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mrcourt123

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
72
3
I will be purchasing either a MB or MBP this summer and am looking for a good backpack to store it in. The backpack will also be hauling around textbooks (at law school) and other daily necessities. I have seen some North Face bags that have built-in laptop sleeves and have heard that North Face is pretty high quality. Does anyone have any recommendations for a backpack that doubles as a laptop bag?
 
Honestly, get a backpack that doesn't look like it would be appealing for a thief.

Unfortunately a North Face bag (while really cool) is just screaming "I've got something expensive in me!"...especially on a campus.

Of course you want to protect your Macbook, but do it in a nondescript way. And definitely avoid anything that says Targus (or another laptop bag maker) on it. They make awesome bags, but it is much more likely to be stolen b/c thieves know that there is a laptop in there.

bottom line: get a really high quality laptop sleeve, and stick your Macbook in there, then in a regular backpack w/out a nice brand name on it.
 
Honestly, get a backpack that doesn't look like it would be appealing for a thief.

Unfortunately a North Face bag (while really cool) is just screaming "I've got something expensive in me!"...especially on a campus.

Oh come on - TNF backpacks are pretty ubiquitous - and there's no way to tell if there is a laptop inside. Life's too short to worry about that kind of stuff all the time - I remember when the iPhone came out everyone was paranoid about showing them in public.

Get the right tool for the job - I've got an older version of the Borealis (see the new version at http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/borealis.html) and it's just about perfect. The laptop is tightly held and suspended in its pouch off the bottom of the pack, which means you don't have to worry when you put it on the ground, even if you are a little heavy handed. I used to carry my VAIO 'naked' in the pack and had no problems at all - since getting a MB I do use a neoprene sleeve to keep the dust out but I wouldn't say that that is essential by any means.
 
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