This thing is a MONSTER! It can hold as big a laptop as you could possibly own, with room to spare. Lots of compartments, almost too many. Bigger, in this case, is not better for me (but I don't have a giant laptop). Two things to keep in mind: 1. It can slip off your shoulders if you are a smaller framed person. My female co-worker tried it and this was a problem for her. 2. It is too big to be considered your "personal item" as an airline carry on. This is the kicker for me, as I travel quite a bit and my laptop backpack has to count as my personal item so that I can also bring my rolling carry-on suitcase. If you only need to bring a single bag on a short trip, this bag has plenty of room for a change of clothes, toiletries, etc., but if you need to bring more, then this bag will count as your big carry-on with most airlines. Just wanted to give people a heads-up! Targus XL Backpack Designed for 17 Inch Notebooks TXL617 (Black with Blue Accents)
If you are like me, and you have a large amount of books and other stuff to carry around, this bag is perfect. And it has several pockets to store sunglasses, a bag lunch, a nice cell phone pouch that can fit anything from a reasonably sized Nokia to a clamshell phone hanging off of the left shoulder strap, Palm Pilot, iPod - with even a slot to fit your earbuds or headphones through, although that's kind of tricky -- a very well-padded storage area for your Notebook computer, all the connections and wires that accompany it, and, top it all off, a place for your water bottle.
If you are taking a lot of classes with a lot of books, the compartments are very spacious and can hold a lot. Unlike most reviewers here I find it very comfortable when full, and not heavy at all once you are used to a little extra weight.
Overall, I highly recommend this product, especially for the price, since a similarly equipped bag should cost over $[...] or more (but don't tell that to Amazon or the Manufacturer :D )
If you have a 17" laptop, then you know your choices for bags are small. I've always had good luck with Targus accessories, and this backpack is no exception. It's well constructed and made of good materials.
The compartments are varied and evenly distributed and (mostly) easy to access. The backpack is very adjustable, from the shoulder straps, to the waist strap, to the pouch straps (which allow you to place bulkier items in the inner pouch). The outer pouch/compartments even flip open with snap-clips for easier access).
There is no "one size fits all" for laptop bags, but this bag seems to have room to spare. I have a Toshiba P105-S9722 17" widescreen laptop that weighs in near 10lbs with the power supply included. The laptop slides effortlessly into the padded compartment (which is at the "bottom" meaning closest to your back when worn as designed). The compartment has a velcro strap to help prevent sliding. The compartment above the laptop has a sturdy base as yet another level of protection to prevent potential damage of your laptop. I find this very useful because I place my powersupply (1lb+ brick), power cord, and other misc. cords in there.
I've used this backpack as carry-on while traveling from NH to CA, and it was packed solid, but everything was very accessible and it still managed to fit under the seat as per airline regulations and JUST met the height/width/depth maximum limits. This may vary from airline to airline though. I had my Toshiba + power supply & cord, iPod, PSP (+ games), a few DVD's, two changes of clothes, a cordless USB mouse in the outer sidepocket, cordless shaver in the inner section, cell phone in the shoulder-strap mounted pouch (which is removable via clip and can be attached to your waist, or anywhere you wish), plus usb cables and various adapters, headphones, etc in various compartments, a couple magazines, a book, and some basic toiletries. It was not lightweight, but properly adjusting the straps helps, and wearing the waist strap for extended use is key!! I walked from one end of O'Hare to the other and although the weight had me winded (as any luggage would), the straps never hurt my shoulders, nor did I feel any discomfort from the laptop being against my back!
I would also like to add that the design of the compartments make it fairly simple to access wha tyou need without a lot of rummaging (provided you don't stuff too much into each one).
For the price, this is an exceptional backpack for those with big laptops that need to carry a lot of accessories, or travel.
Why not 5 stars? For the size, a bit of "modularity" would have been great. When you're not traveling or "packed to the gills" it would be nice to be able to "zip off" or unclip about half of the backpack. This could have been done with the same clips that the outer portion adjusts and opens up with. I would also like to have seen a specifically padded compartment for the laptop power supply, or at least a velcro solution for immobilizing supply & cord. These however, are minor issues, and this backpack is fantastic.
Its too bad the only alternative Targus has for 17" notebooks is the TXL617 XL Backpack. The height of the bag could have been sized down considerably. Reducing the height by 4" would have still made for a comfortable fit for your notebook since it is extra empty space, and the pack would have been a lot less bulky on your back.
On the plus side, there is TONS of room in this bag for all your accessories: mice, keyboard, hard drive, phone, water bottle, and yes even a portable printer!
Good warranty/RMA. Large. New version more stable. Large.
NOTE: This is a replacement review for my previous one after having service performed.
Overview
From a features standpoint, this bag is top notch. Telescoping handle, wheels, rip-stop nylon, 2 large pockets, one with segments, one with padding. I have a 17" Fujitsu Lifebook (lifeboat?) (16x12x2) that fits with room in this. The new revision seems substantially lighter than the older, almost identical version.
Wheels
The wheels are not on the far corners, so it's only slightly more stable than smaller bags. It will still twist and fall if you take a curb at an angle.
It's 18.5 inches wide, so it doesn't generally roll down the aisle in an airplane. You'll pull your second bag off the top and carry them, walking sideways.
The wheels are hard rubber, so it's noisy going over tile. You REALY want soft rubber wheels so it doesn't make alot of noise, or catch on a pebble and pull out of your hand.
Size
It's about 8.5" stuffed, so most of the time it'll fit under the chair in front of you, namely aisle seats on an MD80. Window Seats on a 757 have the sloped wall, and you have to run it sideways. Goodbye legroom. On some planes, you'll find it SEEMS to fit just fine, but you have to force it, or stow it above, since it will scrape under-seat power boxes.
The bag is 42.5 dimensional inches, so it counts as your carry-on (up to 45 dim. inches), not your personal item (up to 36 dim. inches).
It would really be nice to find one that's 13.5" to 16" wide so you can get it in tight places, and 18-22" tall with top-loading so you don't have to lay it flat to get your system out.
The McKlein R-Series detachable looks pretty good, but this Targus bag has the handle built in. It provides structural support, and gives room for things like power adapters and small notepads in the back pocket.
Pockets
The bag is really big and has quite a few interior pockets in the accessory pouch on front and the segmented pouch in the back. The padded area is smooth and will protect your laptop until it falls out from under when you're trying to load your machine into the bag. It comes with some velcro inserts and nylon/mesh bags for accessries.
Warranty and Service
I was originally very displeased because the bag fell over ALL the time.
I contacted targus via web and email. Response time was quick. They replaced the bag quickly. They kept me informed.
The replacement is SLIGHTLY redesigned. Various pockets are easier to use. The feet are a little longer. The bottom plate is more solid.
The bag won't stand up if you strap another on top of it, but by itself, even heavily loaded, handle up or down, the new version of this bag will stay upright, even if you tip the handle by about 25 degrees.
It's definitely more likely to fall forward when loaded (laptop pouch is to the front) and backwards when empty (hard to make this happen).
I was truly impressed with how good the warranty service was by Targus.
Summary
It's hard to find a bag for the 17" widescreen laptops out there, and this one, is pretty good.
It's a little tippy, but the new design is much better.
It's a little wide, but that's sort of a market condition, I think.
It's lighter than it used to be.
Overall, this is a pretty decent bag, and Targus' warranty and support were surprisingly good.
NOTE: eBags has really good photos of all of the cases, inside and out.'
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