( 9 reviews )
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Posted: Aug 16 2009
I have been using the standard issue black Dell laptop case for the last 5 years--the same one that you see dozens of people carrying at every airport in the US. I previously thought the Dell case was decent, despite a few flaws that I thought were minor. After seeing the Targus case, I now realize that I was unknowingly suffering with the Dell case. First, the case is exactly what I was looking for. Something slim, compact and basic, lightweight, and more easy to tote around or take with me to the coffee house. Very nice design allows the case to be compact, yet have a surprising amount of room if you choose to use it. One of the reasons I wanted a smaller / thinner case was to force me to carry around less junk with me. My Dell case seemed to be so heavy, and after cleaning it out, I realize that I had a ton of little things that I didn't really need. They didn't seem to take up much space, so I kept them, "just in case". Well, the Targus puts you on a diet and forces you to carry just the essentials, which is exactly what I wanted. My Dell Latitude D620 fits perfectly in the case, and the 65W power supply, to my surprise, fits nicely in the bottom of the main pocket without making it bulge. My wireless mouse tucks in the bottom next to the power supply, and I'm able to fit a few other items (USB drive, Advil, etc.) in one of the mesh pockets. There are two zippered mesh pockets in the main compartment, so there is plenty of capacity if you do want to bring along some extras. There are two business card pockets, of which I will only use one, but if you collect a lot of cards on your travels, they would probably be handy. And in very minimalist fashion, there are two elastic loops for a pen/pencil right at the top of the case--very handy placement. But of course there is plenty of room in the mesh pockets if you wish to carry more. The two outer pockets are thin, and good for holding a magazine, thin notebook, or pad of paper, etc. The only minor design flaw is that pocket is not very deep, so you can't use the velcro closure if you have a pad of paper or even 8.5 x 11 paper in the pocket. It would have been nice to have a design that could have some type of closure to prevent such things from sliding out. The two handles are very well designed. They are short enough so that they don't get in the way, but are also always standing up on top of the bag, making it easy to grab the case. And the best feature is the strap. I suffered with the horribly designed strap on my old Dell case, so this strap is heaven by comparison. The padded area of the strap has rubber dots to help grip, and the padding is curved to fit better on your shoulder. Also, the padded area is part of the strap, not a sliding pad like the Dell. This is such a huge improvement for me that the strap alone was worth the purchase. Finally, this case is amazingly inexpensive. $27 on Amazon is a steal for this product. I was thinking I would need to look at Tumi or other high-end brands for a good case, but the Targus was a wonderful surprise. I highly recommend it!
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Posted: Jan 4 2009
I stuff the case full of books, folders, papers, and anything I may need (yes my notebook computer too) -- and I try to be careful about zipping it up gently and so forth, but nonetheless zippers start pulling from the seams after about 2 years. Not sure if other cases would be sturdier but the amazing thing about Targus is their lifetime warranty -- I send in the disintegrating case and in about 3 weeks they send me a brand new one! Can't complain about that kind of service!
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Posted: Aug 24 2008
Very, very light, attractive, a seperate, cushioned computer compartment, top opening (computer can be pulled up and out easily), a cushioned contoured shoulder strap that works to keep it on your shoulder comfortably ... what's not to like? This is a perfect case as long as you don't need to carry a lot of thick stuff in addition to the computer. After the computer is inside, the remaining room is about 2" wide at the bottom. The external pockets will only accommodate things like a newspaper or a magazine.
