laptop bag or backpack or sleeve?

I recently purchased a laptop for college and I'm quite satisfied with my computer. Now, it's time to move on to getting something to carry it around in. I don't plan on taking my laptop everywhere I go. I only anticipate needing to take it to the library or maybe to a friend's dorm a once or twice a week (maybe less than that). I've been reading the threads on laptop bags, backpacks and sleeves. So far, these are my thoughts about each:

laptop bags:
These are bags that is mostly dedicated for transporting just the laptop and accesories associated with the notebook (i.e. mouse, mouse pad, ac adapter, etc.) with little or no room for books.

I think that more often than not, when I'm going to be carrying my laptop around, it'll be to the library to do some work, so I think i'll need to have room for some books. If i get a laptop bag, i'll have to carry it in addition to anoter backpack that has my study supplies in them.

price: anywhere from $50-200 USD

Backpacks
Has room for laptop and accessories along with some books (will generally fit more books than a laptop bag) .

Since i won't be taking my laptop around with me a lot, I think i'll be using a regular backpack to carry books and other stuff. This means that a laptop backpack will be unused for the most part.

price: anywhere from $50-200 USD

Sleeves:
I'm really not sure what the purpose of sleeves are. I think they're just protector covers which are pretty durable? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I read on one thread that they save laptops from coffee spills and are weatherproof to some degree. These are much less expensive than a backpack $19-50 USD. With that in mind, would anyone suggest just using a sleeve to protect my laptop and sticking it in my regular backpack if I want to take it with me? The disadvantages in just getting sleeve is that I don't have space or pockets that are dedicated for stuff like an AC adapter and such things.

The reason I'm thinking about getting just the sleeve is because since I don't plan on transporting my laptop around very often, I'd be paying $50-200 for a bag that will sit around my room.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or insight anyone has on this topic.

 

i've got a sleeve, a backpack and a laptop bag. each have their own purpose and specialty. i use the sleeve when just bringing around the house, office or at campus. there are different kinds of sleeves offering different levels of protection. some just protect from light nudges and scratches. these are usually made of foam or thick cloths or similar material. other offer a step further with bumps and drops and usually in the form of neoprene. there are others that offer even more protection and are usually made of some hardshell type or compression foam like the ones from shinza (zeroshock) and victorinox. i find sleeves to be essential because i can put the laptop in the sleeve and dump it in any bag. wont get scratched or anything.

i got a nice bag from booq (mamba XS). it's an awesome messenger bag that can be made into a backpack or bodybag (strap goes across your chest diagonally) with its unique strap and loop system. weather-proof, hidden laptop compartment and tons of padding. it's so compact but has a lot of space, can fit a book, or some magazines, cds, laptop, gameboy, cd player and cables and all. what i like about it is that it doesn't look like a laptop bag at all. i don't like the idea of everyone knowing i'm toting a laptop around. it's in a vertical format and i like it that way, looks just like an ordinary bag. great padding on the strap as well.

the backpack i've got is from samsonite. really really comfy. has a tad more space than the other bag. i use this when i need to bring some snacks, sandwiches, an extra shirt, my big headphones and other small stuff. it's really tidy inside. there's a compartment for keeping papers uncrumpled (which is adjustable!). ingenious design. it's also weather-proof. i use this also when i go around school at times and what i like is that it also looks like a really ordinary backpack! it's really small but can fit a lot of stuff. i use it when i know i'm going to be carrying my laptop around for long walks. much more comfy with it on the back rather than on your shoulder. i got a small black combination lock from samsonite too to prevent someone getting stuff from my back. it's a low profile lock, not those shiny gold or silver ones that attract attention. if i had one of those, people would know that i'm keeping something valuable in there.

oh my laptop's an ultraportable by the way [ ] you may have noticed that i always opt for discretion. hehe. hope this helps! ask me and i'll try to help you out