question for laptop owners

[allie_meril]

1. Do you have a specially-designed backpack for your laptop?

2. If yes, what brand and would you recommend it in terms of:
-(a) protectiveness to laptop,
-(b) lightweight, compact, small
-(c) a small amount of extra storage space, e.g., for power cords and such?

Nenya is the 13.3" MacBook: 13" L, 9" W, 1.2" H.

I've been looking at Targus

Comments

[tarion_anarore]

I got my laptop backpack from ebags.com and I really like it. It's the size of a regular backpack, w/ a special compartment for the laptop, plus room for a notebook or two. I can fit my computer, it's cords, my cell phone charger, my headphones, The Silmarillion, Morgoth's Ring, my iPod & its accessories. (And I could technically squish my small purse - big enough only to hold my wallet, phone, and travel size bottle of Aleve - into it if the airline gets picky about the two carry-on items only rule.)

I don't remember what it cost, but as far as size, I specified what type of computer I had, and the website came up with all the bags that fit that type/size.

Protection is pretty good, I think. At any rate, my laptop has survived seven plane trips and three long car trips.

[allie_meril]

Thanks, Tarion! That ebags.com looks like a good site to check out.

Nenya is still very new, and I'm still in the "separation anxiety even when I go to class" stage. ;)

[tarion_anarore]

No problem!

Nenya is still very new, and I'm still in the "separation anxiety even when I go to class" stage. ;)

Hehe! I never had that phase, as I got my computer 5 1/2 years ago. I had to leave it home when I went to school. :-\

[allie_meril]

Ahhhhh! Well, I never had to worry about Precious, because (a) Precious was a monster, and (aside from me) only a person with eight arms and a degree in Cord Untanglery could remove him from my desk, and (b) for that same reason, Precious had no reason to be moved.

[tarion_anarore]

Oh, this is the one I have.

[marastar]

I have a Targus backpack, paid an arm and a leg for it, and I have no complaints.

However, if I was in the market for one now, I'd just get a protective cover for my laptop (which you can get at Staples for less money than the Apple store -- here, it's about $25 Cdn). If you're like me and alternate frequently between a number of different bags (messenger, backpack, etc.), you can just slip the laptop with the cover into any of them and away you go.

It's definitely the option I would choose now, since I switch my bags around a lot.

[allie_meril]

You know, that is a good thing to consider... I am very much a backpack girl: my current backpack has been used as everything short of the kitchen sink, and I'm very fond of it. I was wondering how I would reconcile having a laptop backpack as well as a regular one.

Good advice. Thanks for the input!

[ressie_noldo]

I don't use a laptop backpack; just stick it into my schoolbag after dumping all the books out. (My schoolbag's one of those camping things, though.)

*is uploading instrumental music - hang on a bit*

[allie_meril]

Like I just said in my comment to Tarion:

Nenya is still new, and I'm in the "separation anxiety even when I go to class" stage. ;)

Even if I wasn't in that stage, I still don't think I could put her in my backback and go out and about... The MacBooks are equipped with magnets: the closure-thingy is magnetic instead of having some type of clasp that you'd press a button to open, and the power port is magnetic. I don't want to get anything stuck in that.

Yay music! I've decided I need some new inspirations.

*hopefully*

[allie_meril]

Music?

[arwensommer]

I actually have a Powerbook one size smaller, and got the Timbuk2 laptop bag. Their website is here and I must admit I am -very- satisfied with it. It has a big padded compartment for the laptop, a grand total of four pockets for cables and such (two of which are on the outside and will also hold a bottle of water), a roomy back pocket for pens, notebooks and such as well as a big interior pocket for any text books you might carry. In addition, the shoulder strap is very nice, and the cross-strap prevents it from going anywhere.

And as this already sounds like a sales pitch -anyway-, I know that Timbuk2's bags were specifically designed with the "odd-sizes" Apple computers in mind. Last but not least... if this is still out of your range, have you considered their padded laptop sleeves? Snugly fits your laptop, and makes it so you can carry it in your regular backpack...

[allie_meril]

Actually, that's what marastar suggested in a comment further upwards (the laptop sleeve thing), and I was considering that! If I did that, and got a new, regular backpack (which I need: this one *is* about six years old) with more pockets, that would work nicedly.