What I wanted
- I commute daily, and often travel with my trusty 12-inch PowerBook G4 VGA (PB12), and wanted to protect it. Not only from life's daily scratches, but from possible drops, bumps, and other conditions encountered on the road, on campus, and sometimes in more remote areas.
- I wanted something form-fitting, which could fit into my backpack, and even into a small sholder bag I already had & was using to carry my laptop (with some make-shift padding).
- I was looking for a vertical format, which would work well with both the shoulder bag & backpack.
- I'm a student, so cheaper was better.
Why I chose this sleeve
Although I was reluctant to, I was tired of looking and thinking about it, so I took a slight chance on the ZeroShock, with the knowledge of a return policy assuring me of store credit at Shinza.com (there were a couple other gadgets I could have spent the money on.
This sleeve is relatively cheap: $29.99 USD (about $40 CDN). This is cheaper than comparable sleeves (see below), but offered excellent protection, and a claim to form-fitting, despite the rather large dimensions listed on the Shinza.com website (see below). Plus, the Shinza.com website actually uses familiar icons from
Ultimately, I am quite satisfied with this sleeve - even pleasantly surprised. I don't feel the need to rave about it, but it's worth the money, is flexible and works well.
The ZeroShock 12 notebook sleeve
Product
Page on Shinza.com 
High-resistance polyurethane
According to Shinza.com, from whom I ordered this little baby:
the ZeroShock 12-Inch Notebook Sleeve is composed of a high-resistance polyurethane foam that provides superior absorption of external impact force. When you first pick up a notebook computer enclosed in a ZeroShock Sleeve, the exterior feels rigid and inflexible. Only when you begin to really squeeze will the ZeroShock's material yield and compress, leaving behind dents in the surface. These indentations will remain for a few minutes, before the material expands and reverts back to its previous state. The tactile feel is so different from what we normally expect from a notebook case that the effect is almost eerie.
Features:
• High-resistance polyurethane provides superior protection against external shocks
• Fits notebooks with 12-inch displays, including the Apple 12" iBook and 12" PowerBook G4
• Notebook can be used in place, without removing it from the sleeve
• Low profile design that fits snugly
• Two high-quality zippers with easy-to-grab rubber "mini-handles"
• Designed to be carried inside a separate bag or backpack
Technical Specifications:
• Available colors: Black, grey, blue, red
• Exterior dimensions (W x D x H): 12.6 x 1.0 x 10.2 inches (320 x 25 x 260 mm)
• Interior dimensions (W x D x H): 11.0 x 1.6 x 9.0 inches (280 x 40 x 230 mm)
(To clear up a frequently-asked question: Yes, the exterior thickness is less than the interior thickness, since the former measures the thickness of an empty sleeve. The interior dimensions measure what will fit inside, so naturally the interior capacity will be greater than the thickness of an empty sleeve.)
• Materials: High-resistance polyurethane
• Weight: 0.44 lbs (0.200 kg)
There's more about high-resistance polyurethane from the web page, but essentially, it claims to offer better impact resistance than neoprene. Check out the page to see results of a ball dropped onto a pane of glass within the sleeve. It does feel different than you would expect, but it's difficult to describe in words. Suffice it to say it is flexible, but returns to it's original shape (and deforms) slowly.
By leaning on my finger or thumb on this stuff, I'm able to get it to a very thin layer (locally), which is a bit unnerving, but then again, I have to lean hard with both hands to get a hand print in there.
One thing I have noticed since receiving it yesterday - the polyurethane gets squishier & deforms more rapidly with heat. The warmer it is (say, while the laptop is on while wrapped up), the faster is deforms. As a corollary, the colder it is, the more slowly it deforms. Don't know how this all affects the "protection factor", but it sure sounds good.
Exterior
I got the black version. 'cause I'm not a fan of blue or light gray around my baby. Red? no thanks.
The exterior is some sort of woven fabric. It's not exactly ballistic nylon (which would be waterproof & very smooth), and it collects dust & particles very easily. I'm not sure what the deal is with the 2 gray stripes around the seams on every color model, but don't forget - it's high-resistance polyurethane on the inside!
Exterior, rear view (12-inch ruler for scale). Yes, there's a PB12 in there. Click on image for larger version in new window.
I have no idea how water-proof or resistant the material is, but I have my doubts. I don't intend to do any testing to find out, either. My best solution is to carry the sleeve in another waterproof bag (see below).
The Fit
| View of empty sleeve, lying flat (12-inch / 30 cm ruler for scale). Essentially a sheet of polyurethane. Click on image for larger version in new window. |
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| View of open sleeve, with 12-inch PowerBook G4. Note that the rounded corners of the sleeve actually have to deform a bit to fit around the corners, although there is still space around the edges of the PB. Click on image for larger version in new window. |
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This sleeve was designed to accomodate most 12-inch laptop / notebook computers. So, it will also fit a 12-inch iBook, albeit snugly according to one reviewer on the Shinza website.
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Closer view of open sleeve with PB12. Click on image for larger version in new window. |
Since the PowerBook G4 12-inch (PB12) is a little smaller, it's a relatively roomy fit. However, most of the "available" space is in the area above & below the large flat surfaces of the closed notebook. The rounded sleeve does actually hug the corners, and is fairly close to the edges. This is probably somewhat of a good thing, allowing the whole sleeve to deform when it gets bumped around. When the unit is closed, the edges get a little closer to the notebook, which keeps it from flailing and bouncing around within the closed sleeve (unlike other models).
Close-up of corner of sleeve, showing contact with corner of PB12. Click on image for larger version in new window.
There's even a lip of polyurethane just inside the zipper, to add shock protection to the sides, and prevent the zipper from scratching up the sides of your stylin' PowerBook. The only down-side I can see is that if the sleeve baloons too much (or gets packed too high), the bulge would pull the edges apart far enough to allow a space between these protective stips on either side of the clam-shell design of the sleeve. On the other hand, if it's that fat, the sleeve will be hugging everything inside, and hopefully nothing is terribly mobile in there.
Side profile of sleeve containing PB12. Approx. 44 mm thick. Click on image for larger version in new window.
The specs on the website won't tell you this, but it's still pretty slim when full. As noted, their exterior dimensions are for an empty sleeve lying flat. Who cares about those measurements? Although the length & width measurements are pretty close to what you end up with, I was curious about the thickness. Adding the interior space (40 mm) plus the "exterior" measurements (25mm) would lead to think it would be 65 mm all together. I am grateful that it's actually less - closer to 45 mm altogether. That means the actual padding material of the sleeve is pretty thin, but I suspect the extraordinary physical properties of the high-density polyurethane foam gives it a fair bit of protection.
Because this is a fairly squishy sleeve, it also means the actual shape and dimensions can be deformed. So, you can make it shorter, or lose some width, but you end up gaining on the other dimensions. This can be useful when trying to fit it into other bags (see next section).
Sleeve-in-a-bag
The sleeve in a (waterproof) backpack works quite well. It's a little smaller than a binder, and stays nice & flat in with other books, etc. Because those zippers go all the way around, I can open it from the "side" & pull out my notebook with the sleeve still in the bag. Or, I find I usually end up pulling out the whole thing, and opening the sleeve all the way, and I can work on my notebook at my desk without doing much with the sleeve. That top flap can be a bit of a nuisance, in the last case. The less you have to manipulate the sleeve & remove the notebook, the less risk of dropping the notebook as you remove it from the sleeve, so all this versatility is a bonus. The point is, there's lots of choice. This sleeve would also work well in a horizontal format, since the zipper tabs can travel along the zipper around the bag to wherever you need them.
As noted earlier, I've been using a shoulder bag from M.E.C. ("small carry-all") to tote my PB12 around. It barely fits in the main compartment, but has some other nice organizer pockets for peripherals, etc. Unfortunately, the carry-all is a little bigger than I would like for carrying in a backpack. Hence the sleeve.
M.E.C. small carry-all. Yes, there's a computer in there (with sleeve). 12-inch (30 cm) Ruler included for scale. Click on image for larger version in new window.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to deform the sleeve (with PB inside) enough for it to fit comfortably in the shoulder bag. The main compartment is barely tall enough, but there's plenty of depth (smallest dimension), where the sleeve can bulge out a bit, reducing some of the other dimensions. It still hugs the PB closely and even adds a little extra protection from the bulge (air space, more distance to deform), at least along that axis.
Open shoulder bag, showing sleeve & computer - yes it all fits! Ruler for scale. Click on image for larger version in new window.
The carry-all is ballistic nylon, so it is waterproof. And best of all, it doesn't look like a computer bag. I've gotten some surprised expressions from people at airports when I pull a notebook out of this little beauty.
Opening of carry-all showing sleeve zipper & PB12 ports. Yes, the zippers all close. Click on image for larger version in new window.
The zippers of the carry-all shoulder bag do close with the closed sleeve inside, although it's a very tight fit. It takes a bit of managing, but once the sleeve in in the right spot, it works. Once again, the zippers on the sleeve allow it to be opened from the side, allowing it to function in a "vertical" orientation. The PB12 can even be plugged in to charge without taking it out of the bag.
Other Features
Even out of a bag, the sleeve works well. On the desk, I can simply unzip the side, and havee access to all the ports - so I can connect it to an external monitor & keyboard and keep working, without removing the sleeve.
View of ZeroShock sleeve open from side, showing access to ports. The sleeve also deforms slowly enough for me to prop it open, let go, and take this picture (with no flash).
Closed sleeve (with PB12 inside), with carrying loop exposed.
The ZeroShock sleeve also has a built-in carrying loop of webbing that can be exposed, or stuffed back in the sleeve. It looks and feels pretty wimpy. I'm not sure if I would trust it to carry the whole thing, but it's there to grab if you want.
The Competitors
I also checked out some other potential sleeves. I will go through some of the stiffer competition, with a couple reasons why I got the ZeroShock instead.
Willow Designs 
I have to say, this is a cool company. They are local to where I live (Burnaby, B.C., Canada), and specialize in cases custom designed for apple computers. I had considered their Minimus sleeve, and their line of PB cases are all very nice.
The carrying cases start at $90, so are a bit out of my price range, even the slim Sylph case, which is a vertical sleeve with some extra pockets.
While the Minimus sleeve is only about $50, it is only available in a horizontal version, so it would not work well for my requirements.
WaterField Designs SleeveCase
This was actually my runner-up choice. Another minimalist sleeve. Basically, a neoprene shell wrapped in ballistic nylon. Available in both horizontal or vertical formats. it's $37 U.S. for the basic model, so a little more expensive than the ZeroShock, but not much. The only downside is that the basic model only comes with a tab over the opening to keep it shut, and it's an extra $15 to add a flap. Also, they did not list dimensions on the site, so I could not be sure of how "form-fitting" it actually was. I did get a quick response back from an email inquiry, and they said the dimensions of the sleeve for a size no. 2 Vertical SleeveCase are 10.2 x 11.9. I assume those are in inches. Turns out, this would be a little more form-fitting than the ZeroShock, but the price, and lack of a proper closure made it a little less appealing.
I manged to find some pictures of these sleeves on a google search, and they look decent, but I still couldn't tell how snug the fit was until I asked directly. This is arelatively small company, so I would have like to support them. They also make other cool accessories that I was interested in, but the shipping costs make it impractical, unless it's a bigger order. In the end, this looks like a cool sleeve as well, but I like the protection and versatility of my ZeroShock.
Incase Laptop Sleeve
the main thing going for this sleeve is that it is widely available - I can go to my local London Drugs and pick one up. It's also avialable on the Apple store, so it must be good, right? The dimensions listed make it a little bigger than the ZeroShock. It also only functions in the horizontal format.
It's described as made out of a "Soft Tech" material - whatever that means. No claims to impact protection, and it's too big to fit into my shoulder bag. On the upside, it has an internal divider, external pouch for the power adapter, and removable shoulder strap, so it functions as a minimal stand-alone bag, but not very well as a sleeve. At $60, the price was a little high, and it just didn't have the features I wanted.
Marware Sportfolio Sleeve
Another form-fitting design. I managed to have a close look at one at the SFU computer store, so I knew it was easily available. This is perhaps the most form-fitting of the sleeves I have seen, but I was only able to see the iBook version. They make a custom one for the PB12 (similar price). Also at $30 US, this sleeve would be the same price as the ZeroShock. The Sportfolio sleeve also has a thoughtful strip of neoprene behind the zipper to prevent it from scratching the PB12.
Unfortunately, it is only available in a horizontal format, and it seemed like a thin layer of neoprene protection. It's so well formed that it is not as flexible as the ZeroShock, and there was enough room for my PowerBook to bounce around inside (even though model I explored was intended for a slightly bulkier iBook). Once again, I prefer the ZeroShock because of the protection factor, and versatility.
Summary
The final price was about $52 canadian, including shipping and after exchange from US funds. I placed my order on a Sunday, it was shipped on Tuesday, and arrived the following Monday via UPS global (cheapest shipping method). Decent service, and package tracking.
Pros
- High-resistance polyurethane!
- High impact protection (high-resistance polyurethane!)
- Versatile; works well in both horizontal and vertical formats. Don't even need to take it out of the sleeve to use the computer, if you don't want to.
- Relatively slim. Slim enough to work well in a backpack, and also fits into a small shoulder bag. So you can hide your laptop in another bag that doesn't look like a computer bag.
- Closes completely. So it protects eveything.
Cons
- Collects lots of dust & small particles.
- Not exactly stylish. (But it spends most of it's time hiding, so I don't mind - It's protection, not a fashion accessory).
- Probably isn't waterproof.
- Doesn't fit like a glove. But it fits well, and offers enough flexibility to make up for this.
