For the past month I've been testing out an Invisible Shield by Shield Zone on my MacBook. Shield Zone's products are simple, protective pieces of clear film. Shield Zone makes Invisible Shields for just about every gadget out there, in fact I just applied one on my Motorola Q. Anyhow, this post is about the MacBook shield. I originally decided to check out the shield when I had heard about the notorious discoloration defect on the MacBooks.
One thing is for sure - every invisible shield product comes with everything you need. Application solution, the shield and a squeegee. The one thing I was dreaded was applying the shield. From my previous experience with other "shields," I assumed you had to get it right the first time or it stuck. Not so with the Invisible Shield. You apply the application solution on the sticky side of the shield, place it down and slide it in place. After that all you do is squeegee out the excess solution and let it set over the next day or so.
There are two types of MacBook shields available. There is the complete one that covers the bottom, top and palm rest area and there is the regular one that doesn't protect the bottom. The easy part of the installation is the palm rest, trackpad and mouse button Invisible Shield application. Applying the larger shields to the exterior of the MacBook is near impossible without an extra hand to help you. Reading from others with the Invisible Shield over at the yet to be launched 123MacBook.com, many others are also having this problem. Several people said they couldn't get it aligned and bubble-free at all so they left it out.
Regardless of installation woes, Shield Zone offers an effective product. I enjoy the fact that I can use my MacBook right after having eaten a meatball sub and not even worry about sullying the palm rest. The oils stay on top of the shield, making it easy to clean off and prevent absorption into the delicate plastics. The shield is made primarily to protect against scratches and it does that extremely well. I often type with my watch on and having the Invisible Shield ensures me that I won't damage anything. However, the Invisible Shield does alter the appearance of the MacBook slightly as shown below.
The Invisible Shield by Shield Zone is a high-quality product that does exactly as advertised. The only negating factors are the relatively high price and somewhat challenging application of the product on larger items. For smaller gadgets, Invisible Shields are a breeze to install. If you truly value your expensive Apple computer, as you should, $55 isn't too much to shell out.