Five things I like about the Speck SeeThru Satin Hard Shell for 17″ MacBook Pro, and one thing I don’t

Gear Diary is reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. You can learn more by clicking here.

Speck has been covered extensively by Gear Diary, and with good reason – their products are well made, they protect the devices they are meant to hold, and they look great! While at CES I visited the Speck booth, and one of the many things that impressed me was that Speck makes a cover for my 17″ laptop — it seems like accessories for this size are rather rare. Fast forward to last week when I received a SeeThru Satin Hard Shell for my 17″ MacBook Pro, and my laptop has not been naked since. Dan just recently reviewed this same shell for his 13″ MacBook Pro, So I am going to use this post to give Speck a tip of the hat for taking care of my 17″ and tell you all five things I like about the SeeThru Satin Hard Shell … and one thing that I don’t.

1.  I like is that this shell is finished in a rubberized coating instead of being slick, shiny and smooth. The rubberized coating not only hides fingerprints and light scratches better, it also makes the laptop easier to grip. If you need a taste of how shiny this shell could have otherwise been, take a look at the contrast between the interior and the exterior.

2. I like that even when encased, I still have unfettered access to all of my laptop’s ports, buttons and slots. The cutouts are perfectly aligned, and there is even a specially designed button which sits over the battery meter so that it can still be pressed through the shell.

3. Although my 17″ doesn’t get nearly as hot as the last generation 15″ MacBook Pro I used to have would, the vents on the bottom should help heat disperse effectively and keep my laptop as cool as possible.

4. Not only does the Hard Shell allow me to tilt my screen back as far as I’d like, the shell is attached as unobtrusively on the top and bottom halves as possible.

5. I like how my laptop is now protectively wrapped and somewhat incognito — there are no see-through windows to display the Apple logo (although it will show when the laptop is turned on) and no obnoxious branding. I can now slip my computer into a tote bag and feel confident that it won’t be scratched up or dinged in transit.

And what about the one thing that I don’t like? I don’t like that the 13″ and 15″ sizes are available in other colors, and the 17″ only comes in black. I think my laptop would look lovely wrapped in red or green or even purple. Black looks nice, and believe me, this cover isn’t coming off anytime soon, but a colored version would be bliss. 🙂

The Speck SeeThru Satin Hard Shell for the 17″ MacBook Pro is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers. It retails for $49.95, and it is available in any color you would like … as long as it’s black.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!

About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.