The Caselogic PNC-218 is one of the few choices available for laptops with 17" or larger screens. Our widescreen 17.3" laptop fits in the main compartment with two or three inches width to spare. A velcro-adjustable divider keeps the laptop from shifting back and forth. A separate zippered compartment has several nicely-sized pockets that hold our wireless mouse, a portable hard drive, some cards, and a USB thumb drive. The bag is fairly thin and trim; it won't hold much beyond your computer and accessories. (In other words, it is not a laptop case and briefcase.) Case Logic PNC-218 18-Inch Laptop Case (Black)
First I just want to say that it is really hard to find a bag that will fit an 18.4 inch laptop. You would think that there would be a decent selection out there or at least more than two vendors, but as of now that is just not the case. This bag does fit my 18.4 inch Toshiba Qosmio laptop with an inch or so to spare. In that light, this bag may be what you are looking for for the price. That being said, there are plenty of things wrong with it.
- Space. This bag has enough space for an 18.4 inch laptop and nothing else. The largest pouch comfortably fits the laptop, but you can barely fit the power supply in the secondary pouch. If you do plan on taking your power supply with you, forget about any CD's, books, or anything else you might need. Well I suppose you could fit a book or something in there as well, but only if you are abnormally good at jigsaw puzzles.
- Securing Straps. The "adjustable" strap in the primary pouch is severely offset to one side of the bag, and opposite it are simple velcro straps. This turns the simple task of placing your laptop inside your bag a very awkward experience. I am usually forced to lay the bag flat on the floor or tabletop (if there happens to be 3 square feet of space available) and completely open the case before I can wiggle the laptop inside and secure the straps. It is nearly impossible to get your laptop inside if it is upright. As an added problem, the simple velcro straps are not padded where the adjustable strap is, which means your laptop will always be tilted inside the bag. This makes it very awkward to carry.
- Zippers. Initially, the zippers were fine, but after about 5 weeks of use, they are always catching on the fabric of the case. While not a completely detrimental flaw, it is freakishly annoying to have your zipper catch when you need to get to your next class.
- Shoulder Strap. This is perhaps the biggest of all the flaws in this bag. At first, it seemed sturdy enough. The gel-type shoulder was a nice bonus too. But after 5 weeks of toting my bag to class and back a few times a week, one of the clips broke and I almost dropped my $1400 laptop on the concrete sidewalk. Initially, I thought that the clips for the shoulder strap were made out of metal, but now that one was broken in half, I could see that it was only plastic. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the the clip opposite the one that broke had almost ripped away from the case. It appears that CaseLogic thought it was a good idea to use only a single stitch pattern when they attached the shoulder strap anchors to the bag. The Strap holding up an expensive massive laptop is attached to the case by six little threads! If the clip hadn't broken, it would have only been a matter of minutes before the last two threads gave way.
In Summary, If you are absolutely desperate for a cheap bag that you can use to bring your laptop with you on your annual trip to Grandma's house, then this is the bag for you. But if you actually plan on using this bag more than once a year, stay away! My shoulder strap broke off after only 5 weeks of carrying nothing but my laptop and power supply! I'm glad I'm only out $30 and not $1430!
Hooray! A bag that's actually big enough!
I'd give it 5 stars but I can't vouch for reliability yet as I've only used it a few times. Also, this style of bag really isn't that comfortable when you use the shoulder strap (but there aren't many options for laptops this size). The handle is cushioned and comfortable.
I was very pleased with the size and construction of this case..I do not have to use it everyday
so it is perfect when I do need it for putting all my supplies in...my camera, notebooks, pens,
and cords all fit perfect with room to spare. It is very comfortable on the shoulder strap and
I find it works better with the strap shorter.. Very good purchase and yes I would purchase it
again. Hope this helps you decide, perfect if you have a large laptop, like me, 17.3 fits perfect.
Case logic, as it is common with this brand, is a practical, efficient, nice-looking item, that covers all the expectations and then some. But, if I'm going to be fair, it would probably help a lot if you could design a broader shoulder strap, or at least a cushier one.
All in all, this is a great item. - Caselogic - 18 Inch Laptop Bag - Laptop Bags - 17 Inch Laptop Case'
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