A lot of people tend to enjoy using their tech without thinking about protective cases, keyboard skins and the like. But you’ll often also find that those people end up with tech that’s scratched, chipped, cracked and dented, and that’s simply because some technology isn’t meant to survive the odd accident!

But that’s not to mean it’s low quality or that it’s not worth getting – Apple products are notoriously fragile and expensive, but they’re solid bits of gear that can allow you to complete tasks at work, log on to Partypoker in a GUI that makes all others look terrible, and generally has that fashion factor that people should be allowed when it comes to their technology.

Protecting it however, is another matter. Keyboard skins and cases are a given, and if you’re wondering why some people use keyboard skins, ask yourself this: do you ever eat near your keyboard? If so, you’ll know that there’s nothing worse than watching a crumb slip underneath a key, knowing it’ll stand a chance of messing with how well that key (or others) works in the future. A skin means it can’t actually get there, and you’re less likely to find yourself popping keys to clear your computer’s innards out once every so often!

Cases and skins will also ensure that while the laptop’s in your bag, it’s not going to have the finish scratched off it, and it won’t take any serious damage even if you drop it. Unibody Macbooks are an exceptional example, as their one-piece aluminium shell means they’re more likely to break what they’re dropped on, then break themselves!

All in all, it’s worth taking care of your technology, if you’re not keen on the idea of simply throwing money away on repairs and new technology to replace the gear you’ve broken through accidents or carelessness. Skins, covers and cases cost a fraction of the price of new gear or repairs, so splashing out on some protection is a no-brainer when it comes to buying new tech.