Backpack for DSLR and notebook

Went to Funan yesterday to look for a bag to carry my Pentax K100D DSLR plus other lens, and my HP DM1 notebook.

Why a backpack and not a messenger bag, like the one that I'm currently using?

1. Weight - a DSLR + notebook adds up to a considerable weight, which would be heavy to carry on 1 shoulder
2. Strap interference - on the same day, I purchased a Blackrapid strap which is worn across the body. Using a messenger bag would interfere with the usage of the strap

I tried out a few bags at Challenger and SLR Revolution.

1. Kata 3N1-22
2. Vanguard Up-rise 46
3. Lowepro Compuday 250

The Kata's notebook slot was a bit too narrow for the DM1. So it was instantly out. Nice design though, but expensive. The bigger version, the 3N1-33 looks a little too boxy.

The Vanguard was nice, but I didn't really like it's fancy-looking V-shaped clips. It looked a little large and heavy also. Maybe I was a little biased, but I thought a China brand would be cheaper.

The Lowepro was light, but it's straps look a little too lightly padded, and the side-access slot for the DSLR did not come with additional dividers for additional lens. Cheapest of the 3 though at $95. Ugly though...

While I was at Challenger, I also tried the Vanguard Sydney 27 messenger bag. Nice design (not black), with a removable DSLR insert. Pity that it was a little small.

Back home, I spotted new versions of the Kata 3N1 bag online. The 3N1-25 looks good, and sized between the 22 & 33 models. Likely to be expensive though.

Most likely I will get the Lowepro Compuday 250. A pity that I missed the previous promotion where it was selling at $77...

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HP DM1 - 1 week on...

After almost 1 week of usage, I still feel that the laptop is not fully optimised.

Removed several HP software, but had to reinstall them, as I found that they were needed for certain functions, e.g. on-screen display, wireless assistant.

The notebookreview DM1 forum thread is useful, but with 300 pages of posts, I'm struggling to find the gems quickly. Still at page 73 currently.

I brought the DM1 out once, and the battery life was good. Screen reflection was not too serious (I was in a cafe).

One more small glitch. After changing the power button setting to shutdown the laptop, the button continues to put the laptop to sleep only...

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HP DM1 quick review

Finally decided to buy the HP DM1, after deciding that I wasn't going to buy the Lenovo X120E over the internet.

Deciding factor was a bit weird, really. Didn't want to reward Lenovo for making it so hard for consumers to buy one of their AMD E-350 laptops.

Anyway, got the DM1 for S$699 with free 4GB RAM upgrade. First impressions are mixed.

1. screen is glossy, but not too much reflections
2. still getting used to the screen brightness; full brightness a little too bright, one step down a little too much
3. high CPU usage; really need to find out which are the bloatware, and to uninstall them. lots of HP software installed by default
4. removed Norton Anti-virus; replaced with Microsoft Security Essentials
5. Keyboard is large, but keystroke a little shallow, compared to the Asus A42JV that my brother and I are sharing
6. the sloping design is good for wrists; won't have carpal tunnel syndrome
7. build quality a little iffy; panel gaps not consistent, speaker grill a little off already
8. seems the singapore version comes with a 500GB 5400rpm hard disk :(