which backpack to buy?

For me it was the Brenthaven Trek BP and wow, what a backpack. Their is about 1 possibly 2 inches of padding at the bottom of the backpack, the amount of space inside really is amazing. It has 2 small and one large velvet lined pocket for valuable items such as sunglasses, iPods/iPhones and stops them from getting scratched. Their is also an expanding pocket for the times you need to carry that bit extra. Water bottles sit on the side of the bag in a special water bottle pocket as well. Theirs not too much padding at the top of the backpack if the bag were to fall upside down, that said I cant recall a time my backpack fell upside down! Their is also stacks of padding on the back. All the bits you carry about that could scratch your nice MBP get stored in a big separate compartment towards the front of the bag. Their's a section for pens, pencils, magsafe, detachable key holder.

You also mentioned being a cyclist, at the front of the bag their is a net for holding your cycle helmet inside, that's going to come in very handy!

It is amazingly comfortable as well, it almost feels like you're not waiting a backpack at all. It is a very strange feeling though. This has to be one of the best backpacks I have used!

Having looked at the others the Swissgear seems to be discontinued, as for the other two you mentioned I've not seen those before, I was only buying from the Apple Store selection. Sure I read somewhere as well the Brenthaven was designed in cooperation with Apple and the MacBook Pro 15.

I would go with the Swissgear. I have used 3 other types of backpacks and it's by far the best. They're a bit pricey, but then again so is the notebook it's carrying.

The padding where the backpack contacts your back is excellent and the internal padding/straps are very good at protecting your Mac.

I also recommend getting an incase cover for it:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/TR633LL/A?fnode=MTY1NDA2Ng&mco=Nzk2NTIxNg


"I'm a big boy now, and I'm aware of the Health and Safety issues." That was hilarious.

I will say this, backpacks are nice for notebook carrying if your back is in good shape. If it is not in any shape or form, be careful what you pack in there, you can hurt your back. Also be careful the straps are set so there is no pressure on your shoulders or your neck, or your shoulder blades. Each person's tolerance is different so it really pays to go out to a hiking store, and feel the difference, with your typical power adapter, batteries (if relevant), and books you might be packing.

Make sure the backpack is not an obvious color that a notebook computer would be in it.

Make sure the interior has a foam which covers all 6 sides of the notebook snugly with at least an inch (2.54 cm) of padding.

Make sure the area inside does not have any small pencil lead or other small things that can fall into the latch area of the notebook, or the keys, or the ports.

Don't leave it unattended!

I use a couple different bags (courier style and backpack) for different situations. The backpack is a "high end" Targus bag called a PR600 Port 3.1. The reason I chose it is because the cushioning in it goes beyond a bit of foam: it's has a three sided 1" airpocket (bottom and two side edges) that is sturdy in common usage but gives (with a literal whoosh of air) when it's compressed: ie if you put down the bag a little harder than "normal".

It has enough pockets and slots for me but if you want to pack three ring binders for school, this one is gonna be too small. It has a cleaner "business" feel about it as opposed to the Swissgear which is more casual. I always feel my laptop is being babied in this bag. Good luck.

Hey, I just recently purchased a Surge day pack made by the North Face and I am in love with this backpack. This is my third backpack after a Targus and a SwissGear backpack. I chose this specific North Face bag because I am a student traveling within a university, and the extra comfort of the Surge is exactly what I'm looking for. It evenly distributes the load on your bag and provides many straps for you, just in case you need to run after a bus or something. They really seem to help out. I could go on and on about this bag, but I'll probably just stop here. Bottom line, it has plenty of storage, it's comfortable, durable, and one of the best investments I have ever made. The North Face products are a big pricey, but they last for years.

I have an acquaintance that is a manager for REI and he tells me they call it the North Farce. The quality is poor for the price point as their factory is in Pakistan etc. I would avoid North Face products.

What you are failing to grasp is that 1grandille1 was referring to your original response to Abrody. Basically the sarcasm you displayed to a valid response to your question makes it hard to want to help you further. My suggestion would be to stop this thread as it is not helping anyone at this point.

So, anyone actually got anything useful to contribute?

I'm sure it was this anything-but-friendly-and-lighthearted sneer at a brody that offended people.

The likelihood of finding many responders, or even one responder, who has practical day-to-day experience with both of the expensive backpacks you've narrowed your search down to is limited by the fact that both are expensive, both are probably very good, and both will probably last much longer in daily use than they've been on the market to date. Therefore, few if any users are likely to have worn one out and replaced it with the other, and few if any are likely to have bought both for comparison purposes and actually used both of them before returning one. Then there's the fact that many, probably most, MBP owners never visit here, which further shrinks the pool of potential responders.

Everyone here is a volunteer, none of us knows your level of experience or awareness until you tell us about them, and we all expect you to recognize that and behave accordingly.