Computer Used: I bought this item for my HP Mini 1000 10.2" screen netbook. This computer is very compact for a 10" mini so take that into consideration when reading this review.
Fit: When you first see it, it looks as if it's not going to fit because it's so small, but to my surprise, it fit just right. There isn't any distance between the edge of the netbook and the zipper when closed and there is no play inside... it stays snug. This is probably due to the shape of the sleeve, a feature dedicated to that purpose according to their website. A friend of mine tried it on her Dell Mini 9 and liked it. She decided to get one also.
Protection: The main reason I decided to buy this item was because I had stopped by a computer store beforehand where they had this same sleeve but for laptops 13" and up... I felt the protective cushion and was impressed. In terms of thickness, it felt far superior to any other sleeve I had tried. Unfortunately, the thickness on this version (10") doesn't seem to be as substantial as the one I saw in the store (it could be just me). That was a letdown, which is why I took away a star in this review.
Price: The Amazon price, including their shipping, makes it the best place to buy this item... better than the Built NY website or any other place for that matter.
Conclusion: For now it seems to work fine. It obviously protects against scratches and, as far as sleeves go, does a good job of cushioning the computer when inside a bag or whatever you carry it in. For serious protection, you would have to look into a carrying case with that shock absorbing air cushion. The carrying cases with the memory foam seem to be a bit cushier as well. All in all, probably one of the best sleeves out there. My only concern is that the website mentions that the sleeve will stretch to fit any sized netbook within the range it was designed for. I hope this doesn't mean that it will gradually stretch and become loose.
Look at the picture carefully; this only unzips along the short side. That works fine for me, but thought you should know.
Fits my thickest 10.1" netbook with a fat battery pack just fine this "fatter" netbook won't fit some sleeves. That's good.
The "corner bumpers" don't add much if any extra protection; but they don't detract from protection either.
Overall a well made, decently priced netbook sleeve.
And ya gotta have one for your unpadded bags, right? Or if you have to put your netbook in an inspection tray through security.
I'd buy another....
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This is a good netbook sleve that serves it function. Very well built and durable. I wish it had a small pouch or pocket for a USB, cord, headphone, etc... What I like is that this laptop sleve doesn't add bulk to an already small netbook. I mean afterall, is that the point of having a netbook in the first place.
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I haven't bought this case yet, but I found it in REI and verified that it will fit a Macbook Air 11". My only concerns are that the zipper could could cause some scratches and that the concave shape results in some wasted empty space in the corners.
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I've got both the 6-cell and 9-cell batteries for my Samsung NC10. Both fit, but even the 6-cell is a tight fit.
That's not a bad thing--the reason I bought this sleeve was that I was tired of looser-fitting sleeves that made it tiring to hold onto the sleeve while walking around and often make it easier to fumble or drop the entire thing when the netbook squirts suddenly from between my fingers while inside the loose sleeve.
All that hazardous handling is gone now. This is like a grippy, second skin for my netbook.
My only complaint is that the neoprene attracts lint very easily and that the zipper can be difficult to close. But considering that this is one of the best-looking checkpoint-friendly sleeves out there (Tom Bihn makes a good one too), I'm okay with that.
It's a bit too big for just an iPad, by the way. Get the iPad sleeve instead.
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Bought this bag for 9.00 and some change from a seller who advertised it as like new. Was looking at a codi diplomat bag for 88.00.
