One of the biggest reasons why blind persons should not buy a laptop iis
the fragile nature of the devices. We don't drive and independent
travelers will likely bang their computer around a lot. The article
below describes choices in selecting a carrying case that will protect
your laptop investment from the bumps and shocks.
kelly
from the New York times
August 12, 1997
Travel Log
By STEPHEN C. MILLER Bio
It's in the Bag: Paying Extra
To Protect a Valuable Laptop
P eople will spend weeks looking for just the right laptop. It has
to be speedy, with a lot of RAM, a large hard drive, a fast CD-ROM
drive and above all, a great display. A high-end laptop can top out
at $10,000. Even an inexpensive one will cost about $2,500.
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The sealed, pressurized air bag of the Targus "APS" surrounds your
notebook compartment with a thick layer of shock absorbing air.
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So why is so little thought given to the bag one uses to lug it all
over creation? Most buyers just take the carrying case offered by
the vendor. Depending on the vendor, you'll pay about $100 for the
laptop carrying case. There is nothing wrong with the bags the
vendor's sell, it's just that they are designed to provide basic
protection for the computer and its accessories and not much else.
If you're traveling on business, you have to carry a whole lot of
other stuff and protect the computer. The case is going to have to
do double duty as a briefcase and in some cases, an overnight bag.
By the time you stuff it with floppy disks, CD-ROM's, extra cables,
a cell phone, your appointment book, six copies of a 10 page
report, a newspaper, two magazines, a paperback novel and a
partridge in a pear tree, your once sleek bag is a bulging, heavy
mess. And it still has to fit under the seat in front of you on the
airplane.
Just as your choice of a laptop is a very personal thing, you
should pick out a carrying case to fit your computing life style.
Spend a little time to get it right. It is not unreasonable to
spend $300 to protect a $10,000 investment?
The good news is that there is a wide variety of bags to suit every
need. The bad news is that there is a wide variety of bags to suit
every need. The sales growth in laptop bags has been phenomenal.
Port Inc. sold 2-million bags in 1993. The company expects to sell
36-million bags by the end of this year for a 1,100 percent
increase in 5 years.
Steven M. Goodman, chief operating officer of Targus Inc., the
retail market leader, said notebook sales have been increasing at
about 20 percent per year but that the sales of Targus bags have
increased 30 percent a year. Goodman said the higher growth rate
stems from users' upgrading as they discover they need more than
the basic bag. He also said that many people who don't own
computers buy the bags because they're useful for carrying other
things.
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Port's Sport Classic is a dual-purpose case that hides your notebook
inside a practical sport bag.
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Here are some helpful hints to ease the confusion of buying a case
for your portable lifestyle.
As you did with you laptop purchase, list all the things you want
to carry and find a bag that fits the bill. Don't rule out buying
two bags. One for short, light computing trips and a larger bag for
those heavy-duty trips. Most of the time, I travel with just the
laptop and its accessories. But I also have to make presentations,
and on those trips, I take a bag to hold the computer, an LCD
screen and a removable storage device. On those occasions, I carry
a bag big enough to handle all of that equipment.
The main thing to consider is protecting your laptop from the
abuses of travel. It's not just an issue of protecting the computer
from falls, though that's important, but from the causal abuse of
traveling. That abuse includes jostling during dashes through the
airport, bouncing in the trunk of a rental car, or your unconscious
habit of letting it drop the last two inches every time you put it
down.
Inside the bag itself, how is the computer and its accessories
secured. Some cases use an adjustable partition that fits all size
laptops. The partition usually has Velcro on either end to keep the
computer from sliding around. One problem with the
one-size-fits-all bag is that the extra space may be too large for
the AC adapter and it rattles around. It's possible for the plug to
cross the barrier and scratch the case. Port makes cases for all
the major brands. IBM actually suggests that you buy the Port bag
for its ThinkPad line.
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PCPro1 from Lowepro holds a laptop, printer and a vast array of
accessories.
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In evaluating bags, find out how is the computer protected. Is the
compartment padded on all sides? What kind of padding is used? Is
it padded from not only outside abuse, but is it also protected
from internal abuse? Is the power supply's brick in a compartment
that keeps it from banging against the computer?
Are there separate compartments for the computer's power supply and
cables? If your laptop has an external floppy or CD ROM drive, is
there a compartment to both separate and protect those devices? Is
there space for pens, notebooks, reports, etc.?
"You can't have enough pockets," said Cheryl Currid, president of
Currid and Co., a Houston based consulting firm. Ms. Currid is on
the road constantly and her issue with a laptop bag is to have
easily accessible pockets for all her none computing material.
The next thing to consider is how you tote that barge. The
ubiquitous shoulder strap is standard on every case, but it
wrinkles my suit and causes me to list to starboard. Most of the
time, I carry the bag by the handle. It's the first thing I look
for in a bag. The handles on the Kensington bags are among my
favorites. The handles are round and padded. It seems the most
comfortable to me.
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Kensington's SaddleBag can be carried a backpack or an attaché.
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While I prefer to lug my laptop by the handle, the shoulder strap
is the next item to consider on your laptop list. Pick a strap that
feels comfortable and has enough padding. Make sure that the pad is
smooth where it rests on your shoulder. The ones that allow the
shoulder pad to slide through the strap often slip and you end up
with no padding and a sore shoulder. The better straps are also
curved to follow the contour of your shoulder. Lowepro Inc. has a
well-padded shoulder strap.
For heavy-duty functionality the PCPro1 from Lowepro, Inc., is one
of the most versatile. It's a large bag, about the size of an
overnighter, but it's a bag within a bag and the laptop case fits
inside. It can be carried separately. It also gives you a
compartment for office supplies and a third compartment for
computer peripherals. What was impressive about the peripheral
compartment was the inside were three, smaller, zippered bags. Each
offers additional protection and had Velcro on the bottom to hold
them firmly in place.
For the casual traveler, Kensingtion's SaddleBag is a nice
alternative. It is a backpack but if a more formal appearance is
needed, the straps can be tucked away in a zippered compartment and
you have a business like attaché. It also has enough pockets.
Port has a line aimed at women executives. Several of the bags are
in colors other than black. Most have trim that makes them look
more like handbags rather the computer bags. Currid thinks that
those who travel frequently should have multiple bags to suit the
occasion both practically and as a fashion statement. "It's a time
for function and fashion," she said.
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Related Sites
* Port
* Targus
* Kensington
* Lowepro
Copyright 1997 The New York Times Company
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