Version of small cafe bag with padded main pocket

[cwhit]

I'd love to see a version of the small cafe bag where the main pocket is padded, so I could use it for a UMPC without having to bother with a separate laptop case/sleeve.

The new $200 Asus Eee PC is coming out in August and I'm sure it'll sell like crazy; the dimensions are 6x5" by 9" by 1.25" which would fit into a small cafe bag beautifully. If the inner pocket were lined, it would be possible to slide the laptop in and out without having to fuss with velcro or clasps (other than the one on the front of the bag, of course).

[Tom Bihn]

What if the Cafe Bag had a thin inner pouch that was padded, rather than the whole bag being padded?

[MikeL]

That would be a great idea. I'd like to see a Cafe Bag with a padded section for a small Mac book or my daughter's new HP Pavilion dv2000z class notebooks. I couldn't see it in a small Cafe Bag though. Maybe medium or large.

[cwhit]

That would work, as long as the top of the pouch had a zipper or velcro flap along the top that could be left undone, so it would be possible to slide the laptop straight out of the open bag. The benefit of your idea is that a removable pouch would make it easy to transfer the laptop to a different bag, and I'm sure a lot of people would love the convenience. That said, I personally still prefer the idea of a thinly-padded inner pocket; the whole appeal to having such a tiny laptop is not being weighed down, so I love the idea of using a small bag. On days that I don't have the UMPC with me, I could use the pocket to store a paperback.

I agree that it'd be overkill to pad the entire bag, since that would only add unnecessary bulk; most of the rest of what I would carry in the bag -- wallet, keys, Blackberry, lip balm, pen -- wouldn't be fragile. I might also squeeze my Creative Zen Vision:M (roughly the size of an iPod) in as well, but it already has its own protective case.

[Darcy]

We have a sample of a Small Cafe Bag with a padded compartment that would fit an Eee perfectly....if you'll be getting an Eee, PM me.

[Skylark]

What if the Cafe Bag had a thin inner pouch that was padded, rather than the whole bag being padded?

This would work just great for a birding bag. How soon til we get to see this?

Its fall migration time and we're packing up the binoculars. Anxiously awaiting dimensions and a peek . . .

I feel like a kid at Christmas time waiting for the surprises - and I know they'll be good ones - so its hard to wait.

[Darcy]

There's a sample of a Cafe Bag with a padded laptop pocket perfectly sized to fit the up-and-coming Asus EEE PC just waiting for the EEE to be released.

I think that Tom is also working on a size for the 13" MacBook.

What kind of laptop do you have, Skylark?

[Skylark]

Actually I was thinking that a small cafe bag with a thin but padded inner pouch might just be the ticket for binoculars on birding trips. (6" x 7" x 2")

A Cafe Bag has been tempting me for months and your tease about some smaller backpack sizes coming this winter has me bouncing with excitement.

My laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1405 (13" x 10" x 2") so probably too big for a small cafe.

[cwhit]

Darcy, sorry for the delay in getting back to you with my feedback -- the bag arrived while I was away on vacation and I've only now had a chance to unpack.

I took some photos and uploaded them with comments to http://www.flickr.com/photos/cwhit/s...7594322048177/

In a nutshell, I am absolutely thrilled with the bag -- it is exactly what I was looking for!

[yarnopfile]

That bag is great! I don't need a new laptop nor will mine fit in a small cafe bag, yet I find myself trying to find a reason to buy it.
I'll try to hold out for a smaller cafe.

[Abaddon]

So when's the padded cafe bag going to be released then?

I love it!

(Colour req: Black / Sapphire to match my EB!)

[Darcy]

Soon! And it will actually be more like a smaller version of the Ristretto in its final form.