[jleetj]

Some useful items by Moshi to keep your MacBook in top form!

Clearguard

The Clearguard is a plastic keyboard protector moulded to fit the MacBook keyboard perfectly (and should fit all current Apple notebooks, according to the packaging). Lay it on top of the keyboard and it simply sits in place. The material used is extremely thin but strong and very transparent. Really, you can hardly tell it’s there. Unlike cheaper silicon protectors, it is not mushy and does not change the feel of the keyboard much. Neither does it attract dust, a common problem with silicon. Should it gets soiled, a quick wash with soap and water will fix it.



The advantages of using such a protector include keeping crumbs, spills or oily fingers from contact with the keyboard if you are fond of computing while under the influence of food, or simply preventing the individual keys from developing a shine over time from wear.



I have been an avid user of all manner of keyboard protectors for a number of years and can confidently say that this is definitely the best I’ve come across. It don’t come cheap though, RRP is $45.41, but I think it is definitely well worth the price.


Palmguard

To guard your MacBooks from your palms, there is the PalmGuard! This protector adheres to the palmrest of the unibody MacBook and there is a separate piece that goes over the trackpad. The PalmGuard is manufactured to match the colour and feel of the unibody. As it is slightly stiff, no problems with air bubbles were encountered when sticking it onto the palmrest. The information supplied says it is for once-only use, so I suppose the adhesive will be damaged if you try to peel it off.





The protector would be especially useful for those who wear watches with metal straps or bracelets. The responsiveness of the trackpad did not seem to be affected by the protector. RRP is $36.32.


Zefyr

Finally, the Zefyr, this is an interesting one. This notebook cooler works like the heatsink that comes with desktop CPUs. There is even a thermal conductive pad where the cooler comes into contact with the notebook. A fan is built into the fins on the left side of the cooler and this is powered by a built-in USB plug, which itself contains a pass-through port so you don’t actually lose a port on your notebook.







In use, the cooler simply sits under the notebook and is not otherwise held in place. If you use it on your lap, you would probably want to try not to move around too much or you will constantly be readjusting the cooler under the notebook. The fan is especially useful to protect your knees from notebook burns, however, I felt the hum that it emitted to be somewhat irritating after a while. I will probably not want to use it in a quiet environment.

So, does it really cool the notebook? Well, it does have some effect. It is probably most effective at cooling a notebook under a light load or sitting idle, but it won’t work miracles under high load. Also, it would probably be best to use the cooler from the time you boot up the notebook, rather than waiting till it gets hot. I think the best use of this cooler would be either when using the notebook on your lap or if you need to leave the notebook to process some data (e.g., rendering video) over a period of time.







Designwise, the cooler slides into a very compact size for portability. The edges of the fins are fairly sharp, so care needs to be taken when handling it around the MacBook. For the same reason, it would have been useful if a case was provided to prevent the cooler from damaging anything when being carried about in a notebook bag. RRP is a whopping $127.23 (yikes!).

All products distributed by HipGizmos

[Phorte]

nice reviews - thanks! ive been eyeing the moshi products for a while. my next purchase will be the palmguard.

[eron]

I have the palm guard and I like it.

Except that it makes the trackpad slightly less sensitive. So it doesn't pick up the light taps for "tap to clicks".

[Phunky]

ANy problems with the Moshi after several weeks' use? I have seen reports it gets a bit cloudy and cannot be washed away

[leoleakey]

Originally Posted by eron

I have the palm guard and I like it.

Except that it makes the trackpad slightly less sensitive. So it doesn't pick up the light taps for "tap to clicks".

mine still working great

[sobie2000]

I have had a Moshi palmguard on my early 2008 MBP and wife's 2006 white macbook for 18 months now and they are still in fantastic condition, well worthe the purchase. On my macbook they do not affect the trackpad sensitivity at all, but the macbook is horrible - I hate it but he wife tolerates it and has left it on.

I am updating both computers shortly to new unibody MBP and have just placed an order for palmguards for both. Highly recommend them.