Experience with booq viper and brain cell cases

[MikeyTree]

I'd like to buy a hard-shelled, padded case for by shiny new MBP. (Hugs MBP ) I'm thinking of a booq Viper m2 or a tombihn vertical brain cell. For the people who own one of these, how are they? I'm mostly looking for something to protect it from the occasional bump and shock as I carry it in a backpack or bag, as well as protecting it from being crushed by books and other things in my bag.

 

[heatasmallhouse]

I have the Vyper M2. It's designed to prevent scratches and punctures rather than jolts and shocks. However, it fits well (I got a bad one the first time, had to return it to booq for a new one...great customer service) and doesn't add any bulk to the machine.

the BrainCell will protect against jolts, shocks, scratches, and all...but you're going to be adding a decent amount of bulk to your machine (look for pictures of it posted on forums, etc)

 

[PDE]

I have the older version of the brain cell (with a zipper) and it's great. It protects very well from bumps and drops when it's put in a backpack - and I can use it in any backpack which to me is a big plus. I feel very confident putting my computers in the brain cell.

Highly recommended. Trager also used to make a hard case, but I don't think it fits the MBP. The trager case was of better quality and offered even better protection than the brain cell.

 

[milk242]

i had a booq vyper for my old laptop (vaio TX) and they work pretty well and its durable, but I wouldn't think it would do much protection other than from scratches. One thing I noticed was that the zipper was a little hard to pull closed and would sometimes rub against my vaio, but once zipped up the zipper will have no contact with the laptop. Right now I have a Moshi Codex for my MBP and its awesome, really plush and their "viscotex" is basically semi hard memory foam and the outside is like a hard plastic under their sythetic cover.

 

[MikeyTree]

I have the Vyper M2. It's designed to prevent scratches and punctures rather than jolts and shocks. However, it fits well (I got a bad one the first time, had to return it to booq for a new one...great customer service) and doesn't add any bulk to the machine.

the BrainCell will protect against jolts, shocks, scratches, and all...but you're going to be adding a decent amount of bulk to your machine (look for pictures of it posted on forums, etc)

Thanks! That's very helpful. I'm not all that concerned about bulk, but I am concerned about weight. How much weight does the BrainCell add? Also, how usable would it be as a carrying case all on its own?

Would either of them protect againts dents, or against pressure, like from having heavy books next to it?

 

[JAT]

Brain Cell's not real heavy, and I've used it several times as a bag on its own with the power cord stuffed in its little side pocket. I have the standard horizontal version. Pretty obvious it's a laptop like this, though. Don't set it down.

Pressure: depends on how much. It will even out a point of pressure pretty well, and is designed to be shoved into a backpack next to books. It has hard sides, but soft ends, so squeezing pressure is the one thing it won't really stop if there is too much. A couple books in a bag shouldn't be an issue, I used to do this all the time. Assuming the bag is big enough for all this stuff.

Dents: should protect against these. Also protects the laptop if you drop the bag, unless it lands right on the end of the bag.

 

[Gymnut]

Have you considered Axio's hard cases?

http://www.axio-usa.com/

 

[Sopranino]

Have you considered Axio's hard cases?

http://www.axio-usa.com/

I can definitely second this one. Consider a hard case with a sling bag to carry it in. This will give you excellent protection. If you need more carrying capacity (for camera gear etc.) then you could also take a look at the ultimate bag that axio carries and that is the DJ Beat Bag. (I have one on order myself along with a hard case.)

I have done a fair amount of searching for a good quality computer bag and after going through a sizable number of different manufacturers I went with Axio. (Booq is a decent brand as well)

Sopranino

 

[MikeyTree]

Those Axio cases look promising too. How well padded are they,especially on the top and bottom? Do they mostly protect against punctures and scratches, like the Booq Vyper, or will they protect against bumps and shocks as well?

With its hard plastic, I'm also curious how heavy it is, in relation to the brain cell. It's a shame that retail stores don't carry these. I'd love to go look at them side by side.

 

[krisis1]

I've got a Vertical Brain Cell, as does a friend of mine, and we both love it for our MBP's!