Is it safe to carry a laptop/netbook in a backpack?

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ShadowArmy

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Or does a laptop carrying case have some kind of padding that makes it more safe/ideal? This is the first time I've owned/used a laptop for classes. And I have this paranoia hanging over me that the laptop will either cease functioning due to reckless handling or get stolen while I'm going to the bathroom. I'm pretty much going to depend on it.
 
As for getting stolen, I am pretty sure a laptop bag will scream "here is a laptop" more than a backpack.
 
I put mine in one of those neoprene-foam sleeves and carry it in my backpack. Been doing it for a year. Seems fine. There are also some padded backpacks you can get to carry your laptop in.
 
I have a backpack with a special sleeve for my laptop.

/smug
 
The padded bags are pretty great. Or you can keep it between textbooks in a ratty, decomposing, padding-free backpack like I did, and end up with a glossy shell covered in scuff marks and scratches. :(
 
Either get a laptop back pack with a special compartment to separate your books form your laptop. or get one of those padded sleeves. Books can easily **** up your laptop depending on the make and how much you stuff in there.
 
Heh, if I carried a laptop in a bag with me, that bag would not leave my side for a moment.
 
As long as it's in a sleeve it should be all good, they're made for that sort of thing.
 
Find / google neoprene laptop sleeve (or case). Best things for the job since laptop bags have handles and are a little bulkier. Will protect again most bumps and knocks and stop it getting dirty or scratched. They look a bit like this.

Neoprene%20Sleeve.jpg
 
I had a backpack with a large main pocket, a thinner pocket on the outside, and then a smaller pocket outside that.

I kept my books in the main pocket, the laptop in the second, and the third had things like my ipod, tools, etc...
 
neoprene sleeves do the trick, they're cheap and not bulky whatsoever. I carried my netbook around in one when i lived in europe- did quite a bit of travelling with it in my backpack and it was kept nicely protected.
 
i've been putting my macbook in a shoulder strap bag for years now with no padding/support, it's fine. laptops are pretty tough, i mean as long as you aren't flailing around with it or anything.
 
I think I'll look at getting one of those sleeves. But will a netbook fit into one if it has a stand/attachment in the back (to tilt up the back of it slightly when laid down). I can't tell if that is removable or permanent. It sticks out of the bottom and basically increases the height from 1.5 in. to 2.25 in.

Edit: Nevermind, that's the laptop battery.
 
I dont know about you guys but I havent heard of laptops being stolen in a long time. People I know who steal a lot of shit wouldn't take laptops because most new ones from Dell, etc, have LoJack on them for at LEAST a year free.

That means the cops just come to wherever it was stashed and arrest you and take it back. It'd be like stealing a car with active OnStar. Useless.

As far as it breaking- just don't be an idiot with it and it should be fine. I'm assuming youre not using your backpack as a chair or something? It'll be fine unless your laptop is made of porcelain or something.
 
Never had any trouble with mine being in my backpack and I've been slinging it in there without a neoprene sleve or anything for around 9 months now. Its a bit scuffed, but it still works absolutely fine.
 
Watch out with rain. My laptop got fried went the sky broke open, but luckily my warranty covered it.
 
Insano said:
Watch out with rain. My laptop got fried went the sky broke open, but luckily my warranty covered it.
Click to expand...

I didnt even think of that one. That would be a big issue if your backpack doesnt stop water from getting into the inside very well.
 
Insano said:
Watch out with rain. My laptop got fried went the sky broke open, but luckily my warranty covered it.
Click to expand...

Really? I've never seen a warranty for electronics that covers water damage.
 
My backpack has a laptop sleeve in the main pocket that has padding. Never had any problems. What you really need to avoid that is horribly common in college is leaving it on in standby while you're walking around. Turn it off before you travel with it, if it's on you risk doing damage to any spinning components such as the hard disk.

In college laptops are so ubiquitous that you dont need to worry about it being stolen unless you're the low-hanging fruit on the proverbial tree - so don't be the idiot that leaves their laptop in a conveniently obvious bag and place in public while you go take a 30 minute shit. If it's in a backpack you're safe unless you are either very unlucky or very silly about where you leave it.

My laptop has survived 3 years of relatively rough university handling so far, including a few whiskey drinks being spilled on it, a lot of travel to classes and whatnot and a couple of mistaken (usually drunk) falls.
 
Ennui said:
My backpack has a laptop sleeve in the main pocket that has padding. Never had any problems. What you really need to avoid that is horribly common in college is leaving it on in standby while you're walking around. Turn it off before you travel with it, if it's on you risk doing damage to any spinning components such as the hard disk.
Click to expand...

Yeah I used to leave mine on if I had lots of semi-important windows up and didn't have time to read through and save everything, but now I turn it off before I leave. Mine used to overheat in the sleeve (at which point it would turn itself off). Pretty bad.
 
The thing about turning it off, instead of leaving it on standby, when leaving is good to know. I never would have thought of that.
 
Krynn72 said:
Really? I've never seen a warranty for electronics that covers water damage.
Click to expand...
It didn't really. I told them that it stopped working, because of my overheating graphics card. That wasn't a complete lie, since the graphics card made my laptop crash without an external cooling fan.

They bought it, and gave me a new laptop with only the hard disk of my previous one brought over.

I'm so bad.
 
Just put your laptop to Sleep or Hibernate when you leave, I never shut mine fully off.
 
I use a backpack as it's way better than a laptop case for my purposes. The only time I go anywhere with my laptop is if I have to go work onsite or if I have to travel out of town for work. Having to walk around downtown Austin in August as I have to do pretty much each year is a total pain in the ass if you have to carry a laptop case, backpack is a lot more comfortable.

Not to mention you have way more room. Aside from some scratches and scuffs on the outside shell of the laptop (because I'm kind of rough on it) I've had absolutely no issues.

I don't ever really turn my laptop off either, just sleep because I can't afford to wait a long time for boot up. But you do have to be careful. One time I put it in sleep mode but somehow the laptop turned on in my backpack. I had it in there for a couple hours and when I opened it the temperature inside was as hot as a stove. Luckily it didn't do any immediate damage.
 
noob question: Is "shutting the laptop cover" different from this "sleep/hibernate" mode that everyone keeps mentioning?
 
It depends on how the manufacturer has configured it. Usually it sends it into sleep mode by default, if the laptop manufacturer isn't retarded. I think you can change it with your laptop's power miser application, regardless.
 
Depends what you have your power settings configured to.

Normally shutting the laptop will make it sleep. You can set it up to hibernate, though. You should be able to make it do different things depending on whether it's plugged in or not, too.
 
I got one of my laptops stolen doing that.

Thank god it was just a school one.
 
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