I'm buying my 1st mac...on Saturday...very excited!...

in addition to getting a shell for protection, I'm going to need a good bag...any suggestions? Ideally, it'd also be my daily bag (where I can keep my wallet, maybe a magazine or two, a school book---I got accepted to Uof T!!!---- or two etc)...any suggestions???

I don't want to just get the bags that they have at the apple store or an office supply store.

my brother has a Stussy bag, that works perfectly (he's got a powerbook g4)...

...someone once suggested getting a plain coloured baby bag, because it'll have all the pockets that I need, and lots of padding...

thoughts???

thanks!

Welcome to ehMac!

FYI, this forum has an excellent search feature (located in the red bar at the top of the screen). A quick search turned up these pre-existing threads on exactly this topic:

best macbook bag

carrying case/backpack for my macbook

macbook case recomendations

Happy shopping!

M

Apple.ca store has some nice bags. I would avoid anything by incase. I have had several of their products and all fell apart. stm makes some nice stuff! If you are going to be walking a lot I would highly recommend a napsack and not a messenger back...your shoulders and back will thank you!

Thanks.
I should have done the search first...just too excited I suppose....is there a way to delete/remove this post?

I don't really think there is a need to do this because this post served another purpose - it introduced you to this forum as a new user. Seeing as you are a new Mac user I would highly recommend using this forum to your advantage. If you use the search feature but don't find specifically what you are looking for, don't be afraid to start a new thread.

noted. Thanks...

Congrats on getting into U of T! I don't know if you're in Life Sci., but if you are, I recommend getting to know some of the people on BIOME, the "official" online community for U of T biology students. There aren't many Mac users on there, but we are there.

I actually have two products from InCase (their neoprene MacBook Pro sleeve and their MacBook hardshell case) and I actually have had good experiences with them. In the case of the former, my only annoyance is that the sleeve doesn't fully hug the MacBook Pro; there's about a centimetre or so worth of clearance between the computer and the top of the case; in contrast the Marware neoprene sleeve I had for my now-dead iBook fit very snugly around it.

In the case of the MacBook hardshell, it works very well and I highly recommend it for scratch-conscious MacBook owners. The material is a very smooth, almost rubberized-plastic material and it looks and feels far better than Speck's SeeThru hardshell case (IMHO, of course).

The disadvantage is that you won't get as wide a screen angle with the case on, but I've found in my experience that it won't be an issue in most cases (I've used my MacBook with several laptop stands with the hardshell on and it's not an issue). It also adds some extra thickness to the MacBook, so you may not be able to use it with most sleeve/sleeve-like cases. It's not an issue for me since I put it in the laptop pouch in my backpack (a North Face Hot Shot).

Good luck! There's a lot of options for you that are out there.

Hey

I have a neoprene case for my macbook that sits inside my napsack. The macbook is made of some extremely hard plastic and scratches on it are honestly barely noticeable. I have to look closely and at certain angles to see them. A hard case is really unnecessary IMHO. Hard cases usually just collect dust and gunk and provide and extra heat insulator which is not good at all. A neoprene has done me well and If I am using my laptop somewhere dirty or on a surface that could scratch it just place the neoprene under neath it. I have had my macbook for 2 and a bit years now and it looks and works wonderfully with no hard case. In my opinion, it is sort of a waste of 50 bucks.

The best experienced advice I can give you for protecting your macbook is go to an auto store, even a Canadian tire will do and pick up a set of "micro fibre" clothes. Take one and cut it out to cover your entire keyboard and track pad section of your computer and put it there whenever you close your computer. This WILL SAVE THE SCREEN! Radtech and some others sell expensive products which are essentially this. Also, get a keyboard cover from iSkin or the likes. It has saved my computer from liquid damage before. Its well worth the money.

GET APPLE CARE! Things happen.

To each is own though. Nevertheless, enjoy your mac experience. It is wonderful!

thanks very helpful...

In addition to a bag, I was searching the forums for opinions on cases such as those that you've suggested.

I'm still undecided about the hardshell case (haven't picked a brand yet), and a neoprene sleeve, then, I'll put both in whatever bag I use for school (which I won't pick for another couple of months)...

I'm going to want to sticker up my macbook, and I thought it'd be better to sticker the case as opposed to the laptop itself.


I've experienced a bit of a hiccup with my cash flow, and have opted to wait until the 17th to get the macbook...(way too long of a wait IMHO, but unavoidable at the moment)

I'll be in the English & Philosophy program at Woodsworth. Looking forward to it, and to being able to ride my bike to campus.

Thanks again

No worries we all do it... you will find that some things are policed heavily here. WE GET INTO SOME GOOD DEBATES BUT NOTHING EVER GETS PERSONAL.