 |
Accessories Rule The two accessories included in the Codex + Shieldpad package are, as previously mentioned, the Shieldpad and a clever little case for your Apple infrared (IR) remote. The Shieldpad, also available as a standalone product, is a thin, soft cloth pad designed to keep the grime from your keys from being transferred to your screen when you close the lid of your MacBook or MacBook Pro. While Aevoe claims that the Shieldpad can be folded in half and used as a mousepad, our attempts at using the Shieldpad as a mousepad resulted in dismal failure. Not only does the material tend to cling to the bottom of the mouse, inhibiting movement to a high degree, the pad slides around on many surfaces, making it impossible to use. Therefore, it seems best to relegate the Shieldpad to its primary function of protecting your screen--a task at which it excels.The Apple IR remote keychain, which is not available outside of the Codex + Shieldpad package, is essentially a padded sleeve with a carabiner-style clip on the back, meant to safeguard your remote and (hopefully) prevent you from misplacing it. Thanks to the fact that a copy of the remote’s control scheme is etched into the top of the sleeve, you can leave the remote in the case without hindering your ability to use the controls, and thanks to the carabiner, finding a place to secure the remote is ridiculously easy. The only downside to this accessory is the fact that the etched control layout on the sleeve is the same color as the rest of the case, meaning that you’re better off memorizing the position of all of the buttons if you plan on using the remote in less than brightly-lit conditions. Case Closed? In all, the Codex is an interesting option for Mac users seeking a more stylish way to protect their Macs from the bruises of everyday travel. The Codex shellcase is nicely proportioned, complementing Apple’s minimalistic design standards admirably, and does an excellent job of protecting MacBooks and MacBook Pros alike. The Shieldpad and Apple remote keychain are great accessories, going a long way toward making the user feel that he or she has, indeed, purchased a premium product. Unfortunately, Aevoe has drastically limited the Codex’s general appeal by failing to include the most basic amenities, namely, a strap and even the smallest storage element, and that significantly lowered the score that it received. Furthermore, in order to confirm that our feeling that the asking price for the Codex was bordering on exorbitant ($65 for the Codex 13, $70 for the Codex 15, and a whopping $95 for the Codex 17), we spent an hour at a local Apple Store discussing the Codex with interested shoppers, whose blind estimates of the Codex’s retail price averaged $40. That said, the Codex left us with a quandary on our hands. From the “everyman” perspective this product’s failure to include a shoulder strap or pockets, coupled with its high price, make the Codex an extremely poor value for what will likely be used in the same manner as a lowly notebook sleeve. On the other hand, for the professional that relies on his computer for everything, or the frequent flier who may already lug one large bag around on his or her shoulder and simply wants a way to carry a MacBook or MacBook Pro separately, the Codex may be just about perfect. With that in mind, we felt that it was more appropriate to take what appeared to be the intended audience into stronger consideration when deciding on a final, numerical rating. Nevertheless, we still feel that Aevoe should be strongly encouraged to make the tweaks necessary in order to widen the appeal of what is, at its core, a very solid product.
Pros:
• Tasteful styling
• Excellent protective qualities
• Handy accessoriesCons:
• Expensive
• No shoulder strap or storage pockets
|
|
