Protecting My Laptop During Commute on the Train

[greekorican]

I'll be attending UIC this fall, and I want to make sure my laptop is safe and protected during my commute on public transportation. I wish I could afford to have a laptop and a desktop computer, then I wouldn't be so concerned. My laptop is my main computer, and I can't have anything happen to it. The commute sucks, I have to take 2 or 3 trains to get there.

I'm in the Engineering College, so I'm assuming that having my laptop with me would be very useful. I don't plan on using it in class, I think it would be more distracting than anything. But for getting some work done in between classes, I think it would be great to have my laptop with me.

I don't want to have to carry a backpack and my laptop bag. I think one of those over the shoulder laptop bags is painting a target on my back. Everyone on the train will know exactly whats in the bag. Maybe thats a little paranoid, but if I'm riding the train everyday, my chances of getting ripped off eventually are pretty high.

I like the idea of a laptop backpack, but most of them don't seem very protective. I'm also going to have textbooks in that bag, and I'm a bit worried about the laptop getting crushed by them. I like the idea of some kind of hardshell sleeve to put my laptop in, but haven't been able to find anything like that.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

[bongomania]

I got one of these and it's fantastic:
http://www.overstock.com/Luggage-Bag...5/product.html
All of those Heys hardshell cases are really good. This one is easy to roll, comes with a padded laptop sleeve, waterproof, and it's easy to extend/shut the handle.

[ehque]

I think you're paranoid.

Not just the getting-your-laptop-stolen part, but the books-will-crush-my-laptop part.

I'm not sure about your area so i'm not sure how paranoid the first part is (i can walk around alone at night with a laptop bag without feeling unsafe in my country) but i'm going to guess that your laptop can easily withstand the weight of way more books than you can carry.

FWIW, i used to carry my laptop in a laptop backpack. It has a padded laptop compartment. It won't protect the laptop if i toss it out of a second storey window, but neither will a hard case.

I now carry it around in this (and i believe it will protect a laptop from a 2 storey drop):


http://www.monocase.com/mono-efx-producer.asp

Does that look like a laptop bag to you?

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by greekorican

I'll be attending UIC this fall, and I want to make sure my laptop is safe and protected during my commute on public transportation. I wish I could afford to have a laptop and a desktop computer, then I wouldn't be so concerned. My laptop is my main computer, and I can't have anything happen to it. The commute sucks, I have to take 2 or 3 trains to get there.

I'm in the Engineering College, so I'm assuming that having my laptop with me would be very useful. I don't plan on using it in class, I think it would be more distracting than anything. But for getting some work done in between classes, I think it would be great to have my laptop with me.

I don't want to have to carry a backpack and my laptop bag. I think one of those over the shoulder laptop bags is painting a target on my back. Everyone on the train will know exactly whats in the bag. Maybe thats a little paranoid, but if I'm riding the train everyday, my chances of getting ripped off eventually are pretty high.

I like the idea of a laptop backpack, but most of them don't seem very protective. I'm also going to have textbooks in that bag, and I'm a bit worried about the laptop getting crushed by them. I like the idea of some kind of hardshell sleeve to put my laptop in, but haven't been able to find anything like that.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

Are you concerned about having someone physically take it from you or concerned about having it be identified as valuable and stolen when you're not in immediate possession of it?

[greekorican]

Originally Posted by Unrepresented

Are you concerned about having someone physically take it from you or concerned about having it be identified as valuable and stolen when you're not in immediate possession of it?

I think its more likely to have someone physically take it from me. It's not that Chicago is dangerous and that I don't feel safe. But people do get robbed. I just feel like if I'm going to be taking public transportation every day on my commute, I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I have an expensive laptop with me.

[Unrepresented]

Originally Posted by greekorican

I think its more likely to have someone physically take it from me. It's not that Chicago is dangerous and that I don't feel safe. But people do get robbed. I just feel like if I'm going to be taking public transportation every day on my commute, I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I have an expensive laptop with me.

Is this a public transit path you take regularly? I'd go without your laptop for a bit, scope out the situation -- number of fellow riders, what they carry, and judge from there.

As a general rule, robbing someone while on a moving train leaves minimal escape routes. That's where I'd be least concerned.

[fdeck]

Check www.newegg.com, or your favorite alternative, for a notebook computer backpack. I got one made by Targus but there are other brands as well. It has a padded inner compartment for the computer, but otherwise looks like a backpack.

Now that I rarely take my computer anywhere, I use the same bag to carry my bass head and cables.

A possible alternative to a computer, once you scope out the scene at the college, is to carry your entire life on a flash drive, or even use one of those cloud computing apps.

Most importantly, back up your stuff. If you are working on a project, and are particularly paranoid, then back it up onto a flash drive before the commute home.

[L-A]

Hollow out a big Art History book and put it in there.

[Ziltoid]

I have this:
http://shop.heys.ca/ProductDetails.a...uctCode=ePac08

and it serves me very well

[MadMan118]

I usually keep my laptop in a pouch in my backpack and my back pack in front of me when I'm riding public transport.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by L-A

Hollow out a big Art History book and put it in there.

A semester's worth of textbooks may be more expensive than a notebook computer.

[Ziltoid]

Originally Posted by fdeck

A semester's worth of textbooks may be more expensive than a notebook computer.

I spent about 500-600 per semester in textbooks while my laptop was 1500+13%tx.

[beelzelboss]

Originally Posted by fdeck

A semester's worth of textbooks may be more expensive than a notebook computer.

Depends on where you get them. My dad has the hook ups, my older brother got his entire semester's books for $300. It was a steal.

This looks really good, which was already posted. (I'm stealing the link, not taking credit for it!)

http://shop.heys.ca/ProductDetails.a...uctCode=ePac08

Secondly, I have a targus bag (inherited from my older bro), amazing. First off, the think is huge. Better yet, it has in the closest compartment to your back, but not against your back is a padded compartment for a laptop, so it sits in the bag, and not on your back, and room for your books. (comfort issue) There is a second compartment farther back for even more books, and it has lateral pads, so you can shove like two text books per little sleeve, and there are two of them. Total, I've gotten my 13' macbook, plus about 5/6 larger books in the bag. Then it has a smaller compartment behind it for pens/pencils chargers and what not.

I really like, I'm going to go try and find it for you.

Either this one:
http://www.targus.com/us/product_det...sku=TSB17501US

Or this one:
http://www.targus.com/us/product_det...x?sku=TSB167US

They are both pretty close. I would go and find a place that has them, and then look to see if they are large enough, and if they don't it can't hurt to call Targus and ask a few questions about each one.

The key thing though is TWO compartments. One for laptop and maybe a smaller book or two and laptop stuff, then the other compartment for all your books and stuff.

As for getting it stolen on the train, if you keep it close, and keep your eye on it I don't think you are going to have any issues. That is, even if you take it off your back, and when you do because you want to sit down, just throw it down by your feet, and loop an arm strap through your leg, so if someone were to try and run off with it, it won't be so easy. Good luck man.

[jmattbassplaya]

Hate to say it man, but if someone`s going to rob you then they are going to rob you. Anything that looks like a backpack, briefcase, or laptop case will be a potential target for a thief. Your best protection will be constant vigilance and awareness of your surroundings. Just make sure you don`t let yourself become a target.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by Ziltoid

I spent about 500-600 per semester in textbooks while my laptop was 1500+13%tx.

I was thinking of a cheap notebook computer.

[James Hart]

I like these bags
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/products/home
My wife has a couple from them.

Personally I use one of these
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/bags/aaa5/


I've had it over a year and regularly carry 2 laptops and a few books.

[greekorican]

Now thats a sweet looking bag! I think I want one of those. Extra space is always good to have, and 50 bucks isn't expensive at all.

[hover]

I was gonna say any decent-duty clasp-able messenger slung across your shoulders would do the trick just fine...find one with metal fittings that will not yield to a quick tug like a thief would employ trying to cut and run...

[MIJ-VI]

I bought a well-padded backpack-style computer bag which looks like a plain old backpack--not a computer bag. Avoid anything which looks stylish. Choose something which looks ugly & worthless and then make it look scruffy.

Getting an external 2.5" hard drive (or two) to back up your notebook's hard drive as a hedge against theft, viruses, or hardware failure is an investment you may thank yourself for one day.

As others have mentioned, please stay mindful of your surroundings when travelling about and never carry more valuables than you need to.

Learn to think like a predator to aid you in spotting possible ambush sites on late night streets and public transit.

[James Hart]

Originally Posted by greekorican

Now thats a sweet looking bag! I think I want one of those. Extra space is always good to have, and 50 bucks isn't expensive at all.

I love mine... but it's not ideal if protection is a major selling point. It's a very lightly padded canvas bag