# Will netbooks and tablets legitimize the man purse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 7, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302 "2010-04-07T18:04:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/21 "2010-04-08T16:30:51Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > Will I look like a dork carrying it around? I probably sound like an idiot for asking this, but I genuinely want to know how people deal with this issue. There are many netbook and iPad cases that either slipcases or a book-like cover (iPad). My wife carries her iPad around like a book when she gets to the office. Just like a notepad, DayTimer or Franklin planner. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/22 "2010-04-08T16:47:54Z")
I’ve a netbook. When it goes with me I take a small backpack. Seems like all the guys in the office are carrying small backpacks these days. But, I also think it has to do with living in a sports related mountain community. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/23 "2010-04-09T02:23:06Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > So do I just take it out of the bag, stash the bag someplace, and carry it around? What if I have more than one thing I want to carry? I’ve seen people carry small bags to meetings and such if they had a lot of stuff to carry, but generally they just use covers and stack things in their arms to walk around with them. I used to work at a place with 2 lab areas, at opposite ends of the building. At one point I had to do work that involved specialized equipment; some of it located in one lab, some of it in the other. My preferred method of carrying things around? A [rubber-maid dish pan](http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?CatName=KitchenAccessories&SubcatId=BasicSinkware&Prod_ID=RP091319). I was rather known for it; my coworkers even labelled it “The Bucket” for me. So don’t worry about looking dorky; at least your bag isn’t a bucket! As a semi-serious suggestion, I see a lot of men using bags like [this one](http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302699713&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442627630&bmUID=1270770269939) lately. I actually use one as my school bag; small and convenient, and I can fit my netbook in it perfectly as well as anything else I typically need during the day. And MEC has a lifetime guarantee on these things, too! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/24 "2010-04-09T02:52:01Z")
I carry my netbook in a laptop bag along with all the other shit I have to carry around with me. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/25 "2010-04-09T02:54:49Z")
I just bought my first purse. I use it for my Kindle. I have tried to put my wallet, keys and phone in it, but I felt naked walking around like that, and not the good kind of naked either. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/26 "2010-04-09T03:33:55Z")
Just carry a freaking purse! Sheesh. I can now schlep everything I want to wherever I want to, I can carry as many cards as I want to without snapping the credit cards by sitting on them (you know you’ve done it), AND you can carry around your novel/iPad/netbook if you want to. And look good. [Longchamp Le Cabas](http://www.longchamp.com/en/collection/men/categories/bags/tote-bag/showroom-us-255.html) ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/27 "2010-04-09T14:11:42Z")
I have a backpack. With two shoulder straps! Those saddleback leather backpacks look really sweet though. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/28 "2010-04-09T15:42:34Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Just carry a freaking purse! Sheesh. I can now schlep everything I want to wherever I want to, I can carry as many cards as I want to without snapping the credit cards by sitting on them (you know you’ve done it), AND you can carry around your novel/iPad/netbook if you want to. I’ve never snapped a credit card by “sitting on it” in my wallet. However, when I started to do some core development exercises and improve my sitting posture, I really noticed how a wallet in my back pocket tends to make me lean to one side to compensate. There seems to be a dearth of suitable non-feminine-looking bags around that aren’t 15" laptop computer/full messenger/camera bag size with side pockets for a water bottle, and even the ones that are tend to come in really ugly colors (I could only find the Osprey Flap Jack mini-messenger in blonde and a hideous rust color) or seemed too flimsy. I spent a lot of time looking for an Indiana Jones-type satchel which were really popular when I was in school (prior to notebook-sized portable computers) but have seemingly disappeared in the post-PowerBook era. I finally found the [Overland Equipment Boulder Vertical bag](http://www.rei.com/product/786603), which except for the stupid aluminum latch that kind of rattles and allegedly tends to fall apart (though I haven’t had a problem), has the right size, weight, and appearance to serve as a small book satchel and “man purse” without looking like a transvestite accessory. My only real complaint about it is that the flap and latch make it unsuited as an actual gun satchel (it takes about 3-5 seconds to open it up) unless you keep your weapon in the open back magazine pocket. It’s just the right size to carry a netbook or tablet and a Moleskine and novel, and can even accept a slim 15" laptop commando-style if you’re not carrying much else, though I find that I mostly use it for light hiking duty. As to whether netbooks and tablets will “legitimize” such bags, I’m still waiting for those appliances to be functional enough to be a necessity. All the netbooks I’ve handled are pretty unimpressive–less an überportable laptop replacement and more of an oversized smartphone–and the iPad functionality just doesn’t justify the price tag. I give it another 3-5 years before this class of appliances becomes mature enough to be adopted en masse and cause the same change in bag design that laptops have with messenger bags. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/29 "2010-04-09T15:55:18Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > …All the netbooks I’ve handled are pretty unimpressive–less an überportable laptop replacement and more of an oversized smartphone…Stranger 😕 Really? I love my little netbook. Now I wouldn’t want to right code or play games on it, but it’s great for browsing or researching the web, email and reading books. Frankly, I can’t imagine why anyone would prefer an iPad. That to me that is an oversized Smart Phone. Only no phone or camera. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/30 "2010-04-09T16:11:01Z")
No, but it might bring back the briefcase. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302/31 "2010-04-09T16:20:04Z")
I’ve been using satchels for a few years now, because I didn’t enjoy carrying a wallet and cell phone in my pockets or on my belt. My current “satchel” is the [Brooks Barbican](http://www.calhouncycle.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=&idproduct=1633) messenger bag - a bit expensive but very practical (esp. since I often bike to work) and I think it looks good. I normally carry a 12" tablet PC in there, but I think it would fit up to a 15" laptop. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-netbooks-and-tablets-legitimize-the-man-purse/535302.md?page=1)