12 replies to this topic

[Lt.Page]

So, I'll be getting a Powerbook in the next few months (after WWDC).  Are there any little accessories you mobile gamers find that you have to have?  Also, does anyone have suggestions for a good backpack with a protected laptop compartment that still has room for books and notebooks?

[lordofgain]

Lt.Page, on May 6th 2005, 05:10 PM, said:

So, I'll be getting a Powerbook in the next few months (after WWDC).  Are there any little accessories you mobile gamers find that you have to have?  Also, does anyone have suggestions for a good backpack with a protected laptop compartment that still has room for books and notebooks?

I got the Kensington 17" PB satchel for mine and like it alot. The acc. I purchased were a LaCie 7200 rpm 160GB firewire drive, iSight cam for chat and a Mouse BT and a protective insert to go between your display and keyboard is a must.

[No One]

I'll second getting a mouse. Games are impossible to play with a track pad.

[kardinal]

Lt.Page, on May 7th 2005, 12:10 AM, said:

So, I'll be getting a Powerbook in the next few months (after WWDC).  Are there any little accessories you mobile gamers find that you have to have?  Also, does anyone have suggestions for a good backpack with a protected laptop compartment that still has room for books and notebooks?

I got the Brenthaven backpack for my 15" PB G4 a year ago, and I've been very happy with it. It's got a separate protected laptop compartment that can be removed if you want to use it for anything else temporarily, and it's got lots of little pockets that are handy for storing cables, memory cards and whatnot. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

I also got myself a Logitech MX 900 bluetooth mouse that has worked like a dream, both for gaming and ordinary use. The trackpad is good, but I prefer a proper mouse if I can, and having a BT mouse completely eliminates the need for a cable. In fact, with wireless internet, the only chord I normally use is the power cord for recharging.

A digital camera is also very good to have (obviously not for gaming, that is) - I got an Olympus mju400 that I've been very happy with.

As for games, I typically play: UT2k4, Warcraft III, Neverwinter Nights, Football Manager 2005 and Railroad Tycoon III.

[lordofgain]

copy the camera Kardinal. I have the Canon digital rebel for the serious stuff but most times I use a Canon 5MP elph that works great and doesn't break the bank.

[Lt.Page]

ive got a casio exilim that i love, so ive got the camera covered.  also, ill be using the mouse i have now (logitech mx500), which i love.  i definitely will be investing in some decent enclosed headphones, too.
i was looking at some of the laptop backbacks that jansport makes, because i really like their padded straps design- has anyone used or seen one of these?

[Coastie716]

Jansport's padded shoulder straps look comfortable, and prices seem reasonable. As someone who used to lug about 25 pounds of camera equipment around, I can appreciate that. I haven't used one in a long time (grad school).

I used an Eddie Bauer shoulder bag that I bought on sale and added a padded sleeve to protect the computer (280c and later a Clam Shell-no sleeve). Then I received Tumi shoulder bag ($$) as a gift from my wife. It held up very well with my Clam Shell, but it was outgrown when I bought a 17" PB (by about a half inch). I gave it to my wife for her PB and it has done yoeman service until recently when I noticed the shoulder strap has begun to tear away from the bag (about a year of heavy hauling).

A friend of mine purchase a small backpack for a 12" ibook from a company called Booq (www.booqbags.com). Nice design, decent padding, but doesn't offer a lot of space for books.
I ended up getting a shoulder sleeve for my PB from them and have been satisfied for the past year.

I went back to the site and checked out what they have now (I want to be able to carry a bit more) and they have expanded their line including backpacks with some nice straps. They are more costly than the Jansports (+$40).

I think that I'm going back to the old, but sturdy Eddie Bauer and get one Booq's sleeves for my PB.

[Lucian]

I got a Waterfield SleeveCase (www.sfbags.com) for $70. It's not the cheapest sleevecase around, but it's very well made and it's put together in the United States. I can also use it with my existing backpack.

[kardinal]

lordofgain, on May 8th 2005, 12:46 AM, said:

copy the camera Kardinal. I have the Canon digital rebel for the serious stuff but most times I use a Canon 5MP elph that works great and doesn't break the bank.

For my needs the Olympus mju400 does the trick - it's 4MP, and the fact that the case is a sealed metal case that is both splash proof and pretty sturdy is very handy too. I've bought mine in Jan 2004, so at the time it was a pretty well-spec'd camera (and came with a pretty good rebate when I bought it online from Dixons, a UK retailer).

[tiskippy]

What I highly recommend for students as far as a backpack/case goes is to buy a nice basic sleeve, like the models from Incase.  Then just put the sleeve in a regular backpack.  Personally, I have the basic 12" sleeve and one of the Jansport backpacks with the Airlift straps.  Those are really comfortable and they make a heavy bag with books and an iBook more comfortable.  Plus, they don't go flat like regular backpack straps tend to do.

The reason I'd go with this method over a dedicated laptop backpack, like Targus makes, for exmaple, is that a regular backpack doesn't scream out "laptop inside!" which makes it a bit less of a potential target for thieves.  Plus with a nice sleeve, you can just put the shoulder strap on it and carry just your laptop without the backpack.  I've been extremely happy with all my Incase bags, both for laptops and iPods.

Also, about the mouse thing.  If you have Bluetooth built in, then the Apple BT mouse is a nice option because it has the ability to turn off altogether.  However, the MX900 is good for the extra buttons and scroll wheel.  If you don't have Bluetooth built in, Kensington has some nice portable mice.  The advantage of the Kensington models is that they store the USB reciever inside the mouse, which makes it a lot harder to lose.

Hope you enjoy the new Powerbook

[kardinal]

tiskippy, on May 8th 2005, 08:51 PM, said:

What I highly recommend for students as far as a backpack/case goes is to buy a nice basic sleeve, like the models from Incase.  Then just put the sleeve in a regular backpack.  Personally, I have the basic 12" sleeve and one of the Jansport backpacks with the Airlift straps.  Those are really comfortable and they make a heavy bag with books and an iBook more comfortable.  Plus, they don't go flat like regular backpack straps tend to do.

The reason I'd go with this method over a dedicated laptop backpack, like Targus makes, for exmaple, is that a regular backpack doesn't scream out "laptop inside!" which makes it a bit less of a potential target for thieves.  Plus with a nice sleeve, you can just put the shoulder strap on it and carry just your laptop without the backpack.  I've been extremely happy with all my Incase bags, both for laptops and iPods.

I'm inclined to agree, but it depends a lot on the size of the laptop. You'll be hard pressed to fit in a 15" or 17" PB with a sleeve inside a normal Jansport backpack, AND books, notepads, pens, accessories and all that - and sleeve or not I don't want to stuff it so full that it's pressing hard on the PB.

That's why I've been happy with the Brenthaven case - they're made to fit the 15" and 17" models perfectly, and they don't scream 'there's a laptop inside' either. It's sturdy, made of kevlar material IIRC, waterproof and on top of that the sleeve for the laptop is detachable if you just want to take that with you (or if you want to use the bag for something else). It's also extremely comfortable to wear, with thick and padded straps, and even when I've got it packed full with stuff it's not uncomfortable.

Obviously it depends on the size of the PB you get, but if it's one of the bigger variants you can't do much better than the Brenthaven, IMHO.


[EDIT]There is a 12" model as well, and the backpack is made out of military-grade plastic nylon, not kevlar, but still some pretty sturdy stuff.

[1337]

Well, a lot of it has to do with how you're going to use it.  I'm assuming you'll be moving it often, not leaving it be on your desk, so here's what I have:

Insofar as bags, try Spire USA.  I've used one of their bags since my first PowerBook 15" (G4-667) which was also my first mac ever!  I'm still using it now with my new 15".  the bag isn't hideous, as I find most computer bags to be.  It also doesn't scream, "I'M A COMPUTER BAG!!" to would-be thieves.  My friends liked it so much that they all ended up getting them, and all of us are pretty satisfied (4 people, 4 bags, all diff't models).

Now if you're away from power sources I *do* recommend an extra battery, but if that's not the case at all, then you can scratch that idea.  I don't like to carry mice when I'm really portable, but if you're going to be static at the same place then I'd recommend getting both a mouse and an extra powerpack to leave at that location.  I do this with work and home, and it's really nice to save myself the extra pound of gear.

If you want to share files with other laptop users, a small 3' ethernet cable is a good idea.  Don't get a crossover cable, our PB's have built-in crossover so you can just plug 2 laptops together and with Tiger, sharing with Winboxen is even easier.

If you carry an iPod and other FW device, look into a thin FW 400 cable from Belkin and get a separate FW -> iPod dock connector adapter so the same cable can work for all your FW devices.

Now if you wear glasses, you already have this covered but i carry a small bottle of lens cleaner (also good for your PB screen) and chamois cloth.  I have a few, and rotate them into service.  They're machine washable so that way you fill two needs.

It just occurred to me, after typing all that, that Macworld recently had a good article for people on-the-go with their notebooks.  I could've saved myself a lot of typing... Find it HERE.

Hope that helps!

[tiskippy]

kardinal, on May 9th 2005, 01:54 PM, said:

I'm inclined to agree, but it depends a lot on the size of the laptop. You'll be hard pressed to fit in a 15" or 17" PB with a sleeve inside a normal Jansport backpack, AND books, notepads, pens, accessories and all that - and sleeve or not I don't want to stuff it so full that it's pressing hard on the PB.

That's why I've been happy with the Brenthaven case - they're made to fit the 15" and 17" models perfectly, and they don't scream 'there's a laptop inside' either. It's sturdy, made of kevlar material IIRC, waterproof and on top of that the sleeve for the laptop is detachable if you just want to take that with you (or if you want to use the bag for something else). It's also extremely comfortable to wear, with thick and padded straps, and even when I've got it packed full with stuff it's not uncomfortable.

Obviously it depends on the size of the PB you get, but if it's one of the bigger variants you can't do much better than the Brenthaven, IMHO.
[EDIT]There is a 12" model as well, and the backpack is made out of military-grade plastic nylon, not kevlar, but still some pretty sturdy stuff.

True, I'm a fan of Brenthaven cases as well, but they do tend to be a bit pricey.  Being a college student, I'm lucky to be able to afford the computer.  BTW, I used to carry a 15" Powerbook in my Jansport backpack, with plenty of space for a couple books and stuff in it as well.  If you can afford a Brenthaven case, go for it, and if you don't like it, send it my way!