this to be a problem.2. The other problem is more of a design issue with the laptop itself, but being that the display hinges are too "loose" already, the slight weight addition of the cover causes the lid to close too easily depending on the angle of the base. I would like the ability to tighten the MBP hinges. I will mention this to Steve.Question to be determined: Will covering the keys will add to the internal temp? We shall see.Wish List: As mentioned by another reviewer, the product photo is not totally accurate in its depiction of the Apple logo. This area is a black translucent material. With the laptop off, you do not see the logo. With the laptop on, the logo is visible, but not as crisp and clear as it appears in the photo. I do not have a problem with this, I only point it out in my anal need to be accurate.A Prime Positive: On another note, I have been a Amazon Prime member for a few years now, and if my memory serves me correctly UPS had been delivering my goods. This of course meant no Saturday deliveries. When I placed my order on Thursday it indicated that it would arrive on Saturday. Prime includes free 2-day shipping on most eligible products, but I really didn't expect it on a Saturday. I was wrong. Early this morning (Saturday) FedEx delivered my packages. Nice!I do not work for Amazon, and admittedly I do have a problem parting with $79 annually, but I do so nonetheless. But for those like me who didn't know, you can give four other family members their own Prime membership to use with their own method of payment as long as you maintain your account. There is no additional charge for this an as far as I can tell the only thing you share is a comment on your page indicating that the account is linked to mine as THE MASTER.Advice: Don't get too caught up in being the Prime account MASTER. When my kids were small, I brainwashed them to refer me to as FATHERMAN! I even had a t-shirt with a big red "F" on the chest! The fun didn't last long, its amazing what the slightest bit of separation can do to an image. I quickly became known as FAT HERMAN, and have been so for about 20 years now with no end in sight!

I don't usually write reviews, but when a product does what it's supposed to at a substantial discount to its competitors, I feel obliged to let other consumers know.I previously had a clear Speck case for my 2007 MacBook Pro. When I got my new MacBook Pro in April, 2011, I read all the reviews for cases made by Speck, InCase, and mCover. I must admit, I was a bit concerned that the mCover cost so little (would it be "cheap" rather than inexpensive?), but in the end, I'm thrilled I went with the clear mCover.Why? First, it's significantly less expensive. Second, it took less than 15 seconds to install, even with no instructions. Third, it does what it's supposed to do. Fourth, it's lighter weight than my old Speck case (not sure if that would be true of the 2011 version of Speck), yet would appear to do an equally good job of protecting the computer from scratches and light bumps. (Because the old Speck case was heavier, I'd guess it MIGHT do a better job if I dropped the laptop from a height, but, hey, in that case, all bets are off.)Finally, after reading all those reviews, here were my >unfounded< concerns about the mCover:1 - The legs: Yes, the little flip down legs that adjust the typing position are a bit flimsy, but so far, they're working. Most of the time, I wouldn't ever use them, and when they're folded away, I don't even know they're there. At the moment, the laptop is on a countertop, and I have the legs set for more comfortable typing. Honestly, though, I'd be fine without them, as my old Speck case didn't have them, and I've never felt a strong need for them. If they do break, so what?2 - The charging cord: Some of the reviews said they found a design flaw --- the case's design prevents them from putting the charging cord in with the cord running toward the back of the computer, or that the charger is loose when they do that. These reviewers said this means they need to run the cord toward the front of the laptop, but that blocks the adjacent ethernet port. Perhaps mCover changed the design, but in my case, the charging cord easily fits in and stays in facing in either direction, so this is absolutely NOT a concern. (Yes, I have the newer style charging cord that I'm guessing is standard with all new MacBook Pros.)3 - Some reviews mentioned a bowing of the top lid cover (front and center), where another "clip" would help keep the top piece in place. They said dust, etc. could get in between the lid and top of the laptop. Had these reviewers not mentioned this, I wouldn't have noticed it, so slight is the "bowing." But, yes, it's there to a VERY minimal extent. It's hard for me to imagine much of anything getting in there, and if, occasionally something were to get in there, duh, I'd just remove the cover, clean it out, and reinstall. It takes all of 15 seconds to take off or install, yet stays on securely, so I don't really see what the fuss is all about.4 - The way the two pieces come together may marginally (very, very slightly) reduce the angle on how far I can tilt open the top lid for ease of use when lying down/sitting. But truly, it still opens well past 90 degrees, and it's absolutely fine. As I type this right now, I've moved to a sitting position, and it's absolutely perfect.My only "complaint" is that the product description on Amazon's website says the product is made of USA plastic. That may or may not be true, but the product packaging states that it's made in China. Given China's labor/environmental policies and arrests of dissidents, I have a purely personal preference for buying US made goods, but, hey, in today's world, that's often impossible.Conclusion: Very glad I bought the mCover rather than another Speck.