Customer Reviews

Targus Sport Clamshell Case Designed for 10.2 Inch Netbooks TNC101US (Black)

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(45)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Targus TNC101US Sport Netbook Case for up to 10.2-Inch Netbooks (Black/Grey) This is a great case for my ASUS Eee PC 1000HE netbook. It is a perfect size and well padded to provide great protection for the contents. Despite its small size, it also has enough room for the power adapter plus cord, a Logitech V450 Nano Mouse, a LiteOn eSAU208-31 Slim Line External DVD Burner and the power adapter and cord for the latter. With some careful packing, I can also include the Targus slimline power inverter and cables in order to use the netbook in my car or plug it into an airline seat on longhaul flights. Only gripe, my case arrived without the advertised padded shoulder strap and with 4 smaller and inadequate carrying straps. Targus responded well to my complaint and quickly sent me a very nice padded strap to replace the missing one. I purchased this Targus case fom DataVis.com but do not bothering to call Datavis if you encounter any problem, they are just an on-seller and will only refer you to Targus, anyway. I can strongly recommend this case from a functionality perspective but it is still too early to comment on its durability although it seems pretty sturdy and I would expect it to last well. It looks attractive too and the black and silver exterior perfectly complements the Asus Netbook it contains. The case is designed to allow you to actually use the netbook while in the case without needing to remove it, if you wish, which is great while flying. Highy satisfied with this purchase and at the advertised price, it is an unbeatable value.

The main problem with this laptop backpack, as with others on the market right now, is the location and design of the laptop sleeve. The laptop should have a compartment unto itself with room for a few accessories and maybe a folder. At the very least, in a backpack with dual "main" compartments, the laptop slot should be in the smaller section either toward the front of the pack or in a crush proof section by itself in the rear. By either method the laptop is not constantly banged by books and other materials as one moves, and it does not bear the weight of the materials when the pack is laid on its flat side. Unfortunately, Targus missed the mark in all these regards. The laptop sleeve is attached to the very BACK of the pack in its LARGEST compartment. So when you put the largest and heaviest items in that section (e.g. text books that don't fit in the other "main" compartment), each time you walk you can feel and hear the items in the large compartment banging against the laptop in its sleeve (in the same compartment) at the very back of the pack. Furthermore, when you lay the pack down on its back, you can just see the weight of the whole pack bearing on the helpless laptop in its sleeve. The sleeve, by the way, has no rigidity, is very thin, and has no closure flap to keep out dust, dirt or paper clips. Other problems include shoulder straps that are too thin on the padding, and not even a single strip of reflective trim on the pack for safety. All in all, Targus -- generally a leader in this field -- has put out a poorly designed, inadequately field-tested, and unjustifiably expensive backpack that will put your laptop at risk.

I recently purchased an Acer Aspire One (6 cell version) and ended up spending a surprising amount of time looking for a case for it before tripping across this one. I am happy to report that it is a perfect fit. Moreover, it has a full size external zipper pocket that is roomy enough to hold both the Samsung external optical drive I purchased for the machine and the battery charger without adding any appreciable bulk. The detachable shoulder strap is the option I particularly wanted since I often do not have a free hand when traveling. The only mystery is why Amazon does not list this case among the suggested cases for the ACER machine since it is an excellent choice.

I found this case in Staples. At first I did not like the way it looked, very bulky. Bought it anyway, it was the only netbook case in stock. Fits the new Aspire One with large battery perfectly. There is a lot of padding, straps and room to store additional supplies, etc. I plan to keep the bag now. It is what is.... nice workmanship, nicely put together, I even kind of like the bulk.

This case is a great little case for netbooks. It is big enough, with extra pockets to hold all the extras you may be carrying around with the netbook, like a power cord, mouse, and possibly even an external cd drive. Construction seems to be high quality. I would have given this thing perfect reviews EXCEPT....
It does not come with a shoulder strap, multiple other buyers mentioned this in their reviews as well. I contacted Targus' customer service and was basically told "sorry, tough luck, here is one you can buy for the same price as what the whole case cost you". Even though the description here on amazon, on targus' website, and on the product packaging clearly states and shows it with a padded shoulder strap. Since a strap to allow it to be carried hands free is kind of the whole point of getting this case, that one ommision cost it 4 stars.
Some other reviewers seemed to have luck getting a replacement strap from Targus but they pretty much ignored me so don't hold your breath.

I have had the Targus rolling notebook backpack for almost 1 year and use it every week to carry my laptop, work papers, lunch, snacks, etc to the office. I commute by train with 10 to 15 minute walks through suburban and city streets on either end. I've taken it through rain and snow and it still looks new and keeps everything dry. It's taken a lot of abuse over this time but the wheels still roll smoothly and it is easy to get over curbs. Other reviewers mentioned inadequate laptop padding but I've found that my laptop is well padded against normal bumps and jostles. It holds quite a lot and is good for day trips. My only somewhat negative comment is that if you are petite, you will not be able to comfortably use it as a backpack when fully loaded. Larger individuals will not have a problem with the weight when using it as a backpack and pulling it is no trouble regardless of your size.

Upon my fifth business trip, overcoming hurdles at airport security, climbing onto courtesy buses, and walking what seemed like miles with the strap from my laptop case strangling me, I thought it was time for some ingenuity in design. This case fits the bill. I was a little apprehensive to purchase this on-line, so I ran through the brick and mortar stores for hours. I researched cases with handles and wheels, backpacks, and backpacks with wheels. This was the best design and most reasonably priced case I found.

First, the amazing comfort. Even when I stuffed the case with my laptop, tools, cables, and three liters of soda, this case balanced my load without strangling me, unlike attaché style cases with a shoulder strap. My load felt 75% lighter and was easier to carry. Ample pockets, zippered mesh compartments, and a padded 14x20 (15" screen) laptop compartment. I'd suggest measuring your laptop dimensions to avoid disappointment.

It's built rugged and looks better than the photograph. Ample padding on the shoulder straps, which are adjustable, as well as a waist-level belt which I don't have much use for. And, a removable cellphone pocket which can be moved for left or right hand makes this the perfect accessory for the road warrior.

There's a lot of good in this bag and only one bad, but I'll get to that in a bit. First, the good. Nicely constructed, seams are double sewn in many places. There's a tough vinyl bottom. All exterior zippers have string extensions. There's a sturdy handle on top (this is great, since a flimsy one would crimp your hand). The waist band helps lighten my brick heavy laptop (8 lbs!). The back padding is a nice touch, since it would be a bear to have a hard laptop against your back for a long period of time.

The laptop compartment just barely holds my 15" brick, I mean Dell. The placement is in the back, where it should be. Protected between my big gut and a pile of books. There's a cell phone holder, it's OK. Not sure where to place it, since the only two places to place it seem to be very high or very low on the shoulder pad.

So, what can I complain about? The shoulder straps a a little too thin. That's it, nothing too bad. . .

My comments to some complaints:
Too many zippers? Naw.

Does it need a crush proof section for the laptop? Nope. That would be too rigid for a backpack and would add weight.

Place the laptop in the front section? Would you place the heaviest item in your backpack in the front?

A closure for the laptop section to keep dust/dirt/paperclips out? That might be nice, but not necessary. I'm going to work, not the mountains.

No reflective trim? Buy some and tape it on if you want it. I don't!

I do not mean to offend any previous reviewers, just wanted to respond to some issues that they had.

When I selected this bag, I thought that I would switch between rolling and backpack functionality regularly. However, this hasn't turned out to be the case. For a backpack, this is a very heavy bag. Also, once you stow the straps for rolling, it takes a few minutes to free them up again.

From the rolling perspective, the stowed straps can sometimes get in the way.

For it's size and weight, it doesn't have that many storage areas. I am a traveling technologist and I carry a lot of small devices and cables, in addition to my laptop. With this case, I've had to dump most of these in the one large compartment.

And very annoyingly, one of the rivets holding one of the wheels on has broken through after only 4 months of regular use.

My advice: if you primarily roll, get a rolling bag. If you primarily carry on your back, get a backpack.

I packed my Asus Eee PC netbook with its sleeve, power accessories, mouse, flash drives, extension cord and some other small items into the Targus Sport Netbook case, put it inside a zip lock bag for water protection on rainy days and stuffed it into the tank bag on my motorcycle. Plenty of room, including a magazine in the outside pocket when not in the zip lock bag. Then I headed for the Arctic Circle from southern New Mexico, bumping along paved and unpaved roads hoping that the computer would be protected. It all worked great. Using the computer every day on the 28 day trip put a lot of stress on the Targus case and exposure to shocks and vibration on the combination bag and computer.
Now, more than a year later I just bought a new Targus Sport Netbook Case for my new Asus Eee PC, but the old Targus is still in fair shape after three additional trips via airlines and two more long trips via motorcycle (but on better highways this time).
Final assessment of Targus Sport Netbook case: interior computer compartment lining pulled loose along front edge of one side but does not compromise functionality; one plastic shoulder strap attachment ring broke so I attached a 1" metal key ring and it works fine; one zipper pull tab broke so I attached another 1" metal key ring to the zipper trolly and it works fine; exterior fabric, interior pockets, zippers (except for the one tab mentioned above), and all other seams are in excellent shape.
Recommended? YES!