Would you pay for a "rubberized" finish on your MBA?

[ReallyBigFeet]

I believe its the Panasonic Toughbook, not Toshiba.

And whyever would one want to rubberize the MBA of all things???

Because its a GREAT small PC but is otherwise somewhat fragile. If you have some desk job I can see wanting to leave it naked. But if you get out into dirty, industrialized areas....why WOULDNT you want the ability to protect it? Do you think laptops only exist in pristine offices? Just visit any construction site, oil/petroleum site, surveyor business, etc. and you'll see that laptops replaced slide rules a long, long time ago.

Ever sat your MBA down onto a piece of plywood lying across two sawhorses and covered with sand and grit and mortar, using it as your "desk" for the day? Trust me...you'll want something more than a thing plastic coating on it or that nice finish will be toast in mere hours. I go through a case of canned air every month as it is just blowing sawdust out of the ports and keyboard!

And the problem with Toughbooks are that they are super expensive and not very powerful. Plus they don't run OSX.

 

[neteng101]

But if you get out into dirty, industrialized areas....why WOULDNT you want the ability to protect it?

You don't take a Ferrari offroad into the mud or try to tow logs with it.

The MBA was clearly not designed for such usage as you describe... if Apple were to make one, it would make far more sense that they had a ruggedized MBP model, but even then, I suspect the market would be rather small to make it worthwhile.

And tradeoffs have to be made - to make something more durable for rough conditions, you'd have to make it more clunky and heavier in the process.

And I don't get where you get the idea that Toughbooks are slow, underpowered machines?

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

You don't take a Ferrari offroad into the mud or try to tow logs with it.

Thanks for perpetuating the myth that Apple users are a bunch of pansies.

 

[robby818]

My favorite finish on any laptop is the one found on the lids of IBM ThinkPads. It's sort of a matte black, textured finish that has hints of sparkly metallic something mixed in so that it has a subtle sparkle to it. I loved the way the material felt- grippy. Only problem was that oil from your hands tended to discolor it in those places that were touched often. They also used a rubber/satin coating on the palm rest of come thinkpads (x22) that felt really good to the touch.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

^ Thats exactly why I clad my 15" MBP in a Speck See Thru Satin. Its the closest I can get to a Thinkpad's finish. Works great.