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InvisibleShield on Macbook
- Thread starter andriella
- Start date
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I installed an InvisibleShield on my daughter's MacBook a couple of months ago. It doesn't look tacky at all to me, as you can hardly tell it's on unless you look closely.
I'd agree with anyone who didn't put it on the trackpad. It works fine, but it doesn't feel nearly as smooth as an unadorned trackpad.
I'm a very impatient person, yet I was able to install the one that goes on the lid. It took me three tries because I kept putting it on at a slight angle. When I pulled it off to try again, I expected to ruin it from stretching. But it snaps back to its original size. On the third try, it was perfectly aligned. Air bubbles do show up, but a credit card takes it out. Getting rid of bubbles is no big deal.
I'd agree with anyone who didn't put it on the trackpad. It works fine, but it doesn't feel nearly as smooth as an unadorned trackpad.
I'm a very impatient person, yet I was able to install the one that goes on the lid. It took me three tries because I kept putting it on at a slight angle. When I pulled it off to try again, I expected to ruin it from stretching. But it snaps back to its original size. On the third try, it was perfectly aligned. Air bubbles do show up, but a credit card takes it out. Getting rid of bubbles is no big deal.
icec0ld said:
It's not exactly a sticker in the usual sense. When you get it, it doesn't stick to anything. You spray it with a liquid that they provide in the package, and it becomes very slippery. You put it on the thing you're covering and you can slide it around easily. It becomes sticky within seconds, but still peelable and repositionable. Gradually it becomes very sticky.
If you get it wrong, like I did twice, you spray it again and peel it off and start over. It's not easy to peel off, but even though it can stretch grotesquely as you're peeling it, it snaps back to its original self.
With the problems I had, I was very generous with their spray. Yet I had half a bottle left when I was done.
vega07 said:
I don't know; I have no expertise to test that. The Standard Shield I got covers areas that don't get very hot, the top lid and the trackpad and arm rest areas. The hottest parts are the bottom case and the top left corner of the keyboard, neither of which are covered.
The hottest application I've run on it is ffmpegx video encoding software. The fans go on like crazy, and I've felt the case all over during these times, and it never felt very alarming. No worse than the 1.5GHz PowerBook G4 I have which has now been outclassed by my daughter's laptop (which is why I run ffmpegx on hers, not mine).
Sounds like you were looking at the full-body shield, which does cover the bottom. I have a hard time believing it'd make any significant difference, but again, I have no data nor expertise to say definitively.
vega07 said:
Only because I had never bought an InvisibleShield before, and I didn't want to spend more than I had to just to try it.
Now that I'm happy with it, I'm still not sure I'd get the bottom cover. The top was difficult enough, and it doesn't have a battery opening and little feet to go around. If I hear someone say it's no worse than putting on the top cover, I'd probably go for it now.
The other thread is talking about Merom-based MacBook Pros, so this might become relevant to me if the good rumors come true shortly.
Scratches
andreas
just so anyone knows, ive used icd cream M from radtech, (http://www.radtech.us) no affiliation, and it removed some very faint scratches. i would NOT use this on a blackbook. i rubbed a little harder, and in my opinion, it made it look worse. worked WONDERS on the metal part of my ipod however.vega07 said:
andreas
I've decided to get a sleeve and the Marware Protection Pack to protect the wrist rest from dirt, scratches from my watch, etc.
There still seems to be a lot of debate on whether the Invisible Shield is as good for Macbooks as it is on iPods.
There still seems to be a lot of debate on whether the Invisible Shield is as good for Macbooks as it is on iPods.
andriella said:
I don't see what the debate is, aside from MAYBE the price, this thing is probably the best scratch protector there is without hindering the looks whatsoever on the MacBook. I'd actually take pictures but the shots from the other person are good enough. It seriously is invisible unless there is direct light hitting it and you're looking at your MacBook at a 25* viewing angle or lower... Compared to the iPod? It's as good if not better. Again, you have to be utterly incompetent to fail at applying this thing. It might take time and you might have to spray it with more liquid so it doesn't settle, but it really isn't that hard. In fact, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich may be harder since you run the risk of cutting your finger with a knife....
here are some pics of my iPod, nano and MacBook all with invisible shields (nano has it only on the screen). i went ahead and took some closeup pics as well and you can see the "ripple" effect when you are extremely up close on the actual surface. this is most obvious in the picture of the wrist area. this ripple / orange peel look is only noticeable when again 1) viewing it at a sub 45* angle or 2) within inches of the actual surface.
![IMG_3216.JPG]()
![IMG_3217.JPG]()
![IMG_3220.JPG]()
![IMG_3223.JPG]()
Is it really true that if you remove the shield there is no residue left behind? Has anyone removed it?
i've removed a few before. and it really depends, if you pull it with low heat there generally wont be any residue (and by low heat i mean taking a blow dryer and putting it on low heat). if you just pull it off, it depends, the longer its on the object, the more residue will be on it.
so the next question will be, "well how to i remove the residue?" simple, either use a mr clean magic eraser, a white plastic eraser (found at a local arts store), tape, or nothing like good ole fashioned elbow grease and a terry clothed towel that you don't mind ruining.
If the InvisibleShield has kept my iPod nano scratchless for over 5 months, then yes, it should do the same for your Macbook. 
no. i think the bottom portion of the shield is dumb. it sits on the table so it's not like you're ever seeing or looking at the bottom of the macbook... as for free shipping, i don't know, i wanted my shield asap so i always paid the 5 bucks for priority.