Timbuk2 messenger bags

How good are these timbuk2 messenger bags? are they really worth it? i feel as though they have been getting some buzz because of the dell promotions.Let me know if its worth it. im a student, so for a comp and some books.

 

I have a Timbuk2. Not really worth it. A couple of reasons why:

--No padding on the shoulder strap
--Construction/build quality no better than any other decent bag.
--Even worse, the yellow locking mechanism on the shoulder strap tends to come loose, thus it doesn't retain the slack that you set (shortness of the strap you choose)

Pros
It looks cool
You can strap the bag around your waist so you can easily bike with it on (it's a messenger bag after all)

It really isn't better than most messenger bags out there, and is even worse due to the potentially loose locking mechanism, and no padding on the shoulder strap. You won't find any nifty hidden compartments or features that really make it stand out either (unless you consider reflective flags that you can attach onto the ends so people can see you at night a nifty feature).

EDIT: I have the classic messenger version, but there are several different versions of Timbuk2. The Dell promo doesn't really say which version, either. MAke sure you find out which version it is before you decide for/against it.

HTH

 

I have the laptop messenger version and I love it. I dont have any problems with the loose lock like drew mentioned. Actually, all the locking and clasping hardware on mine is super beefy and looks like it could survive a forth of july creation of sparklers and 15 year olds.
The shoulder strap is a tad uncomfy, but they sell a strap pad for that purpose. Mine does a pretty excellent job of protecting the notebook too, and there is room for the power adapter and a notebook and binder as well.