The Apple Macbook Pro is one of the most beautiful laptops I have ever seen. It’s also the absolutely best laptop I have ever used and I’m not the only PC guy saying that. Ed Lau was recently bitten by the Apple bug.
At over $2,000, a Macbook Pro is a fairly expensive machine. I’m sure owners would hate to see any scratches on its slick aluminum body. This is where the Invisible Shield comes in. The Invisible Shield is a skin of virtually indestructible film that will protect your MacBook Pro (or any other pieces of electronics) from unsightly scratches, dings, keys, etc.
Each shield is custom cut to fit the intended laptop perfectly. The full body kit for the Macbook Pro comes in nine pieces and cost $54.95. Lower coverage kits are available for less.
Since I’ve never installed an Invisible Shield before, I had Gary Ng from iPhone In Canada help me – he recently put a shield on his iPhone. I thought Gary knew what he was doing until I saw how he took nearly 30 minutes to put the first piece of film on. I did the remaining eight pieces myself in 10 minutes. It helps when you used to own a printing and sign shop. 
Did you enjoy this post? Get John Chow Dot Com updates via email...
Stay up to date with all of John Chow’s tips for making money online and blog posts by subscribing via email. Your email will be kept private and never shared with anyone.
One of the most common complaint (or excuse) I hear from potential new bloggers is they don’t know how to install WordPress. Terms like FTP and CPanel are like a foreign language and setting up a database might as well be setting up the space shuttle for a launch. Because of the technology barrier, many would-be bloggers never start their blogs...
{ 57 comments }
Nice Idea john… really great
Does it allow heat to get out? I guess it does, but it would worry me that it insulates and therefore increases the interior temperature of the unit. I know the units I see at the store all wrapped up in plastic, sitting on hot fluorescent-lit worksurfaces seem to get QUITE hot… And what will shorten a laptop’s life but excessive?
The film is 0.2mm thicks. Heat passes right through it.
That’s a good idea. I should get a film for my cell phone.
how can the heat pass through it without burn it knowing that the film is too thin?
As long as the plastic is a conductor and not an insulator there shouldn’t be a problem?
Cool product, I can see myself purchasing that. John, Can you send me an iPhone so I have something to put it on?
I see you affiliate link JC. Still, the products are freaking amazing (+ free shipping) so I’ll take it.
pcworld20 = 20% off
John have his affiliate links in almost all the products here lol
sO ITS A FILM
John–have you tried approaching Apple for advertisement? Since you have been praising/mentioning about Apple…
Just curious.
So I take it they only make these ‘shields’ for Macbooks?
They make it for all brands of laptops and PDAs.
I have one for my iTouch. It works great.
As john owns Mac, he mentioned about shield for mac, but i think its for all laptops!
How’s it work on the individual key or is that not covered? Does it impede sensitivity of the touchpad too?
The keys are not covered. The touchpad is. Sensitivity is not impeded at all but the pad does not glide as slick as before because there’s a plastic film on it. However, it’s quite easy to get use to.
Cool! Not a bad investment for a slick looking laptop.
There is a coupon in the PCWorld mag that gives you 20% off, “pcworld20″ if you order off their site.
I think John may want you to buy via his link not PC Worlds
Doesn’t say you can’t use his affiliate link and apply the coupon code. Or maybe it does :p If someone orders let us know if the code works. Saving money is just as good as important as making money.
Quite expensive, but I guess it has value for the mobile blogger. I mean, for the price of $50, you might save yourself from wrecking your laptop and having to buy another one.
Thats a good idea.
let me get one. but costly.
Interesting. A Macbook Pro’s own knight in invisible armor. Never seen something like that before.
And I really need to get a laptop. Maybe I’ll look into this one…
SO you want me to spray a soapy solution on my laptop to put a clear plastic cover over it….hmmm, sounds dodgey and not worth the risk to me. Some of that soapy water gets through to the motheboard and you’ll have a nice and shiny broken laptop.
I’ll think i’ll stick to getting the odd scratch, that really dont bother me and just replace the thing when its getting old and is a bit scratched. $50 for this doesnt seem worth it to me.
*lightbulb moment*
Just seen the affliate links, i get you now. Turning that 2nd placed income closer to number 1. All makes sense now…
It’s not my aff link. It’s Gary’s.
I don’t know John I cannot understand why all the fuss about using affiliate links. Even if it was your link who cares. I think that 54.99 is a great investment to protect a laptop that costs 2000.00. So what if you or Gary make a buck or two through an affiliate program. If it is something you use and stand behind why not promote it. Probably close to 70% of your readers have blogs, or are affiliate marketers themselves. Readers come here to learn how to make money online. Follow his footsteps. If a product is something you believe in why not promote it, and make a little cash in the process.
On a side note. I think I might fly out to Canada just to have some pho. In this area about the closest thing you can get is mamy instant noodles from an asian market.
If I had an account with Invisible Shield I would have used my affiliate link.
Dot Com Pho is in Richmond. It’s the closest thing you can get to being in Asia without being there.
You guys should come here to my town and we could go out for some Dot Com Redneck Diner Chicken Fried Steak.
The only other option is Dot Com Taco Bell.
Instant noodles isn’t very authentic.
Can’t understand why people moan about affiliate links in blogs that promote making money online. Of course people are going to use affiliate links where they can.
John, you have officially turned into a fanboy
Yes, but can I run over my MacBook Pro with my Segwey and not sustain any damage?
MotoTTZ did a good job
Is the plastic hard once it’s dry, or is it more rubberized kind of like those rubbery skins they have for iPods?
It’s rubbery, but not THAT rubbery. And a LOT thinner than any other skin you’ll see.
I’ve had one of these for my iPod for ages and it is absolutely awesome. Recently I took advantage of their lifetime free replacement policy to replace my shield, and after peeling it off was I pleased to see that the iPod was as pristine as the day I bought it – and this was *after* I had demonstrated its coolness countless times by scratching it with my keys.
I think laptops are like sunglasses – when you buy an expensive pair you’re always dinging it up and losing it. So I bought the cheapest laptop I could get for $600 – a nice Compact. I’ve dragged it all of the world and it doesn’t have a ding on it!
Yeah true, plus with the computers getting better and better each year it seems like you need to upgrade all the time to keep up with it.
~Terry
$54.95 is pretty steep for a plastic cover for a Mac or any cover for that matter.
A $55 dollar Mac condom
Haha, for the best and safest use! lol
I heard of this invisible shield months ago.For me it is too costly.
Well John I have heard so much about you.You are regarded one of the great blog gurus and blogged on many of the blogs. I didn’t knew anything about you until I visited your blog a few times.
I just have a small request, would you like to guest post on my blog. Or can you give me some suggestion on my blogs.You presence at my blog is most awaited.
That’s a cool analogy. I guess, however, if you want and need a laptop with the capability to hold a lot of images, videos, and if you need one with a lot of RAM, them you have to shell out the money. If all you’re going to do on a laptop is word processing, then you can go with the $600 one.
I actually really like the aluminum feel of my Macbook Pro and I have a sleeve to protect it during transport so I doubt I’ll be putting this stuff on mine. It’s like putting a plastic cover on a handcrafted Italian leather sofa.
My biggest problem isn’t scratches on my devices (phone, iPod, etc)…it’s how they always fall out of my pockets when sitting down or when they’re in my jacket pocket. To stop them from falling out I took a 1″ x 1″ patch of skateboard deck tape and put it on the back…works like a charm.
BTW…Invisible Shield is one of our sponsors here at my workplace. I didn’t realize how popular their product was until I started searching for them on the web. Who would’ve thought clear plastic tape would be so popular?
Aww dang John, you should’ve told me to get you one from China. The ones from China are actually the original ones because Invisible Shield uses them to sell
-Mike
Well, it’s not like I paid for it.
I’m going to write about this!
I am using the InvisibleShield on my iPod Nano too! However, you definitely need to spray the solution on the film to soften it. So far, my iPod haven’t been scratched yet since I put the Shield on.
I use the Invisible Shield on my MacBook Pro 17 also and say I almost view it as essential. I had an identical PowerBook 17 and did not use it. The one thing I learned from that is that over time the right wrist rest and the mouse area started to show a lot of wear something that did not happen with my Pismo PowerBook. I like to rotate out machines every year or so and one of the things that PC people may not know, is that a used Mac that is in good condition can do quite well on ebay. I keep all the packaging and usually get top dollar because I keep the machines in such good shape. The PowerBook I had did not do so well because of that wear. The Invisible Shield is one of those additions I think that will pay for itself. With that said, I do not cover the top of the mac. I only cover the inside of the laptop and the bottom only because I think the skin on the top takes away from the look of the machine.
It just looks like a bunch of stickers to protect from scratches??? You really trust it with your expensive mac laptop?
Shudogg Dot Com – Make Money Online Blogging
awesome
I’m not sure I need to protect my laptop with an invisible film because it seems like technology advances so much that I have to replace it every couple years anyways. I’m sure you’ll be getting a new Mac next year too John
~Terry
I went over to John’s house to help with the install…let me tell you my side of the story, I was doing fine but John was in a rush to go workout so we had to speed it up
John–it’s G A R Y, not G A R R Y!
The InvisibleShield is awesome, I have it on my iPhone (the install takes a bit longer due to the tricky corner pieces, but still easy) and it’s fantastic. It adds some extra grip to the slippery iPhone. Definitely worth it given the lifetime warranty and 30 day money back guarantee!!!
Great product for the iPhone but not really for the MBP.
your mac looks nice after the shield is on … don’t abuse it John just use it like u normally do :p
Looks great with the Invisible Shield on it, not only does it protect it from scratches but it also makes it look nice and shiny.