The only thing that consumers should be aware of when planning to carry their laptops by backpack is that pressure caused by books and other items on the laptop cover can cause damage to the laptop screen, leaving "bruises" that mar the visual experience. This can happen even if the laptop compartment is well-padded. If you get a laptop-carrying backpack, make sure it's built so that the laptop is as well-protected from bumps and pressure from other items in the pack, and don't set the backpack down in such a way that the weight of the items in the pack will fall upon the laptop lid. I found this out the hard way.

Good advice Krissa. My Gravis Metro seems to be able to do this really well. (I'll check out the Nixon bags when it finally dies - but that could be a long way off.) I've never had a problem with it, and I've been hauling around the same Dell Latitude for at least two years. I also always look for some sort of "cushion" at the bottom of the laptop sleeve, so that when you put your backpack down the edge of your laptop doesn't smack against the ground.

I hope your Gravis lasts longer than mine did. The zippers gave out on mine fairly quickly which was a shame as I really liked the bag.

A good sleeve with reinforced sides like Tom Bihn's Brain Cell might alleviate some of the concern over pressure marking the screen.

Hey Clark. How long did you have your Gravis bag for before it broke? I've had the Gravis pack for three years now and it shows very little wear despite heavy use.

One zipper gave out before the first year and the other a year later. I kept using the bag for quite some time after by using safety pins. I suppose I could have had the zippers repaired but by the time I could have gotten around to it I didn't really need the bag any longer.

I do remember everyone who I showed the bag to loving it.