Trillium 15 Laptop Carrying Case

by Al Harrison, Harrison Law Office, P.C., Houston

Trillium 15 Laptop Carrying Case
Shaun Jackson Design; www.SJDesign.com; 888-662-4300
Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: $149.95

Attorneys who use a notebook or laptop or a netbook computer (referred to herein as a "laptop" for convenience) when out of the conventional brick-and-mortar office or while traveling or who rely upon such a portable computer as a crucial cog of a virtual law practice, will appreciate the need for having a convenient, lightweight and protective carrying case or carrying bag for porting a laptop along with its essential accessories. Nevertheless, most users just accept whatever carrying bag is packaged with a laptop at the point of purchase or just do not bother to carefully select a carrying bag for promoting laptop longevity. This product review discusses several advantageous features to be gained by protecting your laptop with a convenient and secure, feature-rich carrying bag and illustrates this approach to laptop longevity with Shaun Jackson Design computer-safe bags.

The initial entry into the Shaun Jackson Designs (“SJD”) carrying case product line was aptly named the “LapDog” which was uniquely configured to be efficiently unlatched and metamorphosed into an ad hoc desktop by being conveniently emplaced in situ upon a user's lap (as if it were a pet dog). Hence, this LapDog bag, when opened, transformed a portable computer into a mobile desktop, i.e., into a true "laptop," the quintessential ingredient of a virtual law practice. Since the LapDog computer bag was commercially released prior to the advent of X-ray machines at airport checkpoints, the bag was not designed to be expeditiously opened while waiting in line and quick removal of your laptop at security checkpoints. Accordingly, several unclicks of plastic hinges were prerequisite for opening the bag so that it's contents could be examined by Xray machine and possibly manually too.

The current vintage SJD carrying case, the "Trillium," is convenient, practical and versatile especially for frequent airport travelers. It may be invoked in three distinct modes: (1) a comfortably-padded backpack; (2) a briefcase having a shoulder-strap; and (3) a lightweight, protective padded sleeve. While initially introduced as the "BackOffice" indicative of its profound functionality as a virtual office, its name was changed to "Trillium" to emphasize its innovative threefold functionality. See, images depicted at www.hggear.com/trillium.html.

In its basic configuration, the Trillium may be instantly unlatched by a single click to form a compartmentalized mobile virtual law office situated on your lap as a lapdesk or for use atop an available horizontal surface. Thus, to work directly from the fully-assembled Trillium, you just unclick the securing hardware and then expose your well-protected laptop by unzipping the padded sleeve that encases the laptop so that the top of the sleeve may be raised. This single unclicking and subsequent unzipping occurs in mere seconds, thereby exposing the laptop contained within. As deemed appropriate, the computer's lid may then be raised in situ, i.e., while it is still seated within the sleeve, or it can be physically removed from the sleeve and emplace the laptop directly atop your lap, or on a tabletop or desk, or on a tray-table or the like.

The 15" model comfortably accommodates a laptop sized up to 14.5" x 10.7" x 1.75". A larger model is also available for accommodating a 17" laptop. Constructed with "Cooldeck" non-slip riser pads, your laptop is situated within the sleeve in an elevated position, inherently benefitting from natural airflow cooling. Incorporated into the Trillium are two large zippered side pockets (11" x 7.5" x 1.5") with each pocket being located on either side-flap for convenient storage of ancillary items such as writing implements, notepads, AC adapters, paper clips, business cards, cables, iPod, laser pointer, CDs, thumb drives, etc. One side pocket has a slightly smaller zippered pocket juxtaposed upon its upper surface. The other pocket has an organizer panel configured with variously-sized compartments that are juxtaposed upon its upper surface. If you opt to invoke this basic Trillium arrangement, then each side flap of your lapdesk hangs downwards outside each of your thighs. with the compartments' contents being immediately accessible while you conduct your business.

To accommodate its padded backpack configuration, the Trillium provides a special, barely-visible zipper compartment for storing, easily removing, and then attaching a pair of (backpack) straps via secure and convenient hinging hardware. The shoulder straps may optionally be secured to each other via a cross-strap which is situated across your chest and which is affixed to each shoulder strap — assuring that your laptop will be quiescently situated on your back. Using this backpack arrangement, of course, frees your hands to deal with situations that may arise while checking in at an airport or a hotel, without your setting it down, thereby unnecessarily jeopardizing your care and control.

When a more professional appearance is sought, e.g., when you are dressed formally for court or for an in-person client conference or the like, wherein the functionality of a backpack is not appropriate for carrying your laptop, the pair of (backpack) straps simply remain hidden within the allocated zipper pocket, and a handle and/or a single shoulder strap may be used when the briefcase configuration is invoked. While used in this briefcase configuration, the Trillium provides a second rear pocket which has greater capacity for storage than the shoulder strap pocket and, indeed, affords ample storage for files and documents within a 12.5" x 11.25" x 1.5" space. It should be noted that this supplemental rear pocket is also available in the Trillium's backpack configuration.

In its isolated sleeve configuration, the Trillium provides a removable laptop inner sleeve section which is securely attached to the Trillium's undersurface with military-strength Velcro. This sleeve section may be carried by either its own rubber handle at one end or by a single shoulder strap. The Trillium's functionality as a mobile housing for your portable office remains with the sleeve's non-slip, rubberized bottom surface and combined Cooldeck - gripdeck interior. It is recommended that your laptop be kept within this custom-tailored cushioned sleeve while emplaced upon the conveyor belt traveling along the security Xray-checkpoint at airports.

The Trillium 15 accommodates laptops up to 15"wide and is constructed with a rigid frame and securely-fastened, high-quality hardware; the case is enclosed with shock-absorbing foam padding throughout for lining external rugged, expedition-grade fabrics — with all stress points being reinforced to assure uninterrupted protection of its sensitive contents.

Thus, the SJD Trillium laptop carrying case or carrying bag can serve as your first level of protection to your mobile or virtual law practice. The central internal portion affords a well-padded and secure resting place for your laptop which may be transported either as a backpack, as a briefcase, or as a padded sleeve. Obviously, this is the raison d’etré for any carrying case: routinely and reliably waterproofing and insulating your laptop or the like from movement and (mild) shocks, to assure its physical longevity.

Attorneys should give serious consideration to how best to sustain the longevity and security of client data stored on their laptops or the like. As discussed in this review, the structural and physical integrity and outstanding functionality of Shaun Jackson Design computer bags have established a high standard of care for the mobile law office. The Trillium not only affords superior protection for notebooks, netbooks and laptops alike, but also provides handy accommodations for concomitant miscellaneous accessories and law practice-related papers and references. Providing adequate physical protection for your portable computer both promotes its longevity and assures that stored files are immediately accessible when needed.