X40 slipcases/sleeves?

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warmstrong · #31 Post by **warmstrong** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 4:24 pm

Booqbag looks more presentable and it has a nice handle, but does not offer the same level of protection with hard sides and a bottom cradle. Having said that though, .5" padding is nothing to turn your nose up at. The Brain Cell is first and foremost designed to go inside of one of Tom Bihn's larger cases as an insert. I use it with both a messenger style bag that has Tom Bihn has since discontinued and with the Brain Cell. I also use it by itself when traveling light. It has a small pocket on the front made of a stretchy fabric that will hold an AC adapter and afew other things.

Actually the Tom Bihn equivalent to the vertical style of the Booqbag is their Monolith bag, but the implication in the description of this bag is that if you are going to use a "sleeve" type product alone to carry your laptop that the horizontal orientation is better than vertical.

#32 Post by **aamsel** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:37 pm

ONCE AGAIN, I am getting the 4 cell, and NO media slice,
and,
as I said,
am down to:
the Brain Cell or the Booqbag.

Any comments between the two, please????

I am NOT getting the 8 Cell or the media slice.

I would NOT be putting this in another larger bag.
This would be the only bag I would carry the X40 in.

PLEASE ADVISE.
Thanks!!!

Andrew
Austin, TX

#33 Post by **aamsel** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:40 pm

Thanks,
I would NOT be putting this bag (the booq or the brain cell) into another larger bag. This would be all I would carry the X40 in, I don't carry around a lot of other stuff.
Does this change your recommendation????
Thanks,
Andrew
Austin, TX

warmstrong wrote:Booqbag looks more presentable and it has a nice handle, but does not offer the same level of protection with hard sides and a bottom cradle. Having said that though, .5" padding is nothing to turn your nose up at. The Brain Cell is first and foremost designed to go inside of one of Tom Bihn's larger cases as an insert. I use it with both a messenger style bag that has Tom Bihn has since discontinued and with the Brain Cell. I also use it by itself when traveling light. It has a small pocket on the front made of a stretchy fabric that will hold an AC adapter and afew other things.

Actually the Tom Bihn equivalent to the vertical style of the Booqbag is their Monolith bag, but the implication in the description of this bag is that if you are going to use a "sleeve" type product alone to carry your laptop that the horizontal orientation is better than vertical.

Cobos · #34 Post by **Cobos** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:46 pm

Not having tried anything else than the brain cell for my X40 I can at least give you another vote for that. Size 5 of course.
[As a side comment why oh why do TomBihn have their size numbers upside down ??

]
Just make sure you get the Brain Cell in a color you feel you can walk around with. I've got crimson myself which is nice, but if I would primarly use the bag alone I beleive you would have gone for steel or black...

Cobos

#35 Post by **aamsel** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:27 pm

Would you go for a shoulder strap even just carting around an X40 with 4 cell without a media base?

Thanks,
Andrew
Austin, TX

Cobos wrote:Not having tried anything else than the brain cell for my X40 I can at least give you another vote for that. Size 5 of course.
[As a side comment why oh why do TomBihn have their size numbers upside down ?? ]
Just make sure you get the Brain Cell in a color you feel you can walk around with. I've got crimson myself which is nice, but if I would primarly use the bag alone I beleive you would have gone for steel or black...

Cobos

warmstrong · #36 Post by **warmstrong** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 10:13 pm

I don't think so, but I'm quite biased here. I have never owned or seen first hand a Booq Bag and I won several Tom Bihn bags. You must get a shoulder strap.

I would NOT be putting this bag (the booq or the brain cell) into another larger bag. This would be all I would carry the X40 in, I don't carry around a lot of other stuff.
Does this change your recommendation????

Cobos · #37 Post by **Cobos** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:59 am

Well you don't need a shoulder strap since the brain cell is only about 0.5-1 pound itself and another 2.7 pounds for the X40 you can easily use the handles on the bag even though they are not reinforced. BUT you can of course not carry the bag on your shoulder thus freeing both hands, so if you wish to carry the bag on your shoulder go for the shoulder strap.

Cobos

jeff the Trojan · #38 Post by **jeff the Trojan** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 4:25 am

For those with the Tom Bihn ID bag and Brain Cell bag, will a size 5 ID (for the X40) give room in the ID bag to fit other things like books, loose leaf notebooks?

Cobos · #39 Post by **Cobos** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 4:42 am

Yes....with a size 5 Brain Cell within the ID bag you can fit easily a half-inch thickness of books, a full inch might work as well but then you will be squeezing the organizational compartment on the ID, and this of course assumes you keep the side pocket on the brain cell itself empty. And take note that since the ID fits both the size 5 and 4 brain cell when you use the size 5 you got some space on the short side of the brain cell, in the brain cells thickness obviously (hope that last bit made sense).

Cobos

jeff the Trojan · #40 Post by **jeff the Trojan** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 1:15 pm

Cobos wrote:Yes....with a size 5 Brain Cell within the ID bag you can fit easily a half-inch thickness of books, a full inch might work as well but then you will be squeezing the organizational compartment on the ID, and this of course assumes you keep the side pocket on the brain cell itself empty. And take note that since the ID fits both the size 5 and 4 brain cell when you use the size 5 you got some space on the short side of the brain cell, in the brain cells thickness obviously (hope that last bit made sense).

Cobos

If I was looking for a messenger style bag, is there anything slightly larger than the ID, but just as good, well-built? I intend on still using the Brain Cell, unless there's a better solution. I'm a college student so I need to bring my X40 to school, occassionally also bringing a few notebooks and maybe a thick math book.

Cobos · #41 Post by **Cobos** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:18 am

In my experience you should be able to fit a few notebooks, a big math book as well as the braincell by using the magazine pocket, what's left of the main compartment after the braincell, as well as the organizational compartment, but then there wont be space for much else

But your biggest problem with the ID as I see it now is that they are out of stock until November.

Cobos

jeff the Trojan · #42 Post by **jeff the Trojan** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:01 am

Cobos wrote:In my experience you should be able to fit a few notebooks, a big math book as well as the braincell by using the magazine pocket, what's left of the main compartment after the braincell, as well as the organizational compartment, but then there wont be space for much else
But your biggest problem with the ID as I see it now is that they are out of stock until November.

Cobos

Will I still be able to utilize the side pockets after that?

Cobos · #43 Post by **Cobos** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:27 am

I'm not quite sure what you mean by side pockets, but if you mean the organizational area yes you will be able to use those small pockets, but "nomrally" you an put stuff in the small organisational pockets and still have a pretty large space in the bottom of the organisational area (i.e. the part in that organisational area without any pockets). When you stuff lots of things in the main compartment that eats into the free space of the organsiational area and that gets pretty slim. I've f. inst. with just a brain cell in the main compartment had PDA, mobile phones, pens etc in the small pockets, my X40 power brick and assorted cables in the bottom of that organisational pocket, AND a huge loaf of bread as well. With filling the main compartment to the brim, I would not be able to get the bread in there as well

Hope this makes some sense.

Cobos

jeff the Trojan · #44 Post by **jeff the Trojan** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:07 am

Cobos wrote:I'm not quite sure what you mean by side pockets, but if you mean the organizational area yes you will be able to use those small pockets, but "nomrally" you an put stuff in the small organisational pockets and still have a pretty large space in the bottom of the organisational area (i.e. the part in that organisational area without any pockets). When you stuff lots of things in the main compartment that eats into the free space of the organsiational area and that gets pretty slim. I've f. inst. with just a brain cell in the main compartment had PDA, mobile phones, pens etc in the small pockets, my X40 power brick and assorted cables in the bottom of that organisational pocket, AND a huge loaf of bread as well. With filling the main compartment to the brim, I would not be able to get the bread in there as well

Hope this makes some sense.

Cobos

Thanks for the description. Any chance you can take pictures with the Brain Cell and your books and notebooks in the bag to give a better idea? I think other people may be able to benefit from this also.

mkawa · #45 Post by **mkawa** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 3:36 pm

For those with x40s, I've been using a timbuk2 "dee dog" sized messenger (which I've had for years) with an waterfield sleeve size 2 (4-cell) for a couple weeks. As long as you keep something stiff up against your back, it's a great combination. I looked at the brain cell, but it really negates any of the size advantages of having the ultraportable.

X40 slipcases/sleeves?

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