I am picky about the briefcases I use. I don't want something so big that I overload it to point where I walk like Quasimodo, big enough for my ultrabook, papers and an ink notebook, yet small & compact enough that it doesn't flap around when I ride my motorcycle to work and won't get in the way over my shoulder as I walk a few blocks between offices. This bag does it all, such that I am tempted to buy a couple more for when the first one wears out. I'll admit that I was a bit worried with the notes on the padding for the computer case, since a few similar bags I checked out in stores had so much padding for laptops that there is no space inside for anything else. As you can see from the pictures on the web pages, at least the ones up when I bought it, they show a view from the top down looking inside with the sections open and spread. The padding is thin, yet more than enough unless you are carrying glassware or an uncovered tablet that will be smashed repeatedly against the wall. I put both my thin Dayrunner notebook (8x5.5) AND my Toshiba ultrabook into the padded pocket, then a sheaf of papers in the file pocket, stuff a water bottle in the outer pocket on one side. Now two small down sides. The handles do not fold out of the way when not in use and the shoulder strap is not the most comfortable option even when the bag is almost empty. These are trivial, and irrelevant, actually, if you think about it. I have a box filled with all of the discarded shoulder straps that came with luggage of various purchases over the years. If the quality of the strap matters to you, find one that fits you comfort needs and clip it on. On the handles, they are not excessively larger than needed, so they are not flapping all over the place, yet they are sturdy enough that they sit in place. I found a cheap pair of grip pads years ago that tighten with Velcro, so I wrap them around the handles to tie them together as I carry the case -- and, as i said, the handles are no larger than necessary, so they are not in the way. Maybe the handles and strap are down sides worth mentioning if they matter to your purchase, so I find them worth noting, but in the end quite irrelevant to my review recommendation as best case of the size category. Update, written in May 2013: A couple months ago, I bought a second one, this time in brown. The first one didn't wear out, but it is great enough that a second one was considered worth having. I'm even using the original strap with the second bag, after finding a better shoulder pad for where the leather hits my shoulder, easily sliding it on after unbuckling the strap where it is also the length adjustment. So now I have one for travel (the new one) and one for commuting to the office on my motorcycle with the better shoulder strap. Still the best briefcases I own. And the way they are holding up to my abuse, maybe the last ones, too.
