Carrying Case for HDX 18t

Hey everyone, I just ordered this 18.4" beast and was hoping that somebody could recommend a carrying case for me. I'm sure there's been previous posts about this, but I couldn't find them. I'm not so much interested in a backpack or roller, just a traditional carrying case. Thanks for your help!

 

Maybe this one. It's a bit pricey though.

 

lol, good one

 

Sorry, couldn't resist. Good luck finding a carrying case

+rep for having a sense of humor

 

I have this one on order. Shipped today and will be here to tomorrow. I will report back if it fits. The dimensions of the interior makes it so the HDX18t should fit. It comes with a sleeve, so I figure without the sleeve (which I don't like anyways), it should fit fine.

 

Thanks lancorp, I'll be interested to hear your report.

And HerrKaputt, I'm not sure I could have survived this crazy year without a sense of humor Here's to a happy new year

 

lancorp,

I look forward to your review.

 

I'm looking for a simple sleeve. I know of one that was mentioned in the main thread but it's kinda expensive plus I'm waiting to see if other companies come up with something better looking.

 

I wanted to report back on the Mobile Edge case for the HDX18t.

I received it today, and happily, the HDX18t fits great in it!!
The case comes with a really nice sleeve, and surprisingly, the '18t fits in the sleeve, then the sleeve fits in the case! All an excellent fit.

The case itself is rather ordinary looking, although it is quality constructed with Cordura brand nylon, and cool stress-relieving "bungee" straps where the clips attach to the bag. So, as you are walking and bouncing, the bag and the "bungees" absorb the bouncing, and not your shoulder. The carry strap is NOT the bungee...the bungee part is actually connected at the bag where the metal clippies are.

The gadget area is good. Room for thin chargers, etc.

There are two other versions of the bag, each adds a bit more thickness by adding file folder sections, etc.

The standard one I got is still available from Amazon.com for $54.

Highly recommended, especially for the price!

 

CK, buy the case I just received. Remove the sleeve that comes with it, and use that. Then give the bag away to some deserving person here!

 

http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=TCG200

I use this case for the HDX16 and there's still probably ennough room for the 18". I also can fit the zalman nc2000 in there, which is quite a big cooler. It has 2 large slots and a spacious compartment for mice/cables/cds. Feels pretty sturdy too, even with 10~ pounds of stuff.

 

This one would have to be tested, as the specs state 16.5" internal width, but the HDX18t is 17" exactly. Sometimes, there is a bit more room than specified, other times, there is less.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone, and thank you lancorp for your report on the Mobile Edge. Knowing in advance that it can handle the 18t is extremely helpful. I might just order it...tomorrow

 

lancorp,

Great news. Thank you for the update.

 

Just saw your post....could u post pics of the sleeve please? I'd really appreciate it.

 

I ordered the Mobile Edge today from eBay. Of course my new 18t won't be built until Jan 9, so I've got some waiting in store for me. Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Happy New Year!

 

Well, I guess you could try and squeeze the laptop into a sleeve for a 17" notebook. That would be worth a shot if you didn't want to have to wait for a case to come in the mail or spend a bunch of money on a case online.

 

It really depends on the individual sleeve. You can't always squeeze an 18.4" notebook into a sleeve designed for a 17". Some manufacturers give some slack, others are tight-fit for the 17", so there's no way there will be the extra width for the 18.4".

You really have to look at each manufacturers specified interior dimensions. They need to be 17" in length (or width, whichever the longest dimension is), for the HDX18t to fit.

I was surprised at the Mobile Edge case. It is such a perfect fit, you'd think it was designed for it!

 

Posted pics in another forum. Check here for pics of Mobile Edge MEV17S sleeve.

 

I got the Mobile Edge delivered today and I really like it. I can't test it out with my lappy since that hasn't arrived yet, but if it fits as well as you say, lancorp, than it's definitely a winner! Thanks so much for your recommendation!

I'm still a n00b to these forums, otherwise I would have done this sooner... +rep!

 

Yes, you should be happy with it. It fits wonderfully! thanks for the rep!

 

LOL! ............

 

Thank you for this link, I may have to check this one out for myself!

 

Yup, just got my rig today and, sure enough, it fits like a glove. I couldn't be happier with it. Thanks again, lancorp, for your help!

 

Great to hear. You're welcome!

 

Wow, after SOOOO many years away, I'm back and have something to share.

Bought an Ogio Brain Bucket and the laptop fits snug inside. There is room in the outside sleeve to put the power brick also. The divider thing inside, you can pretty much chuck since the laptop takes up every single inch.

Only comes in black from ebags.com but at $23.99, I think it's a great alternative to those not wanting to spend so much on a carrying case.

Linky here.

 

Take a look at this one:
Dicota Multigiant

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...oductdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=A1494885

 

I had that case for my Dell XPS M2010. In my opinion, it's too big for the HDX18t. There are plenty of other options for smaller, better-fit cases (unless, of course, you need to pack some clothes in your notebook case, too!).

 

Lancorp,

You said the interior dimensions mean the HDX18t will fit, however the dimensions are 16.5 x 2.3 x 12.5 and the HDX18t's length is a little over 17", so what made you think it should fit?

I guess I'll take your word for it that it fits, but I have a quick question. Is there enough room in the case for the power brick, a normal size mouse, and a notebook (paper notebook) or two? You said they have variations of the same case with more pockets, do you by chance have the link to those variations? This may be my best bet!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

- Bob

 

The simple fact that the manufacturer dimensions show a difference of 2" between the interior and exterior. No amount of nylon in a bag would take up two inches, and I was right. The sleeve that comes with this, even fits the HDX18t (as others here have attested to). HDX18t in the sleeve, then in the bag fits fine.

Yes, there is room for stuff. If you look on the Mobile Edge website, you will see that they make a couple of variations to this bag with more space for more stuff.

Also, regarding the power brick, I brought to the attention of others here a very thin and light charger for the HDX18t (weighs 6 oz total). It's from Kensington, and at the time, Frys.com had them (refurbs) for $15 (instead of $140 new). Not sure if they still do. But they work great.

 

Lancorp,

Thanks so much for your speedy reply!

I ordered the Mobile Edge Premium V-Load Notebook Case - MEV17P. It has the separate expanding file section, which should be good for my needs and it was only $62.99 (shipping included) @ Buy.com.

I couldn't find the slimmed down version of the power brick on the site you mentioned and I'm not sure how to find the right adapter, but it's no big deal. I'd rather use the one I have than spend more money to reduce the weight by a few ounces -- I need the workout anyway, trust me!

Anyway, thanks a million for responding so fast and I'll make sure to post how everything works out.

- Bob

 

Well, well, well, Mr. Lancorp. My HDX18t fits LIKE A GLOVE! I ended up getting the one with separate expanding file section.

You have the HDX 18t as well? Quick question for ya. When you're watching a Blue Ray DVD or a DVD using Mediasmart, is there a way to zoom in/out? I've been trying to get this answer and nobody seems to know. It's like the simplest function on even the cheapest DVD player and I can't for the life of me seem to find how to zoom in/out.

Also, what do you look for when trying to buy a power adapter for this laptop? What specs does it need, because you were right, the brick that comes with the HDX 18t is HUGE and a pain to pack regardless of what kind of case you have.

Anyway, thank you SO MUCH for you help on this and I'll make sure to pass on the information to whoever needs it.

 

No problem. Glad you're happy with the case.

I have an HDX18t (as my signature shows), but I do not use it to watch movies. As a matter of fact, since I have one of the first HDX18t's, mine does not have Blu-ray, nor do I desire one. I'm perfectly happy with my $1180 QUAD CORE QX9300 HDX18t as-is!!
Update: OK, I have no clue as to what I have! I do have a Blu-ray drive. It's the Blu-Ray writer that wasn't out at the time of my purchase. In either case, I don't watch movies on it...

Power adapters? Only one I recommend is the Kensington Thin and Light. Look around on ebay and elsewhere for them. They come and go (refurbs with full warranty) for anywhere from $15 to $40. They retail for $130 or so. Super thin and super light, they're awesome.

For the HP, you do need an N30 tip for it.

Here they are for $19.99 ($100 off!!): Kensington 33197 Thin and Light Power Adapter

 

I bought the HP branded case on wheels which fits the HDX18 perfectly unfortunately I never used it and selling it because it has maybe space for a days worth of clothes. Perfect for overnighter but not for me.

oh well

 

Your title of "Notebook Deity" is starting to make sense now. How on earth do you find these deals and HOW IN THE HECK DID YOU GET 8GB OF RAM ON YOUR HDX18T??? All they offered for me was 4GB max. Also, how did you get such a good deal?! You are now my official notebook geek idol as of 2 minutes ago when I read your response. Congratulations!

In any case, I took your suggestion yet again and got the thin and light power adapter from J&R. Amazing suggestion based on price, and if past history is an indicator, I'm sure it will work out just fine.

Any other suggestions?

 

I'm not a big fan of wheeled cases, but why don't you ever use it?

 

How do I find these deals? Lots of research and work. The original HP HDX18t offer (when they first came out) was a mess. A pricing mistake on the QX9300 and then delays (which led to HP giving an additional $200 credit for the delay), plus live.com cashback. The 8GB is not original HP. A company called G.SKILL was offering 4GB DDR2 RAM modules at an unbelievable price (compared to Kingston and Crucial). It was something like $300 for 8GB. Those have supposedely gone the way of the dinosaur and are no longer available. No one knows why (like the dinosaur).

The next big thing? Solid State Disks (SSD's). As you can see by my sig, I have them in all my portables. The performance gains are incredible for the price, just be sure to do your research, read reviews and tests, and make sure you buy the right ones. A lot of slower due to a bad choice of controller chip, but many of the newer ones now are engineered to be fast and not hesistate (like the older ones).


You'll like the Kensington adapter. Their customer service is great. Just email them if you have any problems, and they (normally) ship out a brand new replacement, free of charge! I've used them for years and they are very reliable.

Have fun.

 

Amazing adapter! Why didn't HP think of making an adapter this slim? Another great feature? It has interchangable tips so if I ever need it for another laptop, bingo bango, I can just change the tip rather than buy a whole new adapter!

Thanks again, Lancorp.

 

Yes, they are cool. And, with tips for other devices than notebooks, they're truly multi-functional!

Enjoy.

 

Quick question...I just purchased a Kensington 33197 adapter for my HDX18, but on the Kensington website, it states that the HDX needs over 125 watts and that they don't make an adapter for it. Is it really fine to use the 33197? Will it under power it and / or damage the HDX?

 

Where does it say that? They might be referring to the original HDX 20' laptop http://www.buy.com/prod/hp-pavilion...el-centrino-duo-core/q/loc/101/205020014.html. If you look at your current HDX18t adapter, it says 120W, just like the Kensington 33197. I've been using it for some time now whenever I am away from home. I basically keep it in my notebook case and use it for out-of-home-office type situations since it is so light and portable. I haven't had any issues and it works wonderfully with my HDX18t.

 

I use a 33197 ALL THE TIME on my HDX18t. The original power adapter is still in the original box!

 

lancorp, I thank you IMMENSELY for sharing the info on that bag. I was searching for one that would fit my HDX18t, and stumbled upon this forum. The laptop fits great, and now I can take it on vacation with me this summer. Thanks again, man!

P.S. I got the bag for $44 from Amazon.

 

No problem! Glad it worked out for you!

 

I'm pretty much at my wits end trying to find a decently fashionable case for this notebook. It's a real powerhouse, but I'm not having any luck finding a backpack or messenger bag that would fit this notebook and still offer a reasonable level of protection.

Also, I've noticed that the silver panel on the left side of the notebook where the USB, eSATA, HDMI ports are seems to have popped out slightly (around 1mm) -- is this normal?

This is the 2nd HDX 18t I've had -- first one was bought on 21st July, returned on 1 Aug for the same reason, and now this new unit is showing the same problem with the same panel.

 

Hey, I was hoping some of you could help me out with the case that lancorp recommended. I was planning on getting it since some of the other bags I've seen are pretty big. It would be nice to have a smaller case instead. I was looking at getting a cooler (either the Zalman NC2000 or the NZXT Cryo LX; I'm still searching for something good though) and wanted to be able to fit it in one of the two bags.

Mobile Edge MEV17S or MEV17P

First, is there extra room in the MEV17S with the HDX 18t in there for a cooler? If not, do you think there might be room in the MEV17P (because of the folder area)?

If the cooler won't fit maybe I'll just go with the Toshiba Metropolitan since that one seemed roomy.

Thanks for any help!

 

FYI I just got my new bag in and it fits very snug.........if I wanted it to be looser I could remove 1 of the 2 pads at the bottem...but I see no need.

The bag I went with is the ogio politan
http://www.clothing4all.com/prod-Politan_Backpacks_Ogio_711114-3045.aspx

thats not the company I bought it from but thats the color scheme I choose, if you look at various sites (ogio, amazon, etc) you will see there are about 5 color choices if not more. I think the bag looks great esp. for one that will actually fit these monsters lol