Customer Reviews

Targus XL Rolling Case Designed for 17 Inch Notebooks TXL717 (Black)

5 star:		(322)
4 star:		(134)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This thing is a MONSTER! It can hold as big a laptop as you could possibly own, with room to spare. Lots of compartments, almost too many. Bigger, in this case, is not better for me (but I don't have a giant laptop). Two things to keep in mind: 1. It can slip off your shoulders if you are a smaller framed person. My female co-worker tried it and this was a problem for her. 2. It is too big to be considered your "personal item" as an airline carry on. This is the kicker for me, as I travel quite a bit and my laptop backpack has to count as my personal item so that I can also bring my rolling carry-on suitcase. If you only need to bring a single bag on a short trip, this bag has plenty of room for a change of clothes, toiletries, etc., but if you need to bring more, then this bag will count as your big carry-on with most airlines. Just wanted to give people a heads-up!

If you are like me, and you have a large amount of books and other stuff to carry around, this bag is perfect. And it has several pockets to store sunglasses, a bag lunch, a nice cell phone pouch that can fit anything from a reasonably sized Nokia to a clamshell phone hanging off of the left shoulder strap, Palm Pilot, iPod - with even a slot to fit your earbuds or headphones through, although that's kind of tricky -- a very well-padded storage area for your Notebook computer, all the connections and wires that accompany it, and, top it all off, a place for your water bottle.

If you are taking a lot of classes with a lot of books, the compartments are very spacious and can hold a lot. Unlike most reviewers here I find it very comfortable when full, and not heavy at all once you are used to a little extra weight.

Overall, I highly recommend this product, especially for the price, since a similarly equipped bag should cost over $[...] or more (but don't tell that to Amazon or the Manufacturer :D )

If you have a 17" laptop, then you know your choices for bags are small. I've always had good luck with Targus accessories, and this backpack is no exception. It's well constructed and made of good materials.

The compartments are varied and evenly distributed and (mostly) easy to access. The backpack is very adjustable, from the shoulder straps, to the waist strap, to the pouch straps (which allow you to place bulkier items in the inner pouch). The outer pouch/compartments even flip open with snap-clips for easier access).

There is no "one size fits all" for laptop bags, but this bag seems to have room to spare. I have a Toshiba P105-S9722 17" widescreen laptop that weighs in near 10lbs with the power supply included. The laptop slides effortlessly into the padded compartment (which is at the "bottom" meaning closest to your back when worn as designed). The compartment has a velcro strap to help prevent sliding. The compartment above the laptop has a sturdy base as yet another level of protection to prevent potential damage of your laptop. I find this very useful because I place my powersupply (1lb+ brick), power cord, and other misc. cords in there.

I've used this backpack as carry-on while traveling from NH to CA, and it was packed solid, but everything was very accessible and it still managed to fit under the seat as per airline regulations and JUST met the height/width/depth maximum limits. This may vary from airline to airline though. I had my Toshiba + power supply & cord, iPod, PSP (+ games), a few DVD's, two changes of clothes, a cordless USB mouse in the outer sidepocket, cordless shaver in the inner section, cell phone in the shoulder-strap mounted pouch (which is removable via clip and can be attached to your waist, or anywhere you wish), plus usb cables and various adapters, headphones, etc in various compartments, a couple magazines, a book, and some basic toiletries. It was not lightweight, but properly adjusting the straps helps, and wearing the waist strap for extended use is key!! I walked from one end of O'Hare to the other and although the weight had me winded (as any luggage would), the straps never hurt my shoulders, nor did I feel any discomfort from the laptop being against my back!

I would also like to add that the design of the compartments make it fairly simple to access wha tyou need without a lot of rummaging (provided you don't stuff too much into each one).

For the price, this is an exceptional backpack for those with big laptops that need to carry a lot of accessories, or travel.

Why not 5 stars? For the size, a bit of "modularity" would have been great. When you're not traveling or "packed to the gills" it would be nice to be able to "zip off" or unclip about half of the backpack. This could have been done with the same clips that the outer portion adjusts and opens up with. I would also like to have seen a specifically padded compartment for the laptop power supply, or at least a velcro solution for immobilizing supply & cord. These however, are minor issues, and this backpack is fantastic.

Its too bad the only alternative Targus has for 17" notebooks is the TXL617 XL Backpack. The height of the bag could have been sized down considerably. Reducing the height by 4" would have still made for a comfortable fit for your notebook since it is extra empty space, and the pack would have been a lot less bulky on your back.

On the plus side, there is TONS of room in this bag for all your accessories: mice, keyboard, hard drive, phone, water bottle, and yes even a portable printer!

Good warranty/RMA. Large. New version more stable. Large.

NOTE: This is a replacement review for my previous one after having service performed.

Overview
From a features standpoint, this bag is top notch. Telescoping handle, wheels, rip-stop nylon, 2 large pockets, one with segments, one with padding. I have a 17" Fujitsu Lifebook (lifeboat?) (16x12x2) that fits with room in this. The new revision seems substantially lighter than the older, almost identical version.

Wheels
The wheels are not on the far corners, so it's only slightly more stable than smaller bags. It will still twist and fall if you take a curb at an angle.

It's 18.5 inches wide, so it doesn't generally roll down the aisle in an airplane. You'll pull your second bag off the top and carry them, walking sideways.

The wheels are hard rubber, so it's noisy going over tile. You REALY want soft rubber wheels so it doesn't make alot of noise, or catch on a pebble and pull out of your hand.

Size
It's about 8.5" stuffed, so most of the time it'll fit under the chair in front of you, namely aisle seats on an MD80. Window Seats on a 757 have the sloped wall, and you have to run it sideways. Goodbye legroom. On some planes, you'll find it SEEMS to fit just fine, but you have to force it, or stow it above, since it will scrape under-seat power boxes.

The bag is 42.5 dimensional inches, so it counts as your carry-on (up to 45 dim. inches), not your personal item (up to 36 dim. inches).

It would really be nice to find one that's 13.5" to 16" wide so you can get it in tight places, and 18-22" tall with top-loading so you don't have to lay it flat to get your system out.

The McKlein R-Series detachable looks pretty good, but this Targus bag has the handle built in. It provides structural support, and gives room for things like power adapters and small notepads in the back pocket.

Pockets
The bag is really big and has quite a few interior pockets in the accessory pouch on front and the segmented pouch in the back. The padded area is smooth and will protect your laptop until it falls out from under when you're trying to load your machine into the bag. It comes with some velcro inserts and nylon/mesh bags for accessries.

Warranty and Service
I was originally very displeased because the bag fell over ALL the time.

I contacted targus via web and email. Response time was quick. They replaced the bag quickly. They kept me informed.

The replacement is SLIGHTLY redesigned. Various pockets are easier to use. The feet are a little longer. The bottom plate is more solid.

The bag won't stand up if you strap another on top of it, but by itself, even heavily loaded, handle up or down, the new version of this bag will stay upright, even if you tip the handle by about 25 degrees.

It's definitely more likely to fall forward when loaded (laptop pouch is to the front) and backwards when empty (hard to make this happen).

I was truly impressed with how good the warranty service was by Targus.

Summary
It's hard to find a bag for the 17" widescreen laptops out there, and this one, is pretty good.

It's a little tippy, but the new design is much better.

It's a little wide, but that's sort of a market condition, I think.

It's lighter than it used to be.

Overall, this is a pretty decent bag, and Targus' warranty and support were surprisingly good.

NOTE: eBags has really good photos of all of the cases, inside and out.

I previously had an Icon bag for my Presario R3030. The computer was at the upper limits of what my old bag would hold. When my TXL617 arrive, I grabbed my notebook and found that this bag could hold a considerably larger laptop. It's gigantic! The physical dimensions of my laptop are: size: 10.96 (l) x14.25 (w)x1.8(h) weight: 7.8 lbs. There is a couple of extra inches side to side, numerous inches up and down extra, and plenty of depth still available.

There are also a ton of pockets on this bag. So many that it is possible to put something in it, and then struggle to find which pocket you put it in! I also like the sleeve for documents in the main part(middle compartment). The water bottle pocket is a huge bonus and I am glad they included it.

Negatives: I like the flip down pocket, but the way it attaches at the top (plastic quick release tabs) causes the top to roll "in" and to pucker which makes for accessing the top small pocket on the flip down annoying. Plus it looks a bit strange when it rolls down. Attaching the straps at the top of the flap would've solved this (they are sewn on an inch down). Also, because of the size of this bag, it is honestly possible to pack it with a crippling amount of weight if you don't pay attention. For me as a Seminary Student that space comes in handy, but not everyone wants a nearly wheel barrow sized backpack! Additionally, with the size of this pack, Targus should have put a couple of internal stays to strengthen the vertical rigidity of the pack, and that would've made carrying larger loads more comfortable. As it is, it is pretty comfortable loaded. It also includes a hip belt that is nice when it is really packed full. You might need help getting it off if you do indeed ever fill it to capacity with books!

Update 1/26/2011:
After 4 years of daily use this backpack is still holding up well. Zippers all still work and all stitching is still intact. I now carry an HP 17 inch laptop in this bag each day, and it easily carries that size as well. I've flown all over the country with this bag and never had a problem. I'll likely buy another if/when this one finally dies.

If you're looking for a backpack to lug around your 17" widescreen laptop, plus a multitude of additional gadgets and peripherals, this backpack is an excellent choice.

I purchased this for my recent Dell XPS M170 acquisition to provide a safe, sturdy, and mobile transportation solution when traveling. The large laptop "pocket" and inner sleeve is nicely padded and provides a snug area to prevent the laptop from sliding around much. The additional sections provide ample room for books, peripherals, and/or additional technological necessities (e.g. PDA, PSP, BBQ).

The only real drawback to the backpack is it's rather large. When I have the backpack fully loaded it looks somewhat reminiscent of a stuffed hiking backpack. In addition, due to its ample storage capabilities, it is rather easy to pack quite a heavy load if you're not careful. However, the padded shoulder straps appear to be firmly attached and designed in such a way to disperse the load evenly across your shoulders to minimize fatigue.

The largest load I've carried so far has been my laptop (which is pretty heavy to begin with), a wireless mouse, my iPod (which fits into a nice secure pouch), my PSP with several games in their cases, the laptop's power supply, my cell phone, and a CD wallet for my PC games. This load was rather heavy and certainly seemed to strain the backpack to its limits, but still had nooks and crannies available for additional items and was distributed quite well over my shoulders and back.

This backpack would certainly be overkill for someone needing to carry only a svelte 15" laptop. Understand that if you load this thing down you'll look like you're Airborne preparing for a jump, but if you have the need for a backpack for touting the new larger widescreen laptops and have a plethora of additional electronic goodies needing reliable consolidated transport, the Targus TXL617 17 XL is a perfect solution.

I walk about a mile to my job every day, and I bought this bag to carry my 17" laptop to and from work. It is VERY large and fits my laptop well. I also have ample room for everything else I may want to take to/from work, i.e. reports, books, lunch, a jacket - even an extra set of clothes for the gym. I like this bag a lot and enjoy using it; however, it is very easy to overload this pack with too much weight, even for me at 6'4" 230lbs. So keep in mind that even though this bag will hold "everything but the kitchen sink," it may not be prudent to load it so.

I purchased this just this week, and while it holds my HP Pavilion DV9830US 17" Laptop sufficiently, it's not what I hoped for. First off, the padding around the laptop compartment is barely sufficient. I've seen laptop backpacks that provide much more padding. Also, who makes a laptop backpack without CD sleeves?! There is also a front flap that's not sealed, so if you're caught in the rain that compartment will get water in it.

Overall, I wasn't clear on who they designed this for. It was a water bottle holder and some sections that make it seem more like a sport backpack than a student / business travel oriented item, and yet no one is going to go hiking with a 17" laptop... are they? Maybe I'm wrong.

The straps seem solid, though around the shoulders they can dig in a bit. I'm overweight, so perhaps someone who had thinner shoulders would not have this problem. The overall construction seems fine. Zippers are mostly double which is good, although the exception is the phone/music player slot on the side, which unzips in such a way that you have to hold your device in place while you re-zip, or it will simply fall out.

I purchased a 17" HP loaded down with features and extra accessories and have been on the lookout for a quality case. I went to a competitor and bought this by trying out several different brands. Targus cases are built to withstand abuse and protect the equipment. The wheels that it uses are in-line skate wheels designed to handle bumpy terrain and the case is soft inside but rigid on the corners to protect the contents. I would highly recommend, the price is higher than the cheaper made brands but it has alot to offer and if you paid over 2k on your laptop it is cheap insurance.