Brenthaven for new PowerBook?

[Powerbook G5]

I finally ordered a bag for my new PowerBook since I am leaving for home next week and needed a way to transport my baby. I ordered the 15" Brenthaven Pro backpack from Apple for Education for $149, which I thought was a pretty good deal. I feel pretty confident in the quality of the bag even though I haven't been able to see one personally. The only doubt I have, though, is that I heard that the new 15" PowerBooks don't fit into the Brenthaven bags due to their increased width. Is this true or have the Brenthaven bags been adjusted for this? I wouldn't be too happy if I receive my bag two days before I leave and find that my PowerBook doesn't fit into it properly.

 

[filmmaker2002]

My Al 15" fits very well in the backpack. I tried to put it into the soulder bag and it didn't fit. But the backpack is AWESOME. You will absolutely love it.

 

[Powerbook G5]

Awesome, thanks. I thought I heard that the backpack worked but the shoulder didn't but I wanted to confirm so I am not worrying over the weekend if I will be able to get my PowerBook home without any problems.

 

[chancellor]

The interesting thing is that if you look at the pdf of the shoulder bag, there is a picture of an aluminum powerbook being put into it on the right:

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/441/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/t3172gb.pdf

Clearly some of the shoulder bags accept the new 15" Powerbooks.

Anyway, I've ordered my new Powerbook (I'm finally switching) along with the shoulder bag. I'll let you know if the laptop fits the shoulder bag.

 

[Powerbook G5]

That is odd. On the top picture it is clearly the Ti PowerBook but on the bottom it does look like an Aluminum version that is being slipped into the case. I just looked at the top and then remembered someone on this forum a couple of months ago saying the shoulder bag didn't fit but the backpack did because in the backpack it slides in vertically while when sliding it horizontally for the shoulder bag it is 1/10" too thick. Either way, I would like to believe that they have been updated since the new PowerBooks have been out for going on three months now and Apple even sells the shoulder bags on the BTO store as an option.

 

[chancellor]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
That is odd. On the top picture it is clearly the Ti PowerBook but on the bottom it does look like an Aluminum version that is being slipped into the case.

Yup. Oddly enough, if you look at the pdf for the backpack, it shows the TiBook in all the pictures.

I just looked at the top and then remembered someone on this forum a couple of months ago saying the shoulder bag didn't fit but the backpack did because in the backpack it slides in vertically while when sliding it horizontally for the shoulder bag it is 1/10" too thick.

Yup. I remember that as well. I was hesitant about ordering the shoulder bag because of it.

 

[Powerbook G5]

You can always get a refund I suppose if it doesn't fit. I was thinking about the shoulder case since I am all about packing light and it seems like it wouldn't be as bulky, but since I am going home on Friday I didn't want to risk it not fitting and being stuck without a way to take my PowerBook with me. Besides, for $20 more, I figured spring for the best bag offered by Apple and get all that space for my CDs, books, and random junk I need to bring along with me. Not to mention, the backpack doesn't look as much like a laptop case like the shoulder bags do and I generally don't like advertising the fact that I have a $3000 piece of equipment in my hand ready to be stolen.

 

[chancellor]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
I didn't want to risk it not fitting and being stuck without a way to take my PowerBook with me.

I dislike backpacks--I find they're poorly designed for easy access to papers. You end up with a lot of room at the top because the backpack is bigger than average books/papers. I think a shoulder case is more efficient and give easier access to materials.

 

[Powerbook G5]

I agree with that but the two big things that stuck out at me when considering between the two cases is that I have had a Samsonite shoulder bag for four years that I used with my G3 and generally I didn't feel comfortable with the bulky case hanging from my side along with the fact that when I also have a duffle bag, it makes it awkward to have two things hanging off my shoulder when trying to travel from airport to airport. Secondly, being in college it might be more natural to have a backpack type case so I can have my PowerBook with me along with a few books and tote them around from class to class in an actual backpack type of bag that I am generally used to having.

Either way, they both seem like excellent bags. I saw a Brenthaven shoulder bag at CompUSA a while ago and just the build quality and overall feel seemed far above everything else in the store. Even the smell of it seemed to give me a sense of high end quality that the others didn't seem to have. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the backpack and playing around with fitting all of my accessories in it.

 

[chancellor]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
Either way, they both seem like excellent bags. I saw a Brenthaven shoulder bag at CompUSA a while ago and just the build quality and overall feel seemed far above everything else in the store. Even the smell of it seemed to give me a sense of high end quality that the others didn't seem to have. I am definitely looking forward to seeing the backpack and playing around with fitting all of my accessories in it.

That's good to hear. In Canada we don't have many stores that carry Apple stuff.

Anyway, I hope both our purchases turn out great.

 

[kanker]

I seem to remember reading a thread concerning the Brenthaven sleeves in their pro bags. Someone was asking if the sleeve was supposed to fit really tight, as it concerned them that it might do long term damage to the PB (15"Al, I believe). Brenthaven said that yes, it should be a little tight, but that it would end up molding itself to the PB in a short period of time. The sleeve for my 12" PB in my Brenthaven backpack fits great- I love the backpack as much as I love my PB, it just takes great care of my baby.

 

[James_C]

I had the same worry, I live in the UK, so I don't have any Apple stores to go and test. I managed to get the Apple store to agree to take the bag back at their expense if it did not fit, but it was no problem the slip case fitted the 15" Al powerbook perfectly. I went for the shoulder version, not the backback. It is a great bag go for it!

 

[chancellor]

Originally posted by James Craner
I had the same worry, I live in the UK, so I don't have any Apple stores to go and test. I managed to get the Apple store to agree to take the bag back at their expense if it did not fit, but it was no problem the slip case fitted the 15" Al powerbook perfectly. I went for the shoulder version, not the backback. It is a great bag go for it!

Super!!!

Incidentally, my Powerbook shipped today (Saturday). Should be here within a couple of weeks.

 

[Powerbook G5]

That's awesome, you will love it, trust me. I have been absolutely in love with my 15" PowerBook since the first day and can't find a single flaw with it (besides it not being a G5 ). It's definitely a well built machine and even my anti-Mac friends are jealous, especially when they see the light up keyboard.

 

[Powerbook G5]

As an update, I just got my Brenthaven backpack and it is absolutely awesome. It fits the 15" Aluminum PowerBook perfectly despite the tag saying "Titanium 2" and it is just really really great. The protective boot is very well padded with a shell in the middle to keep it nice and rigid without sacrificing padding and the bottom of the bag has a great deal of padding, as well. There are pockets in every nook you could imagine and lots of places to put things. The material is strong, it is well built, it has a great new "smell" to it, and it is just oozing with quality. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for the best laptop bag to compliment their wonderful PowerBook. On top of that, it took Apple two business days to ship it to me, too. I ordered it around 11:30 pm on Friday and I got it around 11:30 am today, so I am definitely happy about shipment times, as well, since the ones I looked at from Spire were quoting 2 weeks to a month for most of their bags.

 

[jkeithh]

Originally posted by James Craner
I had the same worry, I live in the UK, so I don't have any Apple stores to go and test. I managed to get the Apple store to agree to take the bag back at their expense if it did not fit, but it was no problem the slip case fitted the 15" Al powerbook perfectly. I went for the shoulder version, not the backback. It is a great bag go for it!

Mine fit perfectly also and I love it.

 

[ksz]

I have the shoulder/briefcase version of the Brenthaven for my 15" AlBook. Agreed..it's very well made and has been thoughtfully designed. It includes everything I was looking for including a pull-out hard-sided form fitting sleeve, spacers between the sleeve and accessory pockets, rods in the carrying handles (ergonomic delight), light weight (3.3 lbs) yet rugged ("ballistic nylon"), etc.

Fully loaded, it even fits under the seat in front of me!

 

[JulesK]

Look in eBay

Brenthaven bags regularly pop up on eBay, including the PowerBook specific models (many for the 15" and 17" PBs; haven't really seen any for the 12" PB other than one backpack). I bought a brand new "Deluxe Slim" bag, which is basically the same as the one sold by Apple, with an adjustable sleeve (rather than a custom sleeve), for less than $50, shipped. Again, if you must have the custom PowerBook model, just be patient.

 

[Powerbook G5]

I got it for $45 off on the Apple Store for Education with free shipping, so I thought I got a pretty good deal for such a high end product. It's definitely worth the cost, it's the best bag I've ever used.

 

[jkeithh]

Originally posted by Powerbook G5
I got it for $45 off on the Apple Store for Education with free shipping, so I thought I got a pretty good deal for such a high end product. It's definitely worth the cost, it's the best bag I've ever used.

I totally agree. It is the best bag I have ever used also. I did the same thing and purchased mine from the Apple Store for Education.

 

[chancellor]

My Powerbook arrived this morning. It fits perfectly into the sleeve of the shoulder bag.

I have exams till Friday, so I'm not booting up the Powerbook just yet. But I though I'd let you all know that the shoulder bag seems to have been updated.

Also, in Canada there's no educational discount on the backpack or the shoulder bag--I paid $239 (Canadian) for the shoulder bag.

 

[g808]

I have the Brenthaven 17" backpack for, of course, my 17" PowerBook. I absolutely love it. you invest so much into buying the computer it makes sense to invest in a bag that will safely transport it around.

 

[kasei]

I have spent quite a bit of time looking for a backpak that can match the quality of the Brenthaven backpack and I have not been able to find anything that comes close. I bought a Booq 17" sleeve a couple of weeks ago to replace the sleeve in the Brenthaven. I am really considering sending it back, because the Breathaven sleeve is constructed so well. I just wish they added a shoulder strap to carry it seperately.

The Brenthaven is an excellent choice for a backpack to carry your investment in.

 

[rdowns]

I just picked up one for my iBook at an Apple Store. Was on the return table and paid $49 (usually $79) for the briefcase/shoulder model. It is a really nice bag.

 

[kasei]

I just picked up a 17" Powerbook and I love this thing. I also pickedup a Brenthaven backpack and I have run out of things to put in the 21 pockets. I have released myself from the grip of Windows.