Buzz and Sony SZ Series

[ikaris]

Hello there !

I've been trying to find the perfect sling bag for my new Sony SZ, and I think I may have found it !

However, the SZ series measures 12.5" x 9.3" x 1.5"

(It's a widescreen, so it's tall and thin... just an inch off each side of the dimensions of a sheet of A4 paper, 8.5 x 11, which I know fits the Buzz as mentioned in a previous thread)

I know that the 9.3 and 1.5 are OK (in fact, it will fit very snug, which is great !) but I'm concerned about the 12.5 being just one inch over the Buzz's limit of 11.5

Do you think that this extra inch will really make it absolutely impossible to fit the machine in the bag, or just a tight fit ?

Here is the link to the laptop specifications:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=

[moriond]

Hello there !

I've been trying to find the perfect sling bag for my new Sony SZ, and I think I may have found it !

However, the SZ series measures 12.5" x 9.3" x 1.5"

(It's a widescreen, so it's tall and thin... just an inch off each side of the dimensions of a sheet of A4 paper, 8.5 x 11, which I know fits the Buzz as mentioned in a previous thread)

I know that the 9.3 and 1.5 are OK (in fact, it will fit very snug, which is great !) but I'm concerned about the 12.5 being just one inch over the Buzz's limit of 11.5

Do you think that this extra inch will really make it absolutely impossible to fit the machine in the bag, or just a tight fit ?

Here is the link to the laptop specifications:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=

Hi ikaris,

I posted the information about A4 notebooks in the earlier Buzz thread so let me take a shot at answering your question here. You'll be able to fit the Sony SZ into the Buzz, I think, but the issue will be whether the corner (to your top left as you face the front of the Buzz) is adequately protected. I have an IBM ThinkPad (T21, 14.1" screen; dimensions 12" x 9.8" x 1.3") in addition to my 12" Apple PowerBook. I can fit this laptop into the Buzz, so in a pinch I could use the Buzz to carry the ThinkPad around. However, the problem is that the corner of the the laptop sits close to the side, so there is only the 1000 denier Cordura fabric sitting next to it. For the smaller 12" notebooks, such as my PowerBook, the padded divider that separates off the laptop area from the main central compartment of the Buzz effectively curves around and cushions that corner. If, by some chance, your Buzz were to impact a wall or hard object at that corner, a 12" laptop would probably adequately protected, but your SZ might not. It is also clearly easier to slip a 12" laptop into and out of the Buzz in the current design.

I know that there have been a lot of requests in these forums for a larger Buzz, and since I also have a larger laptop that is outside the Buzz specs I'm interested in such an option. But as a Buzz owner, I can see where some of these design constraints come from, especially after having tried on the Incase Sling pack out of curiosity in answering the questions in the other thread. The Incase Sling pack is not a bad bag, but if you have tried on a Buzz, you will notice the difference in comfort and balance, and have greater appreciation for the Buzz.

A lot of the better ergonomics of the Buzz come from the "teardrop" design where the bag is narrower and less deep at the top. This leaves less room for larger laptops. The other reason that I think the Buzz can't simply be made longer is that the sling design puts constraints on where the strap attaches to the bag, and where (and how comfortably) this rides against the body of the wearer. On a backpack you can make the bag longer without impacting this, because the shoulder straps attach differently to the side; for a sling bag you can't. Even with a backpack design, the bag can be too long for your torso -- see aakepley's post on the Spire Volt XL (which looks like a very nice bag from their web site), for example.

I doubt that all these sorts of details will be apparent to the general buyer, who has to purchase on the basis of the web page description (as I did). And I'm sure that Tom could give a much better explanation of why his Buzz is only designed for 12" laptops at present. All I can say is that I notice the great results of these design features, and they are the reason that the Buzz is my favorite Tom Bihn bag.

[sunga]

Hi there,

moriond - thank you for your excellent explanation! I don't think any of us here at Tom Bihn could have done a better job at clarifying why the Buzz isn't available in a larger size.

ikaris - I am afraid that the short answer is that your laptop will not fit in the Buzz in the padded compartment. My laptop (Dell Inspiron 700m w/extended battery) just barely fits and it is 11.75 x 9.4 by 1". In fact, if I were to use the Buzz, I would probably remove the large battery to ensure a better fit and make sure that corner was more protected.

I wish I had better news for you. Let me know if you have any other questions & thanks for posting!

[dodgey]

I queried this as well, and the answer came back as "No, it wont fit."

I ended up with a Smart Alec and a Monolith for my Asus W3V. The SZ wont be here for a while yet

[ikaris]

Aw well, that really is a shame.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply !

It's SO close... I am able to fit my SZ into my leather binder, which is only slightly larger than a standard 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper...

I really want a sling bag, so the other stuff is not really my... bag... no pun intended.

I don't want a bigger Buzz, because it will probably be TOO big at that point... since it's such a close fit... I'll have to try to find something else.

I've read so many good things about this case, its too bad it's just an inch off...

Does Tom make custom versions ?

Thanks !

[moriond]

More links for general discussion of Buzz ergonomics

I thought I'd follow up to this post with this link to a site which reviews both the Incase Sling Pack and the Buzz, and includes pictures of both bags being worn, so that forum readers can see the design differences that were described. For completeness, I'm also linking to a post requesting a side pocket for the Buzz -- which is featured on the Incase Slingpack (see 2nd picture at the linked LIVEdigitally review site, at waist level on right side for wearer), but which I don't think works as well ergonomically as the Tom Bihn design. This suggestion from another Buzz user for a pocket on the outside back is probably a better solution for the Buzz.