AirMail: the manila folder MacBook Air sleeve gets real

Sure, we all got a chuckle when Steve casually pulled the MacBook Air out from within a manila envelope on stage, but we didn't exactly expect to-be owners to snag one from the supply cabinet and put it to use. Nevertheless, the quick-thinking duo that is Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans had an idea to riff on Apple's and create -- surprise, surprise -- a fully functional case resembling a manila folder. Reportedly, this sleeve is handmade from "durable upholstery-grade vinyl and lined with fuzzy, soft fleece," which should protect your forthcoming MBA from all but the nastiest of bumps. Supposedly, you can pre-order one now for $29.95 and expect it to arrive right alongside your new micro-rig, but if these truly are handmade, we'd go ahead and expect a backlog. Oh, if only we were this clever.

[paul34 @ Jan 17th 2008 1:33AM]

Is the flap openable or will it cost me $129?

[AJ in the East Bay @ Jan 17th 2008 1:56AM]

LMFAO!!

[BrianB @ Jan 17th 2008 5:01AM]

This is more amazing than the MacBook Air. My Toshiba portege r500 will fit in nicely.

[namtastic @ Jan 17th 2008 4:24PM]

You, sir, win the internets

[Sabrina @ Jan 17th 2008 1:34AM]

have you ever wondered how people come up with such weird ideas that you see on infomercials? what are these people on?

i mean, granted, a manila envelope =/= the magic bullet, but i guess the question is legit here too.

[Alex @ Jan 17th 2008 1:36AM]

I've been waiting for someone to make this for real! ever since seeing the manila envelope macbook air commercial. I am surprised Apple didn't plan it as a case all along though. It's so obvious that Air fans would want something like this.

[Za @ Jan 17th 2008 2:07AM]

[directed at Alex] Is that possibly because Macbook Air fans must be idiots? Sorry - I just have a problem with there actually being "Air fans". Apple released a new supposed "ultraportable" that can't compete with a Sony T-series I bought 4 years ago and isn't as good as the current generation Toshiba R500 - the Toshiba is lighter, gets better battery life, has multiple USB ports, gigabit ethernet, firewire, and an optical drive...

I could buy one of those and use this case for it.

[kenneth @ Jan 17th 2008 2:54AM]

Now that you mention it.. Is it just me or do Job's keynotes keep sounding more and more like the Home Shopping Network?

[Glenn @ Jan 17th 2008 4:03AM]

Well Za while the Sony and Toshiba may be fine machines in and of their own right the plain and simple fact is they run Microsoft's totally pathetic operating system and that pretty much negates any advantages they might have otherwise enjoyed. Run Linux on them? Well maybe that's a possibility....

[BrianB @ Jan 17th 2008 5:02AM]

No Apple logo that I can see.

[Student Driver @ Jan 17th 2008 12:47PM]

Pfft, wait for the lawsuits when some Mac AirHead loses her laptop amongst a group of other legal documents at work.

"Like, so, I didn't think it would really _look_ like the other folders. It should have come with some diamonds, or Hello Kitty on it!"

[Chris @ Jan 17th 2008 1:45PM]

@Za:

Perhaps the MBA isn't as good as the Toshiba you mentioned, but it far outstrips the Sony TZ of today. Unless you want to pay the extra $400 to get an optical drive, some extra ports and a fingerprint reader, but a severe downgrade in performance and screen size. I mean seriously, 2199 for a 1.06 GHz processor, just because it's small? Some people say Apple is overpricing the MBA, but I think Sony is the real villain here.

If you want to split hairs and not talk about today's TZ, the T-series of 4 years ago only came with a 1.1 GHz Pentium M, which is single core and 32-bit. The MBA is dual core and 64-bit with a significantly higher clock speed. So I can't be certain what you meant by your T-series being better than the MBA.

I'm not getting a MBA myself, but I really think that if you want to show how a computer sucks, you should compare it to something that's either better for the same price, or the same specs for a lower price. Not something that's worse specs for a higher price.

[SteveMB @ Jan 17th 2008 5:16PM]

They're all dam villains!

[atrain @ Jan 18th 2008 4:48PM]

@chris:
I don't think users of ultra-portable laptops really need much CPU power at all. These laptops don't have big screens, good graphics cards, firewire, etc. People who buy them probably aren't looking for gaming machines or video workstations.

The people who buy these laptops are people who are looking for very small and convenient laptop for average usages. (web browsing, watching movies, etc) Users don't need much more than 1Ghz to do these things effectively.

On the other hand, if an MBA user wants to watch a dvd, they must either carry around an external dvd drive, or have another computer available to them: Both of these options constricting the convenience of the MBA.

It is really worth it to save 1/2" thickness in exchange for features and conveniences, leaving you with a basic laptop?

[Edge @ Jan 17th 2008 2:02AM]

My eeePC came with something like this. They called it the "black neoprene case."

Turn it manila yellow with a red clasp instead of the velcro, and you've got basically the same thing.

[BigDaddyM @ Jan 17th 2008 2:02AM]

I wouldn't buy any product from a company that their "about" page looks like MySpace.

Its a picture of them partying in a club... How professional.
M

[Andrew @ Jan 17th 2008 2:05AM]

dork

[Jonathan @ Jan 17th 2008 8:27AM]

Professional? Who cares... looks like they're having a blast.

If I buy your laptop case, can I get an invite to the party?

[west @ Jan 17th 2008 1:17PM]

Um, as you can plainly read, one of them is a musician, YACHT, (I have a few of their remixes) its kind of their job to be in a club.

[BigDaddyM @ Jan 17th 2008 1:36PM]

I did read the page. That doesn;t make it a professional presentation. They should make a club website for their other endeavours and one for their new MBA case. Clearly different buisnesses that do not mix.
M

[robinsmad @ Jan 17th 2008 11:29PM]

Clearly, you haven't seen Jona's other products:
http://www.flickrblockrs.com/

[[e-mail] @ Jan 17th 2008 2:08AM]

yeah, they are going to need to update their site now that engadget has shown it to the world...

i would feel a little cocky pulling my macbook air from one of them...

[Gray Mccraw @ Jan 17th 2008 2:17AM]

"i would feel a little cocky pulling my macbook air from one of them..."
I think that's the point...

But seriously, dammit why couldn't I have thought of this (and had the means to produce it)? Ugh. They're gonna make a million dollars...

[Ollie @ Jan 17th 2008 10:59PM]

Haha, you're already cocky if you bought a MBA, why not be proud of it?

(Note: NOT mocking the MBA, I will probably be buying one soon.)

[heyheyhey @ Jan 17th 2008 2:20AM]

Hey! That's so cool. I've just buy two :) I'm in France so i hope that should be cool.

[Chris @ Jan 17th 2008 2:26AM]

Jona Bechtolt, like YACHT?

[Laurie @ Jan 17th 2008 3:14AM]

i was thinking that too.
apparently it is him..!

[itchytooth @ Jan 17th 2008 2:27AM]

FlickrBlockr!

[Firebird @ Jan 17th 2008 2:51AM]

Cute idea. One thing though, if you are a web designer, it tends to cast a bit of a negative light on your skills when you proclaim that you are a web designer on a site that mediocre. Also, nice stunt, since you must have realized that making a silly product like that, whether it'll actually sell or not (and it might, sadly), will garner more attention and page views that any of your other projects do. Oh publicity, you dog you.

Sorry bit of a negative ranty mood tonight.

[robinsmad @ Jan 17th 2008 11:39PM]

Are you talking about Jona mentioning that he uses his "(puny) web designs muscles" in his spare time? He's talking about how he makes goofy websites all the time, like FlickrBlockers. He doesn't design for other people. He's a professional musician.

[Reader @ Jan 17th 2008 2:51AM]

I think it ruins the effect somewhat to have a case for it... if I were to ever buy an Air, I would keep it in a bubble-insulate manila envelope. That's pretty BA if you ask me.

[Shyam D @ Jan 17th 2008 2:56AM]

Yes and rather then carry it around with me. I would mail it out and try to beat it to where ever i want to go..... Hmmmm... That shouldn't be too hard.

[Mr. S. @ Jan 17th 2008 3:09AM]

God bless (they are from america right?) Merica!

[hoohoo @ Jan 17th 2008 3:14AM]

i've seen nicer, leather, manila style folders on sale at staples for less.

[Genyus @ Jan 17th 2008 3:16AM]

I don't know about the case, but blue outlines on image hyperlinks are sexy! *rowr*

[webran61 @ Jan 17th 2008 3:35AM]

I'd rather have a case with at least the illusion of an optical drive and more USB ports on the sides...

[boss sauce @ Jan 17th 2008 3:57AM]

your pencil is big and your pencil is yellow-- nice for you... i've hauled around laptops in padded shipping envelopes for years, big freakin' duh, y'all. what's next-- omg i can wrap it in a shirt and throw it in a backpack!? we get it, it's small. gimme one. thanks.

[webon @ Jan 17th 2008 4:18AM]

slow news day hu?

[mark hoekstra @ Jan 17th 2008 4:32AM]

"We (Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans) excitedly came up with the AirMail idea minutes after we watched Steve Jobs' keynote at Macworld."

Well, I've been putting my old iBook in an envelope since October 2006

http://geektechnique.org/projectlab/698/minimalistic-no-cost-ibook-sleeve

http://geektechnique.org/blog/837/a-mac-in-an-envelope

You think Steve reads my blog???

(I'm not being serious here, really not ^_^)

[mukelarvin @ Jan 17th 2008 4:56AM]

Don't you folks read Pitchfork?
This is the guy from "The Blow".
Personally I quite enjoy them.
I guess there aren't as many hipsters here as expected.

Yes, I wear a lot of American Apparel and have big glasses.
Sorry.

[Andrew @ Jan 17th 2008 12:01PM]

I punched you in the face last night. ;-D

[Kei @ Jan 17th 2008 7:17AM]

a manila envelope has blue and red stripes.... I think the brown one is something else..

[kr @ Jan 17th 2008 8:06AM]

Wrong.

[Todd @ Jan 17th 2008 7:24AM]

Cute. Just make sure you don't accidentally put it in the outbox at work!

lol

[rav97 @ Jan 17th 2008 8:35AM]

Let's look at it this way: if you bought a MacBook Air to tell the world you're a retard, getting this manila folder sleeve would really drive your point home.

[oshean @ Jan 17th 2008 9:07AM]

Have they even done product testing with an actual MBA? They claim that the dimensions are that of a standard interoffice manila envelope; however, they may have not realized that the upholstery-grade vinyl and fleece add bulk and reduce interior volume.

[tere @ Jan 17th 2008 9:41AM]

I hope that the mail guy at work picks up someone's MBA in this stupid case and interoffices it to me.

[Matthew @ Jan 17th 2008 9:42AM]

This idea is even suckier then the backbook air. What's next, a blow-up Steve Jobs to present it to you? Pleasure model?

[Ryan @ Jan 17th 2008 9:43AM]

For the love of Jobs, please add this to the stylesheet on that site.

a img{border:0}

[larry Friedman @ Jan 17th 2008 10:20AM]

I think its a great idea and I'm a little pissed than I didn't think of such a greta moneymaking scheme. Sure its just like a neoprene sleeve, but this has a very tangible hook. That's what separates a good idea from a great idea.

I hope they make a lot of money from it.