This is a relatively hard case that will protect against scratches. It may provide some small small level of shock protection, but I would not depend on that. I returned it because of that reason.
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I was really excited about the strong, ballistic nylon that this case features it's molded seemingly perfectly for a slim, but rigidly protective Macbook case. Using this on a 2012 15" Unibody Macbook Pro (non-retina), which is the only computer that this case is for, I can tell you that you can expect this zipper to fail very quickly. It is of significantly lower quality than the nylon, used for the case, and is in fact too tight to be able to withstand its own tension a quality control issue, perhaps.Either way, as you'll se in the photo, but the zipper teeth pulled themselves apart around the front edge of the case the very first time I opened the package. Once the zippers' integrity is compromised, it won't hold in the future, especially under similar conditions. Further, when I retracted to the zipper to work out the kink, the zipper pull inexplicably, under no more tension than I would quickly pull any other case zipper just broke right off. Wow.
I have to assume Booq has a lack of oversight in the quality control department, because I can't see such a flawed product being approved by a team of professionals. These are marketed as a premium product, so it is more than reasonable to expect the all-important enclosure mechanism to be fully functional.
It's unfortunate, because I really wanted the Booq Viper case for all of our company machines it was the best-designed style of hardshell I'd found for the Macbook Pro, and was reasonably priced if it worked. I'd give the exterior a 4, and the zipper a -4 (complete failure).
Booq's customer support was responsive, and processed my refund quickly. I asked them if there were an alternative, or if some other batch of cases had received upgraded components but I didn't receive a response to that question, nor did I receive the offer of a replacement. Missed opportunity.
If some case-maker out there were to make a ballistic-nylon hardshell slim case like this, and add something as simple as a properly-fitted flight-jacket style rugged zipper then I'd be glad to purchase your first batch.
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Described on Amazon site and on manufacturer's product packaging as suitable for a 15-inch MacBook Pro. My 15-inch mid-2012 conventional (non-Retina) MacBook Pro simply would not fit -the case is too 'slim' to accommodate the MacBook's modest thickness. With considerable care and effort I could get one zipper slider past one corner of the MacBook, but I could not maneuver the second slider past the MacBook's other corner. When I attempted this, the zipper would consistently separate behind the slider.I'm more than a little disappointed -the case's semi-hard shell has the potential to provide superior protection to my expensive new MacBook. I am reluctantly returning it.
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See addendum at the end for further thoughts.-----
Original Review, 2013-04. One star.
I do not recommend getting a Viper case, or any Booq case. What was once a quality product has fallen and become useless.
This is my second Booq Macbook case and everything has changed. The first case I bought, in 2007, was for my 15" MacBook Pro and I used that case around the world and it performed excellently. It functioned well as a sleeve or as a full case, in a backpack or a messenger bag, zipped well, was sized perfectly, and lasted longer than the laptop.
I didn't even hesitate to order a Booq case for my 2013 15" MBP, but was immediately disappointed by the product revisions. The metal zipper looks nice but jams frequently, even when there is nothing in the case. The zipper also doesn't bind right and splits itself, making for a huge headache getting the laptop out of the case. This case will not easily function as a sleeve as the previous versions would. It is near impossible to slide the laptop out of the case, I assume it is because the case is slightly too small.
I suspected that my case might have a defective zipper or have been mis-tagged as a regular 15" instead of a 15" Retina or something, and so I tried to contact Booq customer support for a replacement. Their website was broken and wouldn't take support requests. After a lot of poking and prodding I got it to take my support request but never heard a reply.
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Edit 2013-05, Two stars.
Given my dissatisfaction with the product, I decided to see how I could improve it. After all, I had nothing to lose, it was awful to use. I noticed that part of the problem with the zippers binding, splitting, and losing their zipper pulls was that the carriage loop which holds the pull was lifted, causing the carriage to misalign or even release the pull. It too me a few tries to find the right plier to crimp it back down, but it is functioning much better now.
As for the size of the case, I found and removed the problem. There are two elastic strips near the bound side of the case. These strips fold improperly and lay around the wrong part of the laptop, causing the case to fit incorrectly . The incorrect fit makes removing the laptop from the case difficult because the case is already fit so well to the laptop. I can see no benefit from these elastic strips for my use of this case, so I cut them out.
Given these modifications, I'm updating my review and rating from one star to two. If anyone from Booq is reading this, you should stop putting those elastic bands in your cases.
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