Netbook Digest

Ok, so you’ve managed to whittle down the massive field of netbooks currently available to a single choice, decided on an operating system, and splurged that extra money you’ve been saving on a brand new netbook in all it’s tiny glory.  The day comes when your shipment arrives from whatever foreign country in was manufactured in and you tare open the box with glee to find your splendiferous new netbook ready to use in all it’s splendor.  You mess around for an hour or so, maybe change your Linux distro, or install a hacked OS X on it, and you think you’ve got it working pretty well.  You decide to take it out for it’s first test run.  In horror, you realize that the tiny, nylon zippered netbook sleeve your brand new machine came with is woefully inadequate.

Don’t worry, Netbook Digest is here to help, as long as you allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery once we show you your options.

First of all, netbook are small computers and thus, they can’t pretty much fit in whatever carrying device you have lying around.  I have been known to tote my netbook around with me in a messenger bag I got for free from a campus give-away.  It’s about as functional as a plastic bag and only slightly more stylish.  This works for me, but I’m told business professionals and hip youngsters alike want the safety of their expansive pieces technology to be absolutely assured, and for that purpose a plastic bag does not fit the bill, even if it’s the biodegradable kind with the reinforced bottoms.

For the remainder of this post, I’m going to identify some options for netbook-specific bag providers, classified by whether your going to turn heads with your fancy hip new netbook bag or whether the bag is going to be able to withstand any sort of punishment your no doubt dangerous work environment puts it in.  Let’s get started.

MobileEdge has a set of seriously sturdy netbook bags.  Available here for around $50, these are sturdy, efficient and functional buggers that are far and away from the various netbooks sleeves-masquerading-as-bags that are commonplace in this particular market.  As far as style as concerned, well, I hope you like black and grey.  Besides coming in messenger bag, briefcase, or backpack form, these guys won’t give you much in the way of aesthetic value.

For the ladies out there looking for a fashionable way to carry around their new netbook, no doubt with designer case-mod.  Designer Maddie Powers has released a creative line of laptop bags that will fit a netbook just fine.  These are also available through MobileEdge and feature a classic 1950s pin-up girl design.  These are definetely form over function, but will no doubt be fine for daily use.  Somehow I doubt anyone who owns one of these will be taking it on a construction site or anything that requires elaborate protective measures for their laptop/netbook.

For those looking for a netbook specific solution, UrbanTool just released it’s slotBar all-purpose/netbook bag that first all of your favorite tech tools.  The bag is available in four colors, all with new-agey urban names, Black, Mangrove, Eggplant and Mudd.  Also known as black, turquoise purple and brown.  Pretentious naming conventions aside, the unique construction of this bag offers style while sacrificing space.  Without actually owning one, the pictures look like it would struggle to fit any of the larger-sized netbooks now offered as the norm.  Check it out here.

Then there’s the sleeve option.  Via Amazon, you can get your average single solid color netbook sleeve for as low as $15, but the single layer neoprene cover will not do much in the way of protection, it’s barely even waterproof.  Dirt cheap, and comes in a variety of colors.

Last, and least, for those looking for the cheapest solution possible and are willing to sacrifice hardiness and any aesthetic value whatsoever Case Logic offers the 7″ to 10″ Mini-Laptop Attache.  This thing is probably only a few steps up from the plastic bag I mentioned earlier.  It comes in black, black or black and doesn’t offer much else in the way of storage or protection for your netbook.  Also, if you’ve got anything over 10” you won’t even be able to use it at all.  It’s one redeeming factor is the price, a mere $30.  You’ll be getting what you pay for here.

There isn’t a lot out there that is netbook specific, but the diminutive stature of our beloved technological companions allows for versatility in choice of your carrying aid.  The plethora of laptop bags available to the general public are all well suited to carrying around a netbook of any size you could conceivably find.