Best “tech product” I ever bought

The year is 2005 and I have a massive problem to solve — transporting a Dell laptop that weighs more than Thor’s hammer.

I was a university lecturer at the time, and my employer had generously provided me with the notebook PC.

The machine was sturdy, seldom gave me problems, and came with a great service plan — but it was heavy. Really heavy.

The university had also given me a shoulder bag to carry the laptop in, which looked professional and had ample space for books and lecture notes. However, it only had a single shoulder strap.

When I left my office at the end of the day, there would inevitably be a colleague waiting outside, eager to strike up a conversation about the latest happenings at the university.

If I was really unlucky, there would also be a student or two ready to ambush me with questions about my lectures or upcoming assignments.

While they talked, my shoulder slowly started to burn as it carried the weight of the hefty Dell. It would become unbearable, and I would swap the bag to my other shoulder.

Within a minute, that shoulder was done, and I would have to put my bag down on the floor — the universal sign for “please continue to talk as much as you want; I have lots of free time”.

Bring on the backpack

I could not carry on like this, so I purchased a Targus Campus backpack.

It was not stylish and looked more suited to one of my students than a lecturer, but I did not care.

Two straps distributing the weight of that Dell laptop over both shoulders and my upper back was pure bliss. I could stand, walk, and run away from question-filled students with ease and in comfort.

Besides the occasional look when I went into a meeting (as a backpack does not scream “take this man seriously”) there were no downsides.

And so I continued to use it as my primary laptop bag — even when I upgraded from the Dell to more modern machines.

It has now been 17 years since I purchased the Targus Campus backpack and it is still going strong.

My wife recently tried to give me a new Targus laptop bag as a birthday present, and I had to diplomatically tell her my backpack was not going anywhere.

It’s almost two decades old and in excellent condition — not a loose stitch or a broken clip.

This makes my Targus Campus bag the best “tech product” I have ever bought.

Below is a photo of my current bag and the new bag, side by side. You be the judge.