Is it better to get a hard shell case for my macbook or a sleeve? What are some pros and cons of getting one or the other?
MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8)
If you are going to move it a lot, I suggest the hard shell, to protect during the trips against small bumps. If you only want it to protect from dirt, get the sleeve.
I'm moving my Mac all over the place and using it for server/router/switch recovery all the time, having to set it in the most dirty and scratch-prone of places. Hence I opted for a Speck hard shell, that covers all and only leaves the hinge, DVD and connector areas exposed. Available in transparent, colored or rubberized black finishes. I got the transparent, but the rubberized black looks wicked; unfortunately, that finish starts peeling off after about a year or so.
Word of warning, though: the shell is not airtight against the Mac. Dirt does manage to wriggle its way in between and you have to take the shell off every couple of weeks to clean in there.
Would it be good to buy both the sleeve and the hard shell case. Also, does the hard shell prevent damage to the finishing of the mac...scratches, etc.?
I'm just concerned because I will have my mac in my backpack with other textbooks, so would it be better if I got both of them?
Like Courcoul - I use Speck........then it goes in my laptop bag.....
http://www.speckproducts.com/macbook-cases/macbook-pro.html
I use both - actually 3 of them - my speck case - then in the sleeve - then in my laptop bag...
Hard Shell Case http://www.hardcandycases.com/hard-shell-for-macbook-pro-retina.html
They says they have "Crumple" zones on the corners. So this may be a winer for you
Hard Shell Case vs. Sleeve
