small laptop users, what do you use for a case?

[Fayd]

i'm a grad student, so i need something to hold:

my laptop (soon to be lenovo x230...12.5" laptop)
a binder (I use a 1-inch binder, and sort documents at home to limit how much papers i have)
maybe a book.
some pens and a calculator.

for the past semester i've been using a REALLY crappy messenger bag. I've gotten sick of it, i need to replace it. my main frustration with it is it has no rigidity. it is completely floppy. some flop is fine, but this is just a fabric bag. it has 2 exterior pockets, neither of which can close. it has an internal pocket where i keep pens/pencils, the zipper is now broken on. it has a single large internal compartment where documents, books, and the laptop (in a neoprene sleeve) are kept.

I don't want a backpack. what I want is another messenger, but one a little better built. so it needs a padded laptop pocket, somewhat appropriately sized to my laptop, along with an unpadded document pocket for carrying binders/books.

I wish i had gotten in when timbuk2 was having their sale. could have gotten a really good bag for ~$50.

and I don't want it to look like a laptop bag. so targus is pretty much right out.


anyone have any ideas?

[crab0]

http://www.stmbags.com/catalog/macbo...-shoulder-bag/

Is what I use with my 13 inch MBA/iPad/misc school stuff. I really like how light it is and how its vertical not horizontal like most messenger bags. On the downside while its certainly way better then nothing it didn't protect my laptop from a few chips when it fell ~4-5 feet onto one of the corners of the bag (and hence corner of laptop which was naked). I wouldn't hover call it "floppy" at all (well the flap is when open but obviously xD).

[Fayd]

Originally Posted by crab0

http://www.stmbags.com/catalog/macbo...-shoulder-bag/

Is what I use with my 13 inch MBA/iPad/misc school stuff. I really like how light it is and how its vertical not horizontal like most messenger bags. On the downside while its certainly way better then nothing it didn't protect my laptop from a few chips when it fell ~4-5 feet onto one of the corners of the bag (and hence corner of laptop which was naked). I wouldn't hover call it "floppy" at all (well the flap is when open but obviously xD).

yeah, see i'm looking for something that will have a padded laptop compartment, so that it can take a hit. i'm not going to let it fall 5 feet, but shit does happen and i don't want to break it.

I don't really like the vertical orientation of the bag though, it makes it look like a purse. i looked through some of their other bags.. the nomad was fine, except it didn't have a laptop compartment. it just gave you a laptop sleeve and expected you to use that. that's no different from what i have.

the other messenger bag they had didn't have enough space for non-laptop stuff. (books,binder,etc)

[lawlz]

I just put a cheapo neoprene sleeve on my laptop and stuff it in my Jansport backpack for school. Easy, simple, and cheap.

[CombatChuk]

I just bought that exact same laptop (x230) and I got a small Timbuk2 control case. Fits perfectly with the 9 cell battery I bought and has a sleeve for my iPad Mini and other accessories. I like it a lot.

[zerogear]

I have two timbuk2 bags, one just a messenger without laptop and one as a laptop cushioned. Both are sturdy and nice. One of them I've had since 2007 and it still looks new.