Laptopstickershop's Black Bezel Skin for Macbook Pro/Air
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When the Apple announced a a high resolution antiglare option for their screens in their Macbook Pro line, photographers and video editors sang in praise for the decline of overly glossy and reflective glass of previous Pro models. But that bezel...some people miss that black frame surrounding the screen, ans it is almost trademark of an Apple unibody design. There are little to no solutions out there for people who want a black bezel and an antiglare screen...until today. Enter Laptopstickershop's carefully cut Black Bezel Skin for Macbook Pro, and Macbook Air computers. This just might be one solution for those who want the classic macbook look. Check out a review after the break!
I have been looking for a solution for my High Resolution Anti-Glare (HR AG) silver bezel since I first got my computer last year...and believe me, there is little out there in the way of a temporary, low cost solution. Doing a quick google, there is little to be had. While a lot of people say that the silver of the HR AG looks classy on the new macbook pros, there is that little itch for the newly accepted in your face look at that black bezel. I knew I was not alone in this desire so in taking initiative, I contacted a new friend at Laptopstickershop who agreed with me. Something like this would be worth a try.
After careful measuring, and obtaining the proper tools for precision cutting, Laptopstickershop and I came up with this resulting product, which atually turned out much nicer than I anticipated. The skin is a matte black vinyl, so it does not attract finger prints. It has cut outs for the camera and light sensor, and the words Macbook Pro on the bottom. The fellow over at LSS was very open to making changes as needed to the skin, and thus it seems for now, it can be customized based on the buyer's wishes.
Fit: Fits very well on the machine. After some test skins, we have found that it is best to make the skins a hair smaller than the rubber gasket around the bezel, so that the vinyl does not lift. What results is a hair of silver peeking out on all sides of the skin. This does not bother me, and in fact looks pretty good anyways. The fit will depend on the care that is put into applying the skin. If you do a bad job, you will get a bad fit. Regarding the cut outs for the logo and camera - I have heard a lot of people prefer against the holes, but of course they are needed to get a working camera and light sensor at the least. The seller has told me that the cut out for the logo is optional.
Ease of application: No lie, this is hard to apply. It works best with 2 people stretching out opposing corners of the skin so that the corners are applied first. You can also do it with one person, but you need to be very slow and methodical and light with application while you decide how to finalize the positioning. It makes sense that this thing is hard to apply - you are putting something so thin and precise onto a bezel to cover at much of it as possible without revealing any underlying silver or hanging ledges. This application is defintely for the careful and accurate.
PARDON MY DUST!
Result: After my careful application, I had a skin that had a couple bubbles, that eventually died down after a couple weeks. The cut outs were perfect, and there is a hair line silver bezel border peeking between the bezel and the rubber gasket. As of this review, there is a tiny bit of vinyl that comes off the edge of the bezel, that can attract dust if you are not careful. I have talked to the designer and he is modifying the skin to cut back on that edge to reduce the dust.
Verdict: I very much love the way my macbook HR AG looks right now with the skin applied. It looks very good, and I think the quality vinyl, and the attention to detail in how it was cut make this a great solution for anyone yearning for a black bezel on thier Macbook Airs or Macbook Pro High Resolution Angtiglare machines. The only problem I can see with the skin is that there is a slight overhanging ledge of skin over the bezel which can make for a very nice place for dust to get into and settle. Since applying the skin and discussing the results with Bryan over at Laptopstickershop, hopefully some adjustments can be made to wittle down this little nuisance.
