Macbook Air 13" case or sleeve ?

Personally I would go for the sleeve. My sister just purchased a MacBook air and tried out a case. Like you said, it really defeated the whole point of it being "thin" and "light". Also, I found the MacBook to get slightly hotter then usual with a case on. If your looking for a vertical sleeve, I would try something like this (remove the shoulder strap on it thought)

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=macbook+air+sleeve&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&clien t=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3023014992227820448&sa=X&ei=SvYDT93WD4ju0gGX -_21Ag&ved=0CHkQ8wIwBA

That is my sleeve for my MB Air 13".

https://www.speckproducts.com/macbook-cases/macbook-air/trimsleeve-for-macbook-a ir.html

I love it!

Cases are a very personal thing and depend greatly on how you plan to use your Air. For me, my current messenger bag includes a built-in laptop sleeve, so when I travel, I will use that. Any separate case I purchase will be merely for storage at home.

That said, I just ordered two from Waterfield Designs (I have an 11 inch MacBook Air, but they make these for 13 inch models too):

http://sfbags.com/products/laptopsuedejacket/laptopsuedejacket.htm

and

http://sfbags.com/products/sleevecases/sleevecases.php

With each, you can order either horizontal or vertical openings. They say the vertical opening is better for backpacks, BTW.

Not sure which one I will keep yet, but am leaning towards the suede jacket. I agree with others in that the Air deserves a thinner, lighter case in keeping with its high portability factor.

My wife's boss started with one of those clear Speck cases. It looked um ... Cheap. Really cheap. I bought a case for my iPad because it does get bumped around, jostled, and so forth. I use it placed I'd never consider trying to use a regular computer.

Over the years I've switched computer carriers frequently, mostly because over time the size and amount of extra stuff I need has been reduced. Today between home and work I need nothing but the computer and when I travel it is down to the power adapter, bus powered portable drive, and a dongle for projectors. I'm looking at the Level8 sleeve at Apple's Web site.

I just bought one of these leather sleeves after seeing it advertised in G.Q. Magazine:

http://www.ascothomemedia.co.uk/products/macpc-products/MintCases/mintcases.html

It wasn't that cheap but it arrived the next day and the quality is just awesome. The leather is top-notch and smells amazing 🙂 It has a wool-felt lining to protect my MBA. I'm really happy with it, would definitely recommend them.

I'm actually a big fan of the Speck Satin covers. I've owned a number of portable Macs over the years. I did use the clear cases in the early days and while they did offer great protection, they did look pretty bad. The Satin line has a finish like the ThinkPads (if you're familiar with that). It's a nice matte... feels like rubber... but it's actually hard plastic. Doesn't scuff or show fingerprints like the glossy versions. It is also super thin and really doesn't take away from the sleekness of the Air. I just prefer hard cases as I find they're most likely to get damaged when they're out of a carry bag and actually being used. The hard cover protects it when it's actually in use. I can put it down and not be afraid of scratching it if I happen to be working on something and need to lay a screwdriver or something on top of it.

https://www.speckproducts.com/seethru-satin-macbook-pro-case-13-black.html

I would definitely go for a Pack & Smooch hampshire sleeve. I bought mine a few months back on macn (danish), but I believe you can buy it directly with Pack & Smooch. You should also take a look at Hard Graft, they produce some lovely but expensive macbook sleeves. 🙂

You weren't lying! It's quite expensive. Don't think I could bring myself to spend that much on a case. I'm liking the look of the www.speckproducts.com cases.

I did a lot of searching around before I bought my Macbook Air case and found this resource quite helpful:

www.bestmacbookaircaseguide.com

I think sleeves offer better protection but the downside is being exposed when you are using the laptop.

If you go with a hard case the Moshi iGlaze is as good as it gets but if you go with a sleeve the Uppercase Genuine Leather Sleeve is the way to go. But for the absolute best protection use a case and a sleeve! 😉