So here at Popgadget there've been many posts about laptop bags. Cute laptop bags, ladylike laptop bags, actual laptops that look like laptop bags... but I'm not really a laptop bag kind of girl. My vision of a great laptop carrying case comes with two straps. You know what I mean - a laptop backpack. Now each person may have their preference, but I have never liked seperate carrying cases for my laptop. I'm the all-in-one kind of girl, finding that keeping track of one bag is more than enough without having to haul extra weight hanging from my shoulder or elbow. Laptop backpacks give me the opportunity to centralize my important belongings all in one place, which makes a big difference when you're doing the kind of frequent, multi-stop international travel that I was doing on a regular basis not so long ago.

My current laptop backpack is the Gravis Metro. Unfortunately looks like they're no longer making the army green that I bought, which seems to have more fashion versatility than the colors they are currently marketing. At $70.00 list price, the Metro is clean-lined, durable, and a good value. My favorite feature of this bag is the zippered integrated laptop pocket which is accessible outside of the bag itself. (Very convenient for going through airport security.) I've had this bag for over two years and it still shows very little wear. (All this despite being hauled around Europe to over 30 different cities during that time.)

When it comes time to replace my trusty Metro I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe buy another one just like it, or possibly try out some of the other laptop backpacks I've been eyeing. Emerald City by Dana Design is one possibility. Though I'm not too keen on the pink hiker silhouette I do like the asymmetry and distinctiveness of the design. Too many of these laptop backpacks are either super-girly or techy-masculine, veering between extremes with nothing inbetween for the girls who want feminine, but not frilly. Emerald City manages a soft feel yet has the serious look of a "guy's" backpack. Unlike the WMS Burton Teaser Pack, which is apparently marketed towards women, yet doesn't contain any of the features I need in a backpack, despite having "women's-specific" shoulder straps.

Burton's other offerings however look promising. Gravis is a subsidiary of Burton and the two brands really seem to have it covered on the style and function front. The Burton Premium Pack would be great if they offered it in a few more colors than gloomy gray, basic black, and one heinous houndstooth check pattern.

Alternatively, the Burton Conceal Pack intrigues me. Clean lines, cute, and within the same price range. The modular design sounds like fun (the front zips away revealing an array of cargo pockets) and it has the side-access integrated laptop sleeve that I love so much.