9. Targus Urban Messenger Notebook Case

• URBAN MESSENGER CASE...
• • Mwave.com
  • $54.54
• • UnbeatableSale
  • $57.35
• • TECH ON WEB
  • $59.98
• • CDW.com
  • $59.99
• • ElectronicsPLUS
  • $61.29

By Barry Gerber

I really like the Urban Messenger. First it looks great. The exterior is black, but some of the fabric is woven with both black and white threads that create a very small checkerboard effect when viewed from a distance. And then, there are those little touches of neon orange stitching you can see in the photo below.

Speaking of the photo brings me to the next reason I really like Targus's Urban Messenger. There is a place for almost anything you can imagine. For example, thing with the two orange vertical stripes is the door for an MP3 (OK, iPod) music player. The door is held closed by a couple of magnets that are unlikely to erase music player hard disk drives. That little circle with the X on it is a headphone port. Open a zipper on the case's front flap and you'll find a storage area including a place for pencils and pens.

Notice those raised orange dots on the right side of the Urban Messenger. They're made out of rubbery plastic and extend four inches under the bottom of the case. A similar set of dots can be found on the left side of the case. The rubbery dots and water resistant fabric on the bottom of the case make the bottom weather resistant.

Continuing on the place-for-everything theme, when you release and lift the front flap, you'll find lots of interesting storage areas. There are a couple of pockets (the white ones), one zippered and one with elastic holding it closed, for phones, PDAs, calculators and such. There are also two file pockets and, of course, a place to store a notebook computer with a display that measures up to 15.4" diagonally. The notebook pocket is well padded and has a heavy cloth strip that uses Velcro to hold the computer in place. Inside the first file pocket you'll find a removable holder for six CDs or DVDs. Targus also provides a nice case to hold your notebook's power supply and a solid shoulder strap. Finally, there's a large storage area on the back of the case that is held closed by Velcro.

If you aren't into backpacks the Targus Urban Messenger could be just the thing for you. It's stylish, well made and roomy, with plenty of nooks and crannies for your gear.