Recycled Computing

What's Inside Your Man Bag?

- 2010.03.30

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Short link: http://bit.ly/csgjB3

Okay, we are all comfortable with our feminine sides, right manly men? (Ladies, I do not mean to neglect you, but you have feminine sides and never have to pretend that the purse you have [or not - you can be a women without a purse] is not a purse.) We males have to, at the very least, find some shoulder bag that looks like:

Indiana Jones used it to fend off the Nazis.
It was carried into a wilderness adventure.
At one time it was used to carry auto body tools.

At the very least, we have to carry a computer in it. And in many cases, we actually carry computers around. However, I do not like to use your typical computer case for my laptop, since it looks like a computer case - and thieves are not that dumb. ("Gosh, that looks like a computer case, wonder if there's a computer in it?").

As a result of my 12" PowerBook refurbishment (see No Money Down: The Resurrected PowerBook), I now have a computer that will fit (just barely) in my Timberland Field Case.

Contents of my 'man purse' Okay, it's a man purse. But what's in it? As you can see by the accompanying photo - all sorts of manly stuff.

Mini case holds a first generation 16 GB iPod touch and a pair of noise canceling earphones.
A 12" PowerBook G4
PSP 3000 for making Skype calls and watching Big Bang Theory TV episodes. I also use it to carry a back up of my address book, calendar, and bookmarks. I believe you can play video games on it, as well. (See PSP-3000: A Cheap Skype Phone and Portable Web Browser)
Spare battery for the PowerBook.
Various pens. Mightier than swords, I am told. (I do own a sword, but it won't fit in the case)
USB drive - in case I need to sneakernet something.
Swiss Army knife - no explanation needed.
Canon PowerShot S100 digital camera - I used it to take the picture.

All of this makes a permanent dent in my right shoulder, but it is not easily mistaken for a computer bag - and it's way too masculine to look like a man purse.

That does not stop my family from referring to it as my man purse, or simply "Daddy's purse".

I know there was a reason my wife and I had children, but sometimes I can't remember what it was.

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