If you are interested in Mac productivity, odds are that you are a mobile Mac owner of some kind. You probably took a long time selecting your iBook, PowerBook 12″, 15″ or 17″, or perhaps you are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new MacBook Pro. But were you as thoughtful in selecting how you transport one of the big guns in your Weapons of Mac Production (WoMP) arsenal?

Choosing a bag may not seem interesting or even important until you realize that you’ll be using this product each and every day, relying on it to transport and protect the substantial investment you’ve made in that slab of silicon, plastic, titanium or aluminum. You also have a substantial investment in the files on that computer - commercial software, shareware, your all-important personal productivity environment and the even more-important data files, and that doesn’t count the extra equipment you need to achieve maximum productivity on the road. Are you going to place all that value in something with no more thought than you give to, “paper or plastic?” And lug it through airports, in and out of taxi’s, and from Board room to locker room without thinking about how it will work for you?

Here are some tips, things to consider and features to look for to make your bag an asset and not an afterthought.

Briefcase or Backpack?
This one you have to decide for yourself based on how much you travel and how much you need to have with you.

If you just carry your Mac from home to office and back, then maybe a briefcase will work for you. The upsides to this type of case are that they are less expensive and easier to choose, since the feature sets are usually similar. Much of what we’ll talk about with backpacks applies to briefcases.

The biggest downside to the briefcase style is that you have to carry it. Without shoulder straps one had is always going to be occupied by your Mac. There is also limited flexibility in how much and what kinds of supplemental equipment you can carry. Even those that include a shoulder strap can flap around if you’re on the run.

Backpack Features
Backpacks, by their very nature, provide superior flexibility in what you can take with you. For the Road Warrior who spends more time working on his or her laptop than at a desk, that flexibility is key.

• Comfort: Above and beyond all else, your pack needs to be comfortable for you. That means sufficiently padded and adjustable straps, and a size that fits your back. Few things are as annoying as trying to dash through an airport to catch a plane with a backpack that is bouncing on your back or cutting into your shoulders.
• Appearance: There are plenty of computer backpacks that look like exactly like that - computer backpacks. They advertise the fact that there is valuable equipment inside, not your dirty laundry. Leave those on the shelves of your local office supply store.Mac laptops are highly valued by everyone…including thieves. Yes, you want to evangelize the Mac platform but your backpack isn’t the place to do it. Go for a subtle, generic look that fades into the background instead of one that screams, “Steal this bag first!”Dark colors hide stains and look a bit more professional if you carry your pack with a suit.
• Laptop Protection: A key feature is the actual compartment where your Mac will live. You don’t plan on dropping your pack with its precious cargo, but it happens. You’re looking for heavy duty protection on all sides, especially the bottom. A snug fit keeps your laptop from unnecessary jostling and a soft inside surface to avoid scratching the external case of your computer. A removable laptop sleeve or boot is a nice feature that lets you give your laptop extra protection out of the pack.
• Material & Construction: Codura, ballistic nylon, leather, vinyl…the choices are endless and all wear well. Look for water-resistant treatment to the fabrics if applicable and water-resistent, self-repairing zippers, and D-ring buckles in the construction details.
• Carrying Options: Contoured, padded, wide shoulder straps can add comfort, especially with heavy loads, but also consider how else you handle your pack. A one-shoulder strap option is nice, but more important are the handles built in to the pack. Make sure they are padded, with rubber or other non-slip surfaces, and look for a second handle on the side, for horizontal use when employing the one-shoulder strap.
• Compartments and Pockets: This is the fun stuff. Some feel the more pockets are better, but there is a point where you can actually get too many pockets to stick stuff and then can’t remember where you stashed what. Also, more pockets usually mean smaller pockets, so balance the dimensions of what you’re going to carry against those of your candidate packs.Any pack worth considering is going to have one main, heavily protected compartment for your laptop, but what if you need to carry a backup PowerBook or an external hard drive or travel printer? More than one large compartment can come in handy and doubles as extra storage space for other cargo. If you’ve got room, throw in a change of clothes and leave the overnight bag at home.Outside pockets are important. One roomy outside pocket is perfect for emptying your pockets before the obligatory security screenings at the airport, but make sure they are oriented so you can open them without the contents spilling out - one horizontal pocket on the outside is especially useful for this purpose.

  You’ve got thirty minutes between flights - having your Mac’s power adaptor easily accessable can get you thirty minutes of charge time (assuming you can find an electrical outlet). Look for a pocket that can be easily accessed to store it.

  The same thing goes for accessing books, magazines, documents or whatever you want to get to on the plane. Unloading your entire pack just isn’t a good idea in coach.

Tips
A few more things to think about as yo make your final selection:

• Buy Big, Pack Small: Most of the packs you’ll consider weight very little empty. Buying something larger than you think you need is a good idea since packs can be like hard drives - the more space you have, the more you tend to use. If you want to control weight and bulk, restrict your packing, not the pack itself.
• Don’t Skimp: By the time you fill your pack with essential equipment, you’ll probably be carrying around $3,000 or more on your back. Spend the extra $50 or $100 to get a pack that will protect your assets and your back. It’s one of the best investments the Road Warrior can make.

Recommendations
After lots of research and trying a wide variety of packs, these are MacProductivity’s top three Weapons of Mac Production backpack picks (in alphabetical order), their strengths and their weaknesses.

• Brenthaven Pro 15-inch/17-inch Backpack: A terrific, very anonymous pack that has plenty of pockets (some are a little small), plenty of outside pockets and the only one of the three with horizontally oriented exterior pockets. Laptop protection is excellent, holding your PowerBook or iBook firmly in place. Specifically designed for Apple models, the Brenthaven Pro has less capacity than some of the other choices (you can carry two Macs, but not easily), though more than adequate space for everything else a Road Warrior needs.
• Spire Meta: Arguably the best selection if you want a great laptop pack that can double as an overnight bag. Available in subtle colors as well as all-black, the Meta has rubber handles for both vertical and horizontal orientations, plenty of interior room and a removable laptop sleeve Two outside pockets are handy, but bother are vertically oriented. This pack has proved virtually indestructible, having survived five years of Macworld Expos on both U.S. coasts and lots of productive trips in between.
• STM Large Loop Backpack: The newest entry in our recommendations, the Large Loop can be very visible in a red/gray combination or subtle in black/charcoal. It is the roomiest of the three inside, but doesn’t hold your PowerBook snugly. You can easily carry two laptops with plenty of room for external drives and piles of other equipment. Interior pockets are not quite as plentiful, and there is only one vertically-oriented outside pocket.

You can’t go wrong by selecting any of these three packs as your latest addition to your arsenal. All deliver excellent value, protection for your laptop and the ability to carry everything you absolutely need and plenty of supplemental equipment as well.

Do you prefer another pack or case? Email chuck@macproductivity.com and let us know what and why

Vendor Web Sites:

• Brenthaven
• Spire
• STM