Review - STM Glove

The STM Glove by Matthew Lew

The STM Glove is a real treat. It allows me to protect my Macbook but still maintains around the same width as the laptop without the case. It fits extremely well, just like a "glove". STM is correct in saying "Think of it as a wetsuit for your laptop"

My STM Glove

My main attraction to the case/sleeve is the size. As I stated, even with the case on, my Macbook is pretty much the same size. This helps a lot when I have a lot of books to carry between classes or when my bag is too jam packed. The glove offers protection from bumps, dust and scratches, but offers little protection for serious damage (e.g. If you drop it), although the material feels like it could still absorb a small amount of shock. One feature of the STM Glove that people seem to rave about is that fact that the laptop doesn't actually touch the zip, as it is protected by an extra flap. This was a good idea, as it helps protect from accidental scratches since the glove is such a tight fit.

The Extra Flap

The negatives of the STM Glove are few but there are some. One is that when you first buy the glove, it may require some stretching to fit your laptop inside. This is because it's designed to be the tightest fit possible. For most people, when using a product they bought for the first time, they don't want to be pulling at it like it's going to tear it apart. Another problem is that when you go to zip up the bag, the flap sometimes gets in the way. This is annoying when you are in a rush, as you need to stop and tuck in the flap as you close the zip. Once again, only a minor problem, but still one none the less.

Something that confuses me though, is what this extra corner handle is really for. (See pic) The STM Glove is meant primarily for people who already have a bag to put their Macbook in, but want some extra protection while it's in there. The inclusions of this barely movable handle in the back top right corner puzzles me, as it seems to be almost completely useless. It's so small and tight that you can't even carry the case by it. I'm not saying it gets in the way, it's just that if STM are going to put a handle on the glove, they should make it a LITTLE more useful.

What's the point of this?

I compared my STM Glove to my Crumpler School Hymn in size and protection. The School Hymn, in my opinion, would be classified as a hard case, as it has an outer shell that is quite hard and seems to be resistant to heavy damage. But being a hard material, the School Hymn takes up around a cm more space when the laptop is inside. It is also more bulky to carry, and would be more uncomfortable than the STM Glove to carry around with a lot of things. But if you have just the laptop to carry and have space to fill, the Crumpler School Hymn may be the better option.

The Crumpler School Hymn and STM Glove

Compared in thickness

In conclusion, the STM Glove is the perfect case/sleeve for anyone who already has a bag to carry their laptop in but want a protective and very portable case for the occasion that they do have to remove their laptop from within the bag and carry it by itself. If you don't need to protect your laptop from anything extremely hazardous, like a truck, then the protection that the STM Case offers is more than enough.

Pro's - Very Portable, Offers good protection from scratches, dust and bumps

Con's - Doesn't offer major protection

Apple's Wireless Mighty Mouse is...

Apple's Wireless Mighty Mouse

Not as mighty as it may seem. It started off like a dream. Worked perfectly. Left click here, right click there. Scrolling up/down/left/right with the 360 degree scroll ball. Moving with lighting-fast precisions thanks to the laser tracking. But alas, that was 5 months ago and now, all is not well.

The laser tracking complete with on/off switch

The right click only works half the time unless switched on and off. The scroll ball has gotten stuck and now only scrolls down if pressed hard enough. Plus to top it all off, the bottom of the mouse is coming undone. All these problems seem to be hindering what used to be the perfect mouse.

The bottom of the mouse, which is meant to be flat.

But there is hope. According to Wikipedia (Not the best source, but a source none the less), Apple has "silently" fixed these problems. "Users report, that the Mighty Mouse (as of February 2006) runs much more smoothly and the scroll ball stays cleaner than the prior builds, and that the durability has gone up as well."

So thanks to Apple's One Year Warranty, I am going to go and try to replace my mouse this weekend, and just maybe, everything will be back to the way it was.

For the sake of blogging

For now, this is the blog that shall remain here until I start exploring the world of blogger. I already have a myspace and xanga which are:

myspace.com/Matt_Lew

and

xanga.com/Matt_Lew

and they seem to be doing alright at the moment. =] Well for those of you who actually read this before I update next, welcome to Matt's Place. Kick your feet up and enjoy your stay in my wonderful blog of nothingness. =P