How do you protect your laptop?
 

Guys,
I'm forever carrying my laptop in my bag and have hence had to replace, at a stupid price, a cracked screen.

Can anyone recommend any good, hard skinned, tough sleeves to protect it?
I also believe that by using a bit if foam padding between the keyboard and screen can help, anyone seen this, recommend a seller?

the laptop has a 10.6 inch screen.

thanks
DB

I don't think that foam between the screen and keyboard will help - it's blows and buffets to the back of the screen - i.e. the lid - that cause the damage.

I'd go for a rigid backpack model like the Samsonite Sugo Business Laptop Backpack. Your criteria may well be different, so search for "laptop hard cases" for a good idea of what's out there, and what the prices are like.

SD

Hibernate or off completely - not sleep, at least until Vista.

Sleep is still a "power on" state, requiring power to maintain current state in RAM, while Hibernate writes the state to disk (hiberfil.sys) and then powers off.

Vista allows Sleep to go to Hibernate when power runs low.

But in case something brings the lappie out of sleep when in transit - and still with sufficient juice - best not to risk it.

SD

thanks for the reply Saab, but I need a case/sleeve which will fit in my flying bag.

Googled it to death now and no-one seems to make such a product.

try: laptop sleeves, Computing, Sleeve Case, HP Compaq items at low prices on eBay.co.uk

Something like this?

SD

I've used one of those sleeve protection things, and it didn't save my laptop in my bag. Its only good for protection in your bag from the other stuff inside your bag(!), and will not protect your laptop from shock when some baggage handler or otherwise dumps/throws/drops/squashes your bag with sufficient force.
Best advise I can give is put it in a laptop shoulder bag and have it with you in person at all times. As inconvenient as it is, its the only way to be sure

Duff,

To be perfectly honest, the answer is one word ....

INSURANCE

Stuffing bits of foam in-between keyboard and display, or using "trendy" wetsuit type contraptions, whether soft or rigid will not help. (e.g. useless against compression forces).

Just use a proper laptop bag or backpack. Brenthaven make some good ones, as do a few other maufacturers that I can't remember the name of....

Otherwise, just buy yourself one of those laptops that BT and the MoD like to use.... a Panasonic Toughbook. No need for any bag, they come with their own carrying handle ! Rugged Laptop Computers - Official Panasonic Toughbook Rugged Computers


Are we talking traditional or solid state drives ?

For traditional drives, as long as the drive is not spinning then hibernate/sleep/shut down is a much of muchness because if you drop it hard enough you are still going to *** up the heads, which remember are less than a hair's width away from the platters.

For solid state I would guess it doesn't really matter which, and indeed is probably better techology than traditional drives for dropping.

But the best answer is .... prevention is better than cure !

Don't you mean "Like to LOSE"? :p:)

SD

Oh SD... ever the comedian.... don't give up the day job ! :ok: