Month: May 2009

The Pink Mac

Perhaps I like this style: Hello Lulu 10+.

So, I am beginning to think I really like the modern briefcase laptop bag look. Here is another example of a great bag I found in this style, and I think I might like this one even better than the last. The Hello Lulu 10+ bag is a sleek nylon briefcase with a good amount of storage and a few fun features. As you can see, the interior has two pockets, one for the laptop and one for accessories. The accessory pocket  is divided into little pouches and smaller pockets for holding little gadgets and cables and cds and even has a little detachable photo frame (odd, but cute). The exterior of the bag even has a little extra pocket perfect for an ipod or cell phone (how cute is that)!
{Images via Hellolulunyc.com}
The Pink Mac

On the Case: Incase Nylon Sleeve Plus.

As my search continues for the perfect laptop bag for my new macbook, I have been testing the waters with a few styles that seem interesting to me. This 13″ Incase Nylon Sleeve Plus is everything a great, slim laptop case can be. I enjoy the minimalist exterior that looks something more like a conventional laptop brief, except in a slightly more modern way. The color is great, as I am a big fan of grey (although the bag seems to be a little more silver than grey because of the nylon) and the nylon is a durable material for a bag. This case also has the added benefit of being very slim, basically the width of a laptop sleeve but with a little extra storage. The one thing I don’t like too much about this case, however, is the price. Its $59.95 and I feel like that is too much for something that is basically a sleeve case with pockets. I think more searching must be done!

{Images via GoIncase.com}
The Pink Mac

The Search Begins: Knomo.

As you know from previous posts, I am on the hunt for my ideal laptop bag for my new Macbook. I have been searching all over the place and I found a few top contenders. First of all, I found this amazing Knomo tote in the clearance section of their website (!). If you know anything about laptop bags, you probably already know about Knomo and their wonderful line of very chic, very feminine bags that are also unfortunately very pricey. However, on clearance, this ‘Toyah’ tote was only $125 down from something like $250 I am sure. This bag has a lot of what I like, so lets discuss it.
1. It has a zip around enclosure. One of the main design functions I was interested in for my new bag is a zip enclosure because I think it brings a level of security to the laptop that other enclosures do not since the zipper prevents anyone from seeing inside the bag. I like that, and it gives me an ease of mind that I know no one can see what I am carrying or snatch anything from my bag. Too often I fear strangers in crowded places will somehow pick pocket out of my open totes and this zipper design halts that.
2. The loop handles. I really like when laptop bags have handles instead of those long thick straps to carry the bag with. I think it gives it the sense of being more like a purse than a briefcase or laptop case.
3. The quilted exterior. I am a big fan of quilted exteriors, I think they are very chic and classic, so the fact that this bag includes that style draws me to the bag more.
4. The slim factor. Since I am purchasing myself a 13″ slim laptop, I do not want to be carrying around a huge bag. This tote appears to be very slim while still including some storage for extra devices and such.
The Pink Mac

Pink Out.

One of the main accessories I need for my new macbook is a new hard shell case to protect against bumps and scratches. Obviously, since this blog is called the pink mac, I should probably stick to my color scheme and go for another pink shell, however, which brand should I choose to use this time around? I currently use the Speck SeeThru, which I have no complaints about, however, Incase also makes a hard shell case with a soft touch finish and a finely molded shape that I find really pleasing. Speck makes a similar case in what seems to be a slightly different shade of pink that I am not enjoying as much. Their SeeThru Satin is also a soft touch, however, the lighter shade of pink is not sitting well with me unfortunately. Both are priced about equal, so I might just try out the Incase case with this new macbook. 
{Images via GoIncase.com}
Note: If anyone associated with Incase products is reading this and would like to send me one of these pink hard shell cases to review, I would be more than happy to oblige you, so feel free to email me!
The Pink Mac

Tick Tock!

As you may remember from earlier posts, within the next 3 weeks I will finally be purchasing my new Macbook! I had to wait until early June in order to do so for two main reasons. First, my current Macbook’s warranty expires in June, rendering the laptop useless in the event of a repair situation lest I be forced to shell out $400 on a drive repair or any other overpriced issue, and second, because WWDC is the first week of June and there are sure to be some cool announcements like spec upgrades and perhaps the new snow leopard operating system (which I got confirmation on from an Apple employee.) 
I have the money in the bank and all my plans have been set, on Saturday June 13th I will be making a visit to the local Apple Store to buy my new 13″ Aluminum Macbook. I plan to get the higher priced model with the 2.4 gHz processor and the backlit keyboard, max it out to 4 gbs of Ram and go for the 250 gb hard drive. That along with the AppleCare Warranty should set me back about 2 grand, but it will be soo worth it! 
Well, if only things were that simple! Actually, right now I am tripped up over a few major details about my purchase- mainly, my case situation. I have been looking around the internet and trying to decide on accessories for my new mac. Should I go for another pink hard shell case? If so, which brand? Should I get a new sleeve case for it, which color, what material? Do I want a new tote bag for it and which style should I go with? Do I want another tote style or should I go with something a bit more utilitarian? 
Well, hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to answer some of these questions and make a few purchases to set me up for the arrival of the new Macbook! So, the following posts I am dedicating to my search for the perfect accessories! Feel free to comment and leave me tips on different brands of cases and different styles of bags or other miscellaneous accessories I might have overlooked. This is going to be a long and gruesome process but that is the price we pay for the perfect computer!
Solutions The Pink Mac

Hyper Drive.

One of the big drawbacks to having a laptop is the lack of a continuous power source to keep your machine running for hours and hours. Despite the improved technology in laptop battery life, our portable machines are still only able to push out maybe 3-5 hours of battery on a charge, which is a good amount, but too often it is not enough. Well, if you to suffer from this problem, there might be a solution: the HyperMac External Macbook Power source. Coming in 4 different models, this compact power source is the size of an external hard drive (the smallest model) and can power your laptop for an extra 9-13 hours (smallest model) or up to 32 hours (the largest model). These guys come at a heavy price tag though, $199 for the small model and up to $499 for the largest. I guess this is worth it for some people, and I am seriously thinking about the small model for my own use. I don’t need 32 hours of backup power, but an extra 10 would be pretty nice!