Notebook keyboard protectors

20.03.2009

VisiKey specializes in easier-to-read keyboard solutions, both for those with visual impairments and for people who simply want to reduce eyestrain from reading tiny labels. We , but the $10 is a silicone cover designed specifically for Apple's latest keyboards. What makes the VisiSkin different, besides its low price, is that it's white with huge, black key labels, making it easy for those with poor vision to identify most keys; the large type is also useful in dimly-lit work environments. However, there are a few labels that don't get the huge-text treatment: alt/option, enter, the arrow keys, and the "shifted" behavior of 1 through 9 (in other words, !, @, #, and so on).

Although the VisiSkin's key corners are squared off, rather than rounded like the actual keys underneath, this never affected my typing, and the cover fits well. Of the covers I tested for Apple's current notebook keyboards, the VisiSkin was the thinnest and least obtrusive among the silicone skins. Note that while the VisiSkin fits all keyboards using Apple's current keypad-less design, the key labels are for the original MacBook's keyboard, which means that the labels for special F-key functionality (volume and playback controls, for example) are on the wrong keys. Also, like the ProSkin FX, the VisiSkin blocks keyboard backlighting.

Macessity Keyboard Cover for MacBook Pro

If you've got an older MacBook Pro--a pre-"unibody" version with the older, non-chiclet-style keyboard--Macessity's $15 is a good bet. Made of "clear frosted" silicone, the Cover lets the MacBook Pro's backlit keyboard to shine through, although the frosted appearance does give your keyboard a hazy look. The back side of the Cover is slightly tacky to keep the Cover in place, and the silicone is thin enough that it doesn't affect key feel much. A nice touch is that the bottom edge of the Cover is long enough to extend over the edge of the palm rest in order to help keep crumbs and other detritus from slipping under the Cover.