My New Backpack
I had been pondering whether to get a new backpack, and then someone went ahead and bought me one. So now the decision process has been reduced to mere retroactive analysis. Let's break it down!The Good
The new backpack offers better protection for my laptop. This is the principal reason I was dissatisfied with the old one.
The new backpack is a bit bigger. I like to travel with just a single piece of luggage and this backpack will be superior on trips lasting more than a couple of days.
The new backpack has a ton of different pockets, and a little subcase for holding CDs, et cetera. In principle, every thing could be well-organized in its own little pocket instead of floating around in a jumble at the bottom of the pack.
The Less Than Good
The new backpack looks sportier (bigger, more multi-colored) than the old one, so I feel incrementally more like a bobo dork taking it into work, kind of like wearing hiking boots with a blazer and slacks. Maribeth says it's okay but she has embraced her boboness.
Many of the pockets have little labels saying what they are supposed to hold. "USB Cable"? Uh, no thanks, I generally use Firewire. "Phone Cord"?? Is this backpack from the twentieth century? Who the hell plugs a phone cord into their laptop any more? I think it's been five years since I plugged a phone cord into a phone. Granted, there is a phone cord going into the DSL modem.
Undetermined
The new backpack allows you to thread your power adapter through the pockets somehow so you can plug the laptop in and recharge while it sits in the bag. I haven't decided yet if this is cool or counter-productive (because it would presumably make it more troublesome to take the power adapter out of the bag).
I guess when I write it down, on balance the new backpack is pretty good. Thanks sweetie!
posted by Richard Mason @ Tuesday, March 01, 2005
2 Comments:
Even though the new backpack is bigger, you should still not smush up your suit to fit in it.
Also, in its defense, the new backpack is blue and beige, which are not horribly un-businesslike. I do find it funny, though, that the $300 alternative, which apparently allowed some sherpa's laptop to survive a fall down K2 even though the sherpa himself never regained the use of his limbs, was a nice basic black.
If you end up hating it after six months we can still return it to REI.
It is not just blue and beige, it is blue, beige, black and green, with white-translucent snaps and little yellow cords.
But, into Day 2, it is definitely growing on me. I like the rubbery green top handle.
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