I'm partial to laptop bags that are oriented vertically (I actually don't understand why horizontal bags are the standard). Make your way down the aisle of an airplane just once with a vertical bag, and you'll never ever want a horizontal bag again. I also wanted the bag to have both a removable shoulder strap and a top bag handle. Finally, I like being able to pull out my laptop without having to flip over a top flap (like you have to on most messenger bags).

I don't carry many papers or magazines with my computer, so I wanted a bag that was thinner without a lot of extra space, but I still needed pockets for power supplies, portable hard drive, thumb drives, chewing gum, pens, etc (so a laptop sleeve wouldn't work).

This bag is big enough without being too big, the fabric it is made of is durable and doesn't show wear. The strap is nicely padded, the hardware is all both stylish and heavy-duty, and there are numerous pockets of varying shapes and sizes for all your extras. Great bag.