I threw caution to the winds and bought an 11-inch Macbook Air last month, and I don't regret the impulse for a moment. It's such an amazing little computer, surprisingly powerful and fast, that I could use it as my primary machine.
But deciding how to carry it around with me has been a pleasant dilemma, and I've had fun experimenting with several of the Tom Bihn bags that I already own and love.
I use a LittleSwift as my daily purse, but there's already so much stuff in it that there's no room to spare for my Air. (Though I can tuck it in there; it will stick out over the top of the Little Swift, but it does fit. I wouldn't want to do that on a regular basis, however.) I also have a full-size Swift, and the Air in its slipcase will easily fit in that, but that's too big for everyday.
So like Goldilocks, I've been looking for something in between. I own both an Imago and a 1st-generation Ristretto. Both will readily accommodate the 11 Air, but the Imago has ended up becoming my dedicated camera bag. Maybe it's time to buy another Imago, but my budget is still recovering from the purchase of the Air! (And I'm still waiting for that Tom Bihn camera insert; I bought a small one from another company and I've got that in there along with several lenses and other camera accessories.)
So for now at least, the 1st-generation Ristretto is it. I sewed my own envelope-style slipcase for the Air after seeing some great designs on Etsy.com. I wanted something that would preserve the slim profile of the Air, but give it some protection from bumps, scratches, and water. By using 3mm industrial felt, I was able to do all that. I had to use Velcro to close the flap, which isn't ideal, but it works. And I sewed an Ultrasuede "grip" on the bottom, to add visual interest, but also as a soft cushy place to hold the case. When the Air is in its slipcase, it adds a little length, so when I place it in the laptop portion of the Ristretto, it does stick up a tiny bit. I'm still easily able to fold and tuck the flap over it, however, and there's no problem closing and latching the outer flap, so it works pretty well. I included some photos so you could see how the slipcase fits inside the Ristretto.
I'd love to hear how other people are carrying their 11-inch Airs: and if there are any plans from you guys in the Mother Ship (that would be Tom Bihn HQ) for designing a special case for the smaller Air. Perhaps something in Ultrasuede or Cork?
But deciding how to carry it around with me has been a pleasant dilemma, and I've had fun experimenting with several of the Tom Bihn bags that I already own and love.
I use a LittleSwift as my daily purse, but there's already so much stuff in it that there's no room to spare for my Air. (Though I can tuck it in there; it will stick out over the top of the Little Swift, but it does fit. I wouldn't want to do that on a regular basis, however.) I also have a full-size Swift, and the Air in its slipcase will easily fit in that, but that's too big for everyday.
So like Goldilocks, I've been looking for something in between. I own both an Imago and a 1st-generation Ristretto. Both will readily accommodate the 11 Air, but the Imago has ended up becoming my dedicated camera bag. Maybe it's time to buy another Imago, but my budget is still recovering from the purchase of the Air! (And I'm still waiting for that Tom Bihn camera insert; I bought a small one from another company and I've got that in there along with several lenses and other camera accessories.)
So for now at least, the 1st-generation Ristretto is it. I sewed my own envelope-style slipcase for the Air after seeing some great designs on Etsy.com. I wanted something that would preserve the slim profile of the Air, but give it some protection from bumps, scratches, and water. By using 3mm industrial felt, I was able to do all that. I had to use Velcro to close the flap, which isn't ideal, but it works. And I sewed an Ultrasuede "grip" on the bottom, to add visual interest, but also as a soft cushy place to hold the case. When the Air is in its slipcase, it adds a little length, so when I place it in the laptop portion of the Ristretto, it does stick up a tiny bit. I'm still easily able to fold and tuck the flap over it, however, and there's no problem closing and latching the outer flap, so it works pretty well. I included some photos so you could see how the slipcase fits inside the Ristretto.
I'd love to hear how other people are carrying their 11-inch Airs: and if there are any plans from you guys in the Mother Ship (that would be Tom Bihn HQ) for designing a special case for the smaller Air. Perhaps something in Ultrasuede or Cork?
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