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I agree with wonkavader, but I suggest using a laptop sleeve. A sleeve offers better padding than a shirt as well as some rudimentary water repellence. I carry my MacBook in an InCase neoprene sleeve in my old knapsack and nobody knows unlike those folks walking around with laptop bags and obvious computer knapsacks.

Just wanted to add to the list.

I have a sleeve from InCase that I like very much.

It has a little divider for papers, a large pocket with enough room for a mouse and powersupply, a small pocket without enough room for anything, and a little cd sized pocket I carry an Ubuntu live CD in. It seems somewhat like those Crumpler bags so many people are suggesting.

Just wanted to add to the list.

I have a sleeve from InCase that I like very much.

It has a little divider for papers, a large pocket with enough room for a mouse and powersupply, a small pocket without enough room for anything, and a little cd sized pocket I carry an Ubuntu live CD in. It seems somewhat like those Crumpler bags so many people are suggesting.

Try Incase (http://www.goincase.com/) They make a decent backpack for laptops. I have their nylon backpack that I use with my Powerbook. Most of their line is geared toward Apple products but any similarly-sized laptop can fit. Has numerous pockets for chargers, WiFi detectors, network cables, MP3 player, mobile access point, CD's, flash drives, etc.

I went with a 'sleeve' for my iBook by InCase, which I throw in my regular backpack, a Lowe Alpine. I like the combo of a slim 'laptop condom' that I can take on its own in a pinch, with a rugged outdoor daypack. I started this in college and now take it to work every day, I wouldn't have it anyway else!

For years, I've been using the large messenger bag from Timbuk2. Unfortunately, though, they no longer offer the oilskin cloth they used to make them out of - a pity, because mine looked great, wore well, and didn't scream "laptop!" when you looked at it. I also have the padded laptop sleeve for it, in the same color scheme and fabric.

It's an absolutely cavernous bag - which is why this past year I partially switched. I still use the Timbuk2 bag when I have to haul a huge amount of stuff for work, and I keep my Wintel laptop in it. I have an Inspiron 600m and the sleeve holds it nicely - it worked well with my old TiBook as well.

My new main bag is an Incase backpack, which is the perfect size for my current PowerBook, some supplies, a notebook, my Palm, and my iPod. In other words, basically my whole office plus music. It's not as fancy as some of the other backpacks, but it fits well, and doesn't look "ultra-laptoppy" like the Kensington and Targus bags all do. And at $80, it was pretty reasonable compared to most of the other ones I've seen.

Incase also has a nice sling pack that holds a lot less, but still accommodates a mid-sized PowerBook or equivalent. If size is ever a concern it may be worth checking out.

http://www.goincase.com/prod_laptop/prod_lt_dcpack .php

I got the new Sony for christmas and it fell on the floor (from 1 meter), and almost broke in half. I mean wtf? I think I'll just be sticking with Apple powerbooks from now on as they make the most durable and stable laptops on the market.

I can attest to the strength of the PowerBook firsthand. My 17" PBG4 fell off the top of my suitcase (~2.5') inside it's minimal-padding sleeve, and landed head first, right on the corner, onto concrete.

The result is that the case in that corner became slightly flattened. No damage to the screen. No change in functionality.

Yay for quality engineering. My wife just bought a Sony PCG-8N1L, and while not purporting to be thin (it's a fricking thick huge beast) it's all plastic. Having been used to Apple's solid designs, it seems so cheesy and cheap :)

I've had excellent experience with my InCase. They're stylish enough that at one point you could buy them at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

The Kensington Saddlebag has been the trusted protector of my various laptops over the years. This thing is indestructible, goes over the shoulder or as a backpack, has a spot for cell phone, pda, and zippered pockets for everything else. It's even big enough to be an overnight bag in a pinch. It's internal padding could be a bit thicker, but I wouldn't travel without a padded slipcase around my powerbook anyway.