By: Tony Giacomo
Tom Bihn “the Ego” Messenger bag
$130.00
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/200/TB0830
After MacWorld this past January my wife, Kim, and I had waited long enough and it was time for her to replace her aging 12” PowerBook G4 and it was time for me to finally purchase a notebook. So we bit the bullet and I ordered 2 notebooks from Apple. For my wife a MacBook and for myself a 15” MacBook Pro. When our new systems arrived and we had migrated everything to them we realized that both of us needed a new notebook case.
Kim had been using a Tom Bihn bag for several years first with her 12” iBook and then she used it with her 12” PowerBook. She really liked the fit and quality of that bag and had carried it for years. Her needs were a bit different this time as the previous bag didn’t let her carry all of her work “stuff” and the computer. So she had to drag around two bags and this caused her PowerBook to be frequently left behind. I also was in the market for a backpack for my MacBook Pro and had unsuccessfully tried a bag from Spire (nice bag, just not what I needed). So we ended up checking out Tom Bihn’s website.
We were confused about which bags to get as they have a large selection. So I emailed Tom Bihn’s customer service address and received a quick response from Darcy (thank you Darcy). I told her what I was looking for in a backpack and Kim’s needs for a bag that could handle the MacBook and her “stuff”. I quickly settled on the BrainBag backpack for myself and now carry that everyday. Darcy had several options for Kim and she told me about a new bag that was ready to be released called “The Ego” This was a medium sized messenger style bag based on their larger “Super Ego”. I showed Kim the pictures that Darcy sent and she thought that would be perfect. So the next decision was what color combination. You have seven color schemes to choose from Black/Black/Olive to Black/Grape/Wasabi (trust me just go to the link above and mouse over the links under the picture). Kim chose the Black/Crimson/Steel and then had to pick a strip/buckle combination. There are also quite a few choices here and Kim settled on the Snow Leopard with a seatbelt buckle. Kim also added a size 4x BrainCell (laptop slipcase), an Absolute Shoulder Strap and a couple of the small Organizer Pouches.
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review, mac, MacBook Pro, Tom Bihn, Laptop Bag
When she received the bag she anxiously loaded everything into it (and I do mean everything). At first she seemed a little skeptical about it so I asked her when she arrived home from her first day of using it and she said she liked it. A few days later she said she loved it. Now her Macbook and Ego bag are almost constant companions when she goes to work or almost any place else. The fit of the BranCell is perfect and everything else has a place in the Ego bag. After 3 weeks she said that she can’t live without it (that puts the Ego in the exclusive company of her Macbook and our Tivo, I am jealous). I agree with her, this bag is big enough without being huge, her stuff (notebooks, reports, and other miscellaneous preschool teacher stuff) fits well with a little room to spare. The bag looks nice and is easy to use. On top of that the quality of materials and workmanship is first rate. This bag is a little pricy when you add on the accessories but we feel that it is well worth the expense as it fills all of her needs. It’s primary job is to protect her precious Macbook and I would say it is close to bullet proof there. It holds her stuff, it is easy to carry and the design is attractive. Her co-workers all seem to want one as do many other people she meets. It is a cool bag, and I feel the same way about my BrainBag. Tom Bihn products are first rate and so is the company. If you are interested in their products check out their site at TomBihn.com or give them a call.
