What are your experiences with carrying a laptop?

[Big Dog]

As the question suggests I have changed job and now need to consider carrying a laptop. Not every day but often.

Do you have any experience good or bad?
Products you recommend?
Ones you recommend against?
Bonus points of you have a funny tale.

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[Gremlin]

Been carrying a laptop for 13+ years now? At first in Uni, with a backpack, now that same backpack (yeah, Kathmandu backpack freaken awesome and still going) in a top box.

Laptops have been 14", 14", 13.3", 13.3". With the smaller one now, it goes into a neoprene sleeve, into the backpack in a padded laptop sleeve inside the biggest pocket. I've settled on 13" machines as it's big enough to work on for hours, but small enough to be pretty portable and doesn't weigh as much as a 15" (weight of course varying by spec). 12" is just too small and cramped. Laptop of choice currently is a ProBook. Good solid performer without the high cost of better spec. If you get a choice (or company is free with money) consider Elitebook, Elitebook Folio, maybe Lenovo X1 Carbon (now we're getting spendy). HP have proven to be reliable while I've had to warranty claim on a few Lenovo. This is important when it comes to bouncing around in a top box most days. SSD absolutely suggested.

Top box itself has been Givi, or BMW panniers and always padded around the sleeve or backpack. Top box has stuff like rain gear underneath bag, pannier would have clothes.

Tales... most of my laptops have departed from the bike inside the luggage at one point or another. One was down south in the pannier, pretty violent, pannier buckled, laptop chassis buckled, screen cracked. Replacement screen and the Toshiba was away (don't make em like they used to). Top box has detached a couple of times for some reason but the padding has meant no problems.

Oh, luggage also waterproof so never think twice about rain.

[Big Dog]

Good point Gremlin: As a point of reference current laptop is a work supplied HP EliteBook but as it is an i5 and i am a data guy I wouldn't be surprised if that suddenly becomes whatever the current i7 offering is.


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[Moi]

Whenever I took the 650 to work the laptop went in the laptop backpack I had. That was bungeed onto the pillion seat as I don't like wearing backpacks on a bike. The laptop backpack was purpose built for carrying laptops with plenty of padding as well as space for all the other stuff I'd carry.

On the 400, the laptop went in my usual bag and in the storage compartment. If you can avoid having to carry a charger and those cables - have some at work and at home - makes it easier, IMO.

How far will you are travelling with it?

[Gremlin]

Good point Gremlin: As a point of reference current laptop is a work supplied HP EliteBook but as it is an i5 and i am a data guy I wouldn't be surprised if that suddenly becomes whatever the current i7 offering is.

Yeah, depends on your need. Hell, remote into your work system if you need grunt?

For me, which is mostly multi-tasking but not too many demands, hmmm, it's an i5, little over 3 years old now, but 8GB of ram and the SSD has been changed a few times (now I'm dual booting 7 and 10, so those along with a crypt needed 250GB ish) and the newer good SSDs have got serious performance. Then it depends on the interface, my machine is still sata and the whole back panel slides away in seconds. A custom spec I did for a client was the Gen 3 X1 but adding a 512GB SSD in m.2 format which was obviously a little more tricky.

Bear in mind I have triple screen desktops at home and work for heavy lifting, so I only use the laptop when out and about. Oh, also the power adapters are getting smaller (finally). Your EliteBook should have a USB port on the pack, which is nice to see manufacturers having a clue (been provided in the aftermarket for years).

[Big Dog]

Whenever I took the 650 to work the laptop went in the laptop backpack I had. That was bungeed onto the pillion seat as I don't like wearing backpacks on a bike. The laptop backpack was purpose built for carrying laptops with plenty of padding as well as space for all the other stuff I'd carry.

On the 400, the laptop went in my usual bag and in the storage compartment. If you can avoid having to carry a charger and those cables - have some at work and at home - makes it easier, IMO.

How far will you are travelling with it?

50.6 km one way.

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[Big Dog]

Yeah, depends on your need. Hell, remote into your work system if you need grunt?

For me, which is mostly multi-tasking but not too many demands, hmmm, it's an i5, little over 3 years old now, but 8GB of ram and the SSD has been changed a few times (now I'm dual booting 7 and 10, so those along with a crypt needed 250GB ish) and the newer good SSDs have got serious performance. Then it depends on the interface, my machine is still sata and the whole back panel slides away in seconds. A custom spec I did for a client was the Gen 3 X1 but adding a 512GB SSD in m.2 format which was obviously a little more tricky.

Bear in mind I have triple screen desktops at home and work for heavy lifting, so I only use the laptop when out and about. Oh, also the power adapters are getting smaller (finally). Your EliteBook should have a USB port on the pack, which is nice to see manufacturers having a clue (been provided in the aftermarket for years).

No such luck with the grunt beast... yet.
4gb of ram. 120gb ssd.
Could do with another 12gb o ram if they want me to handle the types of data I am used to working with but proc seems up to the job... until I actually start developing stuff. I am really hoping for a "technical desktop" with server type specs. Preferably as a remotable VM.

Have to wait and see what is actually expected of me I guess.

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[YellowDog]

I used to use my fabulous Olivetti M21 as a seat on the train to work and then carry it to the office.

It was sooooo heavy and explains many of my present back problems.



I still have it and it works just fine.

I was a bit of a poser in those days

[Big Dog]

I hear you YellowDog. Exactly why I have resisted "portable tech to now".
Currently using my "lunch bag" 40l soft bag. But zips failed on my larger bag due to weight and now on this one too.
Add in paranoia about how a fabric bag leaks...
Hence reconsidering options.

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[Big Dog]

Maybe I belong in this thread: http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...d.php?t=180393
In the 4 hours since I decided I needed a better solution I have looked at panniers, top boxes, racks, tool tubes, wondered about putting a better power source in, wondered in anyone makes a sunglasses case for the handlebar area....

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[Gremlin]

Commuting, you don't want panniers, but a 50+ L top box should see you right for everything you need. I've got a 52L on at the moment, it's a bit tight, but the 55L before gave out after a few years of use (and hinges broke right near the beginning).

Givi does make a 58L in metal, but yikes

[Big Dog]

You could fit a hooker in that 58l surely?

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[Big Dog]

I reckon picking luggage is a bit like a woman.
Pick the wrong one and:
* get ready for a period of disappointment.
* too big a hole you won't be able to fill it so your junk will just slop around.
* to small a hole and you won't get your junk in.
* if it's not together your stuff will get wet.
* don't look after it and you will lose half your stuff.

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[Gremlin]

You could fit a hooker in that 58l surely?

Not that I've tried

Thing is, it's about dimensions. Because it's square, it's actually quite efficient and you don't lose much around the corners. While the regular plastic boxes are quite tall in the middle (convex shape) the metal box is flat, but while it looks bad, the dimensions are pretty good.

E55:


Outback 58L


So 58 is narrower across the bike and shorter in line with bike, and a fraction taller (compared to the 55 anyway).

[aws]

I carry my work laptop to and fro daily - about 25 k e/w. It's an HP Pro X2 hybrid, so pretty small and light. Usually it's in a neoprene sleeve and a laptop backpack. I don't like wearing a backpack while riding, so I generally throw it in my topbox. Sometimes in the summer I've been known to lose the topbox and carry it in a tank bag. On other occasions when I have to use a loaner I wear the backpack, but if it looks like rain I pull a homemade pack cover over it. Never had any difficulty with leakage - apart from the shoulder straps, the bag actually stays quite dry.

This laptop is quite small and light, but the previous 15" slab I had was a different story. I'd either put that in my backpack, or just in the box on its own. Similar to Gremlin, the bottom of the box is usually full of wet weathers, rags spare gloves, etc.

That laptop probably just about exceeded the load rating of my box on its own. I have the largest Givi Monolock case (47L), which is rated at 3 kg - what a joke! Just the junk in the bottom probably weighs that. I've had it about 6 years and packed it way full and it's never let me down. Probably had 20 kilos in it easy.

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