New Product: The eM2

[Darcy]

First-of-its-kind protective case for Mac mini. Designed by TOM BIHN.

January 13, 2005

TOM BIHN - http://www.tombihn.com - designer, manufacturer and retailer of laptop bags has created a new design specifically for the Mac mini, the 6.5" x 6.5" x 2" computer debuted by Apple at MacWorld on January 11, 2005.

The Mac mini, a product that is revolutionary in its simplicity and accessibility, deserves a complementary case - the eM².

The eM² case protects the Mac mini from scrapes, scratches, drops and dings with a .25" thick enclosure of closed-cell foam that cushions all sides of the computer. It features a splash-proof zipper and a handle for easy carrying.

The eM² fits the Mac mini like a glove, does not add significant bulk to the slender computer, and can easily fit inside any of our backpacks, messenger bags, briefcases and sling bags.

In production now and available for pre-order with a ship date of mid-February 2005, the eM² will be delivered just in time to protect your new Mac mini.

Price is US$40.00, plus shipping.

The eM² :
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/300/TB0351

TOM BIHN has been designing, manufacturing, and selling bags for over 12 years - online at http://www.tombihn.com and with retail locations in Port Angeles and Seattle, Washington. Our bags are manufactured in Port Angeles, WA where we have been building bags and jobs for over four years. We offer unusually attentive customer service and a stellar guarantee. We use the best quality materials, bomb-proof construction and sophisticated design to build a superior laptop bag.

If you would like review the eM2 any of our other products, or have any further questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or at 1-800-729-9607.

[mhoefer]

That was quick!

Wow this may be the first Mac Mini accesory I have seen. Did you all whip it up after the keynote? or do you have some sort of developer relationship?

Mike

[Darcy]

After the keynote. We were watching the news roll in on the various Mac sites and as soon as the Mac mini was announced, we got started. It was a very late night but the eM² is what Tom created.

[Moosecat]

I saw fit to plug the new bag here.

I do believe that, under universal principles of fairness, that entitles me to a free bag, and a free Mac mini to go with it.

Please forward said merchandise to:

Moosecat
In my dreams
Insane Asylum, 77777

[maverick]

i've ordered a mac mini - i can't wait for it to get here. i'm ordering the eM² also - i can see us taking the mac mini with us on weekend trips and the eM² will be a great way to carry it.

some questions about the eM² ...

1. from the power connection on the back of the mac mini, it appears it will come with a power brick. will the back pocket of the eM² be able to accommodate the power brick for the mac mini?

2. is the back pocket made of the same material that the pocket on the brain cell is made of?

3. will the handles of the eM² be slightly padded?

4. what do you think about designing the eM² to come with hooks for a shoulder strap? they can be placed where the left side of the handle on the front meets the eM² and where the right side of the handle on the right meets the eM² - does that sound confusing? :-) i suggest this because the zipper goes down the side quite far.

5. the brain cell and monolith attach into the inside of the different tom bihn bags with clips. what do you think about the eM² attaching in a similar way to one clip inside the tom bihn bags?

looking forward to the mac mini and the eM²!

i'm sure you're already doing this, but it would be great to see the eM² on the accessories page for the mac mini.

maverick

[Tom Bihn]

Originally posted by maverick

1. from the power connection on the back of the mac mini, it appears it will come with a power brick. will the back pocket of the eM² be able to accommodate the power brick for the mac mini?

I don't know how big the power brick is, so I can't yet say - if you can find dimensions anywhere, I'll do the rest.

Originally posted by maverick
2. is the back pocket made of the same material that the pocket on the brain cell is made of?

Yes, but two layers thick.

Originally posted by maverick
3. will the handles of the eM² be slightly padded?

No, just nylon webbing.

Originally posted by maverick
4. what do you think about designing the eM² to come with hooks for a shoulder strap? they can be placed where the left side of the handle on the front meets the eM² and where the right side of the handle on the right meets the eM² - does that sound confusing? :-) i suggest this because the zipper goes down the side quite far.

If we get a lot of requests we may add "D" rings for an optional strap, but I'm trying to keep it simple. I'm figuring that most folks will carry it in another bag anyway, not on it's own so much.

Originally posted by maverick
5. the brain cell and monolith attach into the inside of the different tom bihn bags with clips. what do you think about the eM² attaching in a similar way to one clip inside the tom bihn bags?

If it clipped into any of the exsisting clips inside our bags, it would hang, wart-like, high on the inside of the bag; sort of odd too in that it could rotate more or less on the single clip, as it is too narrow for two clips. I'm also imaging that most people will be fine taking the whole affair out of their bag at once, rather than leaving the eM² inside the backpack or messenger bag. We'll have to see the feedback from users to make the long-term determination.

Great questions - thanks!

[maverick]

hi tom,

thanks for the quick and thorough reply!

i found this at apple's site - a quicktime vr of the mac mini:

http://www.apple.com/hardware/galler...n2005_480.html

it shows that the ac adapter is a power brick that is about the width of the mac mini - perhaps 1.5" x 2" x 6.5" ? there is also a cable that is attached to the power brick that goes to the mac mini, and a cable that goes from the power brick and goes to the wall socket and can be disconnected from the power brick.

i was hoping for an ac adapter like the one that comes with the powerbook, but this is a bit bigger.

if i carry the mac mini between home and work regularly, i would keep an ac adapter at each location. but i would need to carry the ac adapter with me taking the mac mini on a weekend trip or other places.

you can certainly carry the power adapter in the
ID or SmartAlec . but it would be great to carry the ac adapter in the eM². how far along is the design for the eM²? is it in production? would it be possible to design it (or another product) to accommodate both the mac mini and the power brick? the power brick could go vertically into the bag next to the mac mini, separated by some padding.

or, how about a small bag to hold the power brick (and even other small accessories) that latches onto the eM² - would you call this a daughter bag :-)? that would actually be really nice -- carry just the eM² if you just want to carry the mac mini (and other stuff that goes into the pocket on the back side). attach the daughter bag when you need the power brick, mouse, etc?

thanks,
maverick

[moriond]

em2 in buzz

Can the em2 fit into the front pocket of the Buzz?
It's close to the size of the Bose QuietComfort2 headphones case, which I can comfortably fit into the front pocket of my Buzz, along with a 12" PowerBook in the laptop section and a textbook and some notebooks in the front part of the main section.

I like Maverick's suggestion of a small attachment bag to hold the power brick of the mac mini and other attachments -- I'd use this for the Buzz, and even to organize small attachments in my Empire Builder (without necessarily getting a mac mini). This could hold regular power bricks and/or the Airport Express (3.7x2.95x1.12 inches) in bags which could not easily accommodate the Snake Charmer.

[maverick]

Originally posted by maverick

i found this at apple's site - a quicktime vr of the mac mini:

http://www.apple.com/hardware/galler...n2005_480.html

hi,

my mac mini has shipped and should hopefully arrive by the end of the week, at which time i'll be able to provide details about the size of the power brick.

in the mean time, here are a few pictures that provide some insight into the size of the power brick.

maverick

[maverick]

hi folks,

the mac mini landed this morning as i was getting ready for work. i've taken some pictures and will post a review soon. but i wanted to take a moment to communicate the size of the power supply -- it is approximately 6.5" x 2.5" x 1.5"

maverick

[Darcy]

The Mac mini I ordered arrived yesterday and it fits perfectly inside the eM2. The power brick actually does fit in the outside mesh pocket, though half of the brick sticks out of the top.

We'll be taking a picture of this to show you exactly how it fits.

[Michael F]

...it's a little known fact that virtually all of the pics on our the site are photographed in canada. that's right, in CANADA! just a little bit of behind-the-scenes trivia for all you fans out there in peoria...

[Darcy]

eM2 pocket w/ Mac mini power supply inside:

[maverick]

eM² for the DigiDesign Mbox

hi folks,

so i got my eM² a little while ago - beautiful little case - a mini-Monolith . but i never take my Mac Mini anywhere - it's always connected to the entertainment center. so my eM²sat, neglected.

until today... when i got the Mbox from DigiDesign. the mbox provides audio i/o for your professional recording needs in a portable package.

i placed the mbox in the eM² with the knobs face up and it zipped up perfectly. the outside pocket of the eM² holds the usb and i could use it to carry other stuff if needed. the eM² fits nicely in my smartalec along with my monolith and can be carried by itself also.

maverick