The future of working on the move

I am a student at teesside university currently studying product design, i am looking into the mobile generation of technology and how existing laptop bags/cases do not provide sufficient storage for a lot of the accessories for your laptop. I am looking into how people use there laptops whilst on the move for example on the train or in coffee shops, and how a portable workstation for all your accessories and laptop could be beneficial to the user.

I am looking for what people think about this initial idea, also how it could be improved and any other feedback people could give me on this subject.

Your time is really appreciated and thank you for any feedback you leave

 

one thing that i really hate about almost every bag in existence is that everything piles at the bottom. For example i place 3 external hdds into my bag nice and neat but once i move it in any direction they fall off each other and form a huge cluster at the bottom of the bag. This is a nightmare with wires. For wires the only remedy i could think of was to bundle each individual wire on itself and use a velcro strap to keep it that way (they still form a wire pile though). If there is a bag out there that can allow sorting things (possibly using pockets or a velco backing i can stick stuff to) and hold everything my targus citygear can hold. i would buy it immediately

 

Thank you for the reply

I have been looking into developing a hard case with parts that pull out in a clever way so items such as hdds can be stored in dedicated areas and so they stay in place. i was suprised to find the lack of hard laptop bags on the market, there is not much choice and they are all really expensive.

The main aim is that the case becomes a portable workstation and everything can be accessed with ease, no matter where it is being used.

 

I usually have one of 2 approaches as I have to travel with kit and fly with all the very limited baggage allowances and rules. And I don't like lots of weight and would never have things moving around.

I have cameras and lenses as well as a laptop etc so I use camera backpacks such as Lowepro. The compartments are totally adjustable on the inside. Are padded and and protected, have lots of useful external, internal and hidden pockets and hidden zips. They are low key so they do not encourage theft and the laptop has its own slot in pocket that is padded and hidden from wondering hands.

Plan B is totally girlie.......... a fab strong pink fake leather handbag that is the width of a laptop (a Clevo 15.6) also has excellent pockets and internal compartments, side slots for cables, chargers etc, hidden pockets for money, passport etc and can usually fit a camera too and a change of clothes Its very stylish and people are always asking me where I got it because it is so well made.... I wrap the laptop in something before it goes inside.

If you travel a lot with equipment like I do then you learn to look for exactly what you need and apart from good protection and comfort on your back or shoulders you want something that doesn't say please steal my kit!

Cases/bags are more than just looks they have to be comfortable to carry and what's the point of it being hard unless it is also damage proof like Pelicans? They are expensive for a reason. In general land travel it is easy to adapt a small rolling suitcase with foam cut into shapes but you cannot fly with that. So perhaps you would have to make something non-airline useable? Photographers talk about this stuff endlessly because you cannot put laptops in the hold and hard drives, like cameras and lenses are vulnerable....

Wouldn't a workstation be unstable unless it was very strong or would it be meant for a tabletop?

Interesting project... good luck with it but please think of comfort too

 

thanks this is really useful feedback I never thought looking into different types of case, and I like the idea of making people deteriorate people from stealing it.

The basic idea at the moment is a workstation that can be used on a tabletop or on your lap but providing comfort and making the laptop easy to use. There is an example of this, the quiksilver premium workstation, but this folds out into a large area and would have to be used on a large work surface which is not possible on trains or in coffee shops. I agree though comfort is my main issue with this project.

I look forward to any further feedback or ideas you may have

Adam

 

There are four things I don't like about most laptop bags:
1. They aren't water proof. I mean really water proof, like you could almost throw them into a bathtub without having to worry about the laptop inside. I drive a lot by bicycle and that means that I'll be exposed to really heavy rain for half an hour from time to time. I have a bag for my netbook made out of tarpaulin that fulfills that requirement. The only reason why I wouldn't throw that into a bathtub is because I wouldn't trust the zipper sealing 100%.
2. Since I drive by bicycle anything that doesn't allow to be worn as a backpack is pretty useless. Putting my netbook bag into a regular backpack is just a compromise. Unfortunately neither the sleeve for my 12" subnotebook (which fits perfectly into my backpack) nor my other backpack dedicated to transport my 17" workstation is water proof.
3. Usually my laptop (whichever it is) is not the only thing I carry with me. But in most laptop bags there is no place for lots of other things (e.g. extra clothing and other non-IT related stuff). So taking my laptop with me often means to carry an additional bag which is not nice on a bicycle.
4. With a laptop bag you show that you carry something expensive with you because it is easy to be recognized as what it is. It screams: "Steal me!"

So basically what I'd like to have is a big waterproof backpack with a padded pocket to safely transport my laptop and some other things without any special looks.

 

Slappa Stovepipe was my other option when I bought my current bag this summer. I ended with Timbuk2 H.A.L. in all black.

Those would fullfill your needs 3 and 4, pretty much same as my requirements were at the time. I also found these: REVIEW: SLAPPA Stovepipe backpack : Honda CBR 600RR Sportbike Forum : 600RR.Net where Dom explains how well their bags hold water. Live action test on Timbuk2: Timbuk2 H.A.L. Waterproof? - YouTube

 

I would look into just getting a sleeve for you laptop and a Bike Messenger bag...
Something from Chrome Falcon - Medium - Backpacks - Bags | CHROME | Official Site
or Bailyworks Citi Pack: Backpacks » BaileyWorks Messenger Bags

These are purpose built for bike messengers that ride in the sun/rain. Chrome uses in inner lining thats made out of tarpulin to float your belongings. Bailyworks coats the inside with tarpulin to provide waterproofing.

 

There really is no "one size fit all" solution to laptop bags. Everyone has different work/laptop setups. Even individual people might have multiple setups for different situations.

For example... I have 4 different bags/setups.
1. Sleeve only - It's just a sleeve... if I know I'm going somewhere for an hour or two with a wait... like an oil change. Carries just the laptop.
2. REI Messenger bag - Daily carry to/from work. Laptop/Mouse + Small items. I have power supplies at work and at home so I don't have to carry one.
3. Lowe Backpack - Workstation bag... for doing work outside of home/office. Laptop/Mouse/Small Items/Power supply... possibly multiple laptops... external HD's/powerstrip/etc
4. Slappa Backpack - Travel bag... Similar contents to my workstation bag but checkpoint friendly and a bit larger to fit some clothes/snacks etc.

I use the Daily carry bag pretty much M-F. Workstation bag on the weekends and occasionally during the week. Travel bag is for airtravel or overnight trips.. and the sleeve only happens on occasion.

Some things I look for in a bag:
1. Comfort
2. Floated Laptop pocket... if I place my backpack down I don't want the edge of my laptop to hit the ground.
3. Place for powersupply
4. Organizational pockets.. but not all organizational pockets. LIke the Everki Titan... it's got a ton of organization but not too much free space for a jacket or a packed lunch.. etc. The Slappa Mask packs have both organizational space and blank space.