Hard case or compromise?

I just purchased an Acer Aspire 6930 that I'm particularly fond of, and now I have to consider what I'm going to carry it in. Any suggestions, or personal experiences with the products I'm about to mention, would be most appreciated.

My ideal scenario: I have an LL Bean messenger bag that my kids got me for Father's Day a few years back, and I'd love to make use of it to carry my laptop. The ability to withstand a drop of a few feet, though, is of the utmost importance to me, so I'd also need to find a case/sleeve that I'm comfortable with.

Axio's hardsleeves ( http://www.axio-usa.com/hardsleeve17.html) look ideal for protection, but their largest size WON'T fit my laptop (which has dimensions of 15.2" x 10.9" x 1.6-1.7"). Damned Mac-centric products.

I found a similar-looking product in STM's Turtle Laptop Sleeve ( http://www.radtech.us/Products/STMTurtle.aspx), and it looks like their medium-sized sleeve WILL fit (with the tightest dimension being the laptop's thickness). Anyone else use this sleeve? How well DOES it protect? Could I reasonably expect my laptop to slip off my shoulder, hit pavement, and avoid any damage with it (even/especially at the corners)?

Better protection: As much as I want to make use of my messenger bag, I don't want to end up with a $600 door-stop. So I'm also considering a fully-fledged hard case. The front runners are Slappa's HardBody Pro ( http://www.slappa.com/hardbody-laptop-case?sc=2&category=133) and Matias' Laptop Armor Leatherette ( http://www.matias.ca/laptoparmor/la1217u/index.php).

Less protection: There are a few sleeves I've seen that I'm iffy on, but which seem to get decent reviews, and which might provide ENOUGH protection when used with my messenger bag. The front runners in this category would be the Shinza Zeroshock III ( http://shinza.com/zeroshock-laptop-notebook-sleeve-case) and Tom Bihn's Horizontal Brain Cell ( http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/300/TB0300).

I'm not sure I want to risk my laptop for the sake of style/sentimentality, though. The Bihn design seems novel enough to actually work, but the pictures of the Zeroshock don't do a whole lot to convince me that it provides any more impact protection than a neoprene sleeve.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Regards,
Corporate Dog

EDIT: Logitech's Kinetik Briefcase ( http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/notebook_products/cases/devices/3134&cl=us,en) looks decent enough, too. I just wish I could find specs for the internal dimensions of the computer compartment. Any help on that front would be appreciated.

EDIT #2: Hmmm. Found the following internal dimensions for the Kinetik BACKPACK:

Width = 30 cm = 11.81 inch
Depth = 5 cm = 1.97 inch
Height = 40 cm = 15.75 inch

Assuming similar dimensions for the briefcase, this one looks like a distinct possibility too.

 

So, I'm impatient. I also need a case for the weekend, and found a soon-to-expire coupon code for RadTech, so those were additional motivating factors.

I decided to go ahead and order the STM Turtle hard-shell, with the intent to return it immediately if I don't get a good vibe from its construction and/or fit.

Considering the lack of reviews for this product, I'll even do a public service to the community, and post one to the stickied thread on cases and bags, once I get a chance to use it.

In the event that it gets returned, I think my next purchase will be the Logitech Kinetik Briefcase. I've seen nothing but good reviews on it, it's less expensive than the other hard cases I'm looking at, and I also discovered that it was designed/co-branded by Axio, whose lack of a suitably-sized hardsleeve had me whining at the top of my first post.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

Hi CorporateDog,
If you decide to go for another case instead, I would suggest you also check out the hard briefcase that Swissgear makes( Here). Other options are some hardcases made by SOLO or Vanguard. You could also check out a local Officemax or Staples and they have some hard briefcases for sure.

Check out these links...

Link 1

Link 2

 

The Vanguard cases do look pretty slick. Thanks!

As for the Swissgear case, I saw one at my local Staples store, and it seemed pretty solid. I considered picking it up, but later read some online reviews that ripped into the craftsmanship (case clips that would warp, riveting on the inside that would scratch up a laptop, etc.) Considering that the price tag on it was $99, I felt that the other hard cases I mentioned would give me a better run for my money.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

Got ya, cool. Let us know which one you ultimately go with and how it is.

 

I still haven't received my STM Turtle, yet (though it looks like it should arrive in today's mail) but I DID hear back from Logitech Support, and thought I'd pass on the laptop compartment dimensions of their cases:

So it looks like the briefcase is a no-go for me, though the backpack is still an option.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

My STM Turtle arrived this afternoon. Radtech lists the LAPTOP SPACE on their website as 11.2 x 15.9 x 1.6 inches.

But now that I have it in my hands, those are clearly the OUTER DIMENSIONS of this case. My laptop wouldn't fit with a crowbar, a half-gallon of Vaseline, and an interdimensional wormhole at the bottom.

For what it's worth, the elastic/hook mechanism does a good job of keeping the case shut tight. But the EVA molding isn't particularly thick (7mm according to its specs) and doesn't have very much "sponginess" to it.

Earlier in my case-buying process, I picked up a cheap EVA sleeve at Staples (CompuCase was the brand), and honestly, the Turtle case didn't feel all that different in material composition.

So back it goes to Radtech, and back I go to square one.

Current front-runners (in order): Slappa Hardbody Pro, Bihn Brain Cell (to go with my messenger bag), Matias Laptop Armor, and Vanguard Designer 84.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

EDIT: It occurs to me that I didn't praise RadTech anywhere in this thread. Their customer service department was AWESOME to deal with. Even though their return policy states that the customer needs to pay the return shipping costs, I think they realized that the reason for the return was due to incorrect information on their website, and to make amends, they sent me a return shipping label with all costs covered (in addition to refunding me the initial shipping costs).

That's a top notch operation all the way.

 

Not sure what your budget is, but $200 will net you possibly the best protection you can get. The Pelican 1495 is a beast. It does not look pretty, but you will be hard pressed to find a better protecting case. These are the types of cases recommended to troops on deployment.
casesbypelican Pelican 1495

 

More beast than I need, in fact.

The top of my budget is $100. And while the Pelican cases ARE pretty nice (from a protection standpoint) the worst thing that might happen to my laptop is the occasional pavement drop. I don't intend to take it hiking, or to construction sites, or to warzones or anything.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

So considering that I'm STILL trying to get some use out of my messenger bag, I decided to buy the Bihn Brain Cell last night. It gets great reviews, and I think it will provide adequate protection.

I may also doctor up my bag a little bit to accomodate it. It has a 7 inch depth, while the Brain Bag has a (roughly) 2 inch depth. I figure I could line the sides with Velcro strips, and add some form of padded divider to the center, so as to separate my laptop from books and other things.

I'll let everyone know how well the Brain Cell works once it's shipped to me.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

I received my Bihn Brain Cell tonight, and I think I'm going to be quite happy with it.

It juuust fits into my LL Bean Heatwave Messenger bag (the height is a little much, but because the messenger bag has a zippered top, it can accomodate it).

It also seems to protect the laptop fairly well. Certainly, better than most bargain laptop bags. I was a little hesitant about the sides of the case that correspond to the top/bottom of my laptop; when there's nothing in the case, they're QUITE pliable. However, those sides are padded with what appears to be some type of "memory foam", and when I press out-from-the-inside and in-from-the-outside with my fingers, I can't actually feel any pressure-points sticking through.

The rest of the sides (apart from the top) are rigid, and feel really solid.

It won't beat a hard case for protection, but for my purposes (attempting to reuse my favorite messenger bag) it works incredibly well.

Regards,
Corporate Dog

 

Nice to hear you found a case you like. I have a vague memory of hearing about that brand. I will have to check it out.