How to turn your Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 into an art project
Toast is a start-up making a name for itself as the manufacturer of beautiful wooden and leather cases for varied consumer electronics, including Apple iPhone, and Samsung Galaxy phones, as well as gaming consoles, like the PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The company offers a selection of protective covers for tablets and laptops as well, compatible with all models of the Apple iPad, which includes the iPad Pro, as well as a number of Android tablets, and most recently, Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Book tablet PCs.
What’s striking about these cases, is the amount of detail, which, on relatively simple and basic devices like the Apple iPad, may not be as evident, as it is when looking at the final result of a fully-covered Microsoft Surface Book, or Surface Pro.
The Surface Pro 4, for example, is not merely enveloped by generic flat wood panels. Every part of the device is complemented by an individually crafted, contoured design, applied directly onto the device, to give the illusion that the panels are actually part of the device itself. The effect is quite stunning, especially considering each angle of the device, which is never perpendicular to the next, making it an additional challenge to mass produce such highly detailed hand-crafted product.
Speaking of challenge, the Surface Book raises the bar considerably, with a design that matches perfectly the articulated hinge that connects the base to the detachable display, in every aspect. Not only the outer edges, but also the sides, creating an effect of continuity along the edge of the laptop, where the side panels are designed to take into consideration every connector and outlet. The end result is nothing short of remarkable, turning the Surface Book, into something that looks right at home anywhere from a desk to a magazine rack or a bookshelf, not to mention the intrinsic sketchpad metaphor, now visually evident.
The cases come in four wood options: ash, ebony, bamboo and walnut, to ensure a sustainable manufacturing process, that is affordable as well, as these cases are priced under 70 dollars, with the option of adding the screen cover, the keyboard surround, bottom cover and custom text, in which case the price levitates to 144 dollars.