Booq Vyper XM vs 14" Shinza Zeroshock III

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Tsuioku · #1 Post by **Tsuioku** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:36 pm

Seeing recent price drops and the new designs, I'm thinking about getting a sleeve for my T41 again. Mainly looking at the two below.

14" Shinza Zeroshock III
Booq Vyper XM

Any comments or other recommendations are also welcome...

manixc · #2 Post by **manixc** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 12:29 am

Zeroshock is pretty good. I think it's about 50CAD including s&h

dfumento · #3 Post by **dfumento** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 4:26 pm

I have Zeroshock. They are supposedly much better at protecting laptop than other sleeves.

skuehne · #4 Post by **skuehne** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 7:35 pm

Does anyone know of a quality sleeve that fits the 15" T42 with the 9 cell battery? I like the design and look of the Booq Vyper L, but it's interior dimensions seem to be just a little too short to accommodate the protruding battery.

Update: I checked out the mentioned ZeroShock (and Kenn's review) - and I just ordered the large 15" sleeve ...

Sven

Tsuioku · #5 Post by **Tsuioku** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:53 pm

dfumento wrote:I have Zeroshock. They are supposedly much better at protecting laptop than other sleeves.

What size Zeroshock did you get? I'm pretty sure that Shinza didn't make a 14" model... When I msg'ed Shinza Support, they recommended that I get the older version of the 12" (grey model) cuz it stretches better...
Any opinions on this?

dfumento · #6 Post by **dfumento** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:17 pm

I use the regular 15" model (not the larger one). It would seem like it is loose, there is a bit of room, but it isn't loose. I love it!

Tsuioku · #7 Post by **Tsuioku** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:55 am

Finally found the specs for the previous 12" Zeroshock (Current model on shinza.com has a wire-frame and cannot stretch much)

Dimensions:
Exterior dimensions (when empty) (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)

According to tabook... the dimensions of the T41P is 12.2" x 1.2" x 10.0"
Can it stretch that much?

manixc · #8 Post by **manixc** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:49 pm

the 15" regular Zeroshock will fit a 14" TP w/ 6cell just fine. Just a bit loose in the length but the rounded corner give it a tighter fit.

Kenn · #9 Post by **Kenn** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 4:32 pm

manixc wrote:the 15" regular Zeroshock will fit a 14" TP w/ 6cell just fine. Just a bit loose in the length but the rounded corner give it a tighter fit.

I have the 15" regular and 15" large zeroshock sleeves, as well as the 14" and 15" thinkpads.

The 15" regular zeroshock will fit the 14" t42 just fine, both with the6 and 9-cell. It is just a little loose, but it actually helps make it easier to put the laptop in and out. The 15" large is simply too big for the 14". My roommate has the 12" zeroshock, and I believe it is a bit too small to comfortably fit the 14" thinkpad.

skuehne · #10 Post by **skuehne** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 6:06 pm

Kenn, thanks again for your detailed review of the ZeroShock sleeves and their fit for the T42 series.

Maybe there should be a sleeves/case FAQ for this forum, a listing of sleeves and cases that fit the current ThinkPad models, with ratings, reviews, etc. What do you guys think?!

Sven

Tsuioku · #11 Post by **Tsuioku** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 7:32 pm

skuehne wrote:Kenn, thanks again for your detailed review of the ZeroShock sleeves and their fit for the T42 series.

Maybe there should be a sleeves/case FAQ for this forum, a listing of sleeves and cases that fit the current ThinkPad models, with ratings, reviews, etc. What do you guys think?!

Sven

I definitely agree... I think sleeves and cases are one of the most common topics in the forums... or we can at least subdivide the forum into common categories like Wifi, Accessories, Batteries etc...

Kenn: I noticed in one of your other postings that some sleeves wear down the matte coating of the LCD... Is the Zeroshock in this category? How is the interior of the Zeroshock? (ie. lining, texture etc... )

Kenn · #12 Post by **Kenn** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:30 pm

I think a sleeve/bag thread would be great, but I think its helpfulness would be somewhat limited because it's so hard to qualify "fit." "Fits like a glove" to some people would be "too tight" to others and not nearly enough to yet another...any often the interior dimension listings don't help because they don't tell you how much flex there is and if a bag that is 0.5" short on width but 0.3" long on height will fit...I think the best thing would be to put up multiple pictures like some forum members here have already done.

I think the matte coating on the tp is way too easy to scratch, and the 15" cover feels smoother and more scratch-prone than the 14". The Zeroshock interior and exterior feel very much alike It's a very fine weave fabric that is bonded to the memory foam. It's definitely not velvet-soft like the interior of a Tibuktu, nor is it smooth like lycra. It's textured enough where you would wear down the matte finish of the corners if you slid the laptop in and out of it rather than unzip it all the way and opened it up to place your laptop in/out. However, the memory foam conforms around the laptop's contours so even if there's a lot of extra space between the sleeve and the laptop, nothing will be sliding or jostling around inside even as you carry it around - it feels just like wrapping a big sheet of clay around the machine.

The interior design is very well thought-out as well. The zipper teeth are plastic, the inner side of them is covered in fabric, and in front of that, there is a "bumper" made of the same memory foam material along the entire edge of the sleeve, on both top and bottom halves of the clamshell. It keeps the laptop with ever coming in contact with the zipper, and also protects it from drops and bumps along the edge of the machine.

My only two quibbles: there is a small loop on the inside that supposedly lets you carry the sleeve like a handle, but it's way too small and looks way too fragile to do the job. The only time I'd use it if there was no laptop inside. Also, the 15" large looks like it was made to fit oen of those enormous desktop replacement models. It's much too big for the 15" T42p, whereas the 15" medium is just a tad too small. Classic Goldilocks dilemma.

dfumento · #13 Post by **dfumento** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:43 pm

Kenn wrote:Also, the 15" large looks like it was made to fit oen of those enormous desktop replacement models. It's much too big for the 15" T42p, whereas the 15" medium is just a tad too small. Classic Goldilocks dilemma.

Thank you for the wonderful review.

Which one do you use for the 15" T42?

skuehne · #14 Post by **skuehne** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 4:13 pm

Kenn wrote:I think a sleeve/bag thread would be great, but I think its helpfulness would be somewhat limited because it's so hard to qualify "fit."

Agreed. But I think having a list of the interior dimensions of various sleeves will let people figure out how well the sleeve/bag will fit. Unfortunately these measures are not always posted.

For example, my problem is that I need to find a sleeve for a 15" T42 with a 9 cell battery. This turned out to be harder than I thought ...

Kenn wrote:Also, the 15" large looks like it was made to fit oen of those enormous desktop replacement models. It's much too big for the 15" T42p, whereas the 15" medium is just a tad too small. Classic Goldilocks dilemma.

Unfortunately, there aren't too many alternatives as far as I can tell. And a loose fit is probably better than something that's just a tiny bit too small. Even if the material stretches, because it'll wear out faster and put more strain on the zippers.

Sven

skuehne · #15 Post by **skuehne** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:48 pm

I just got the large 15" ZeroShock! Fits the 15" T42 with the 9 cell battery very well, much better than I thought. For the mentioned configuration, this is the sleeve to buy!

There's a little bit of room on the sides, which actually makes it easier to zip the sleeve closed. The material quite firm and does not stretch at all. That's a good thing, more protection and the sleeve stays in form.

Sven

Tsuioku · #16 Post by **Tsuioku** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:08 am

For a quick update as to what I decided to do...
I found a nice deal on an Heys ePac and decided to get that instead; A full 360, I know... but it was hard to resist. Since then, I have also purchased a Crumpler Roll-o-Notes (also got a pretty good deal on it) With the recent purchase of another Messenger bag, I felt that I needed some protection should I decide to put my T41P in there so here I am again...

While I love the Waterfields and the Be-ez's, they're just still too expensive for me. However, seeing some new designs and price drops from Shinza and Booq, these are now within reach.

So which would you recommend? A 14" Shinza Zeroshock III or Booq Vyper XM

Booq Vyper XM vs 14" Shinza Zeroshock III

Which Sleeve do you recommend?

Booq Vyper XM vs 14" Shinza Zeroshock III

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