Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with briefcase

A small suitcase for my mobile office?

The Confessor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:03:21 -0800

So I bought my first (two) suits from Brooks Brothers recently, and while waiting for them to tailor them to my specifications I've been looking for a briefcase in which to tote my mobile office, since I obviously can't carry a backpack or use a "fanny pack" with formal wear, and I'm trying to move away from the backpack aesthetic even with my business casual attire. The complication is that my mobile office is far smaller than most people's (pictures: 1, 2, 3, 4), and I'd rather not buy a case much larger than what I need; even a small laptop case would be too big for me. Further specifications within. First, the briefcase need not be hard-sided, but the sides must be at least semi-firm, since I'd use it as a makeshift "lap desk" where no other option exists. For this purpose as well, it must provide an approximate exterior space compatible with the dimensions shown in pictures 3 & 4.

Second, I'm kind of leery about approaching the man-purse aesthetic, even by way of clutch, which is why any shoulder strap must be removable and the case must have a handle or handle strap no matter how small it is.

Ready-made pockets for my purposes or easy customization thereof would be a bonus, and prices approaching $600 are okay. I just don't want to pay more for it than I did for my suits!

Where can I find an ergonomic bag that's appropriate for a grown-up?

craichead — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:43:18 -0800

Where can I find a reasonably-stylish, professional-looking, ergonomic laptop bag/ briefcase type thing for a woman? After years of ignoring it and hoping it would go away, I'm finally trying to get a handle on my chronic upper back, neck, and arm pain. I've got a diagnosis (a couple of herniated cervical discs), have seen an orthopedist and a neurosurgeon, and I'm going for physical therapy. I've been toting my stuff around in a regular shoulder bag, and according to my physical therapist I need to get something more ergonomic. I'm starting my first full-time office job in a few weeks, and the dress is "professional." It's not a terribly formal office, but I don't want to show up with anything that's shocking pink or has reflective tape. What are some good options for ergonomic bags that will carry a reasonable amount of stuff and that will allow me to look like a grown-up?

Other info: I'm a shortish (5'3") woman, and I'm petite. (I don't mean that in the sense of "thin." I have narrow shoulders and a tiny rib cage. My weight is pretty average.) I would like something in which I can put my laptop, a book, my lunch and some papers. I'll be taking the bus to work.

Briefcase regret avoidance

FuManchu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:39:02 -0800

What are the pitfalls, annoyances, and deal breakers of different briefcase types? Help me not regret a purchase! I'm considering throwing down some real money on a nice briefcase / messenger bag / computer bag. I'd like to hear your bad experiences with them so I know what to look out for. I haven't owned a lot of bags, let alone high-end ones, so don't know much about evaluating them.

My examples, with my cheap flip-top briefcase, are (1) the gaps that form on the side when using a shoulder strap, (2) the tendency for it to go horizontal when the handle is picked up and the latch not closed, and (3) the lack of a pocket easily accessed while wearing it on the shoulder.

So help run me through everything that I should know about briefcases. Magnets, zippers, leather, nylon, flip-tops, portfolios, map bags, small, large, specific to yours, general to the style, etc. What are the issues that come up only after you've bought and used it for a few weeks? What are the inside scoops that you won't find in buying guides or catalogs? Whether it's just a small annoyance, or made you regret buying it, let me hear it all!

Nice bag

four panels — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 11:38:28 -0800

I'd like some direction for a nice briefcase bag / satchel. My backpack has had it, while I'd like to move into adulthood I don't want to go Tumi/Ferragamo/lawyer bag handler. I've checked Booq, Jack Spade - are there other interesting brands you would recommend? Thanks.

Looking for an artsy, stylish yet functional business tote bag or messenger bag.

mintchip — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:51:06 -0800

Looking for an artsy, stylish, functional business tote or messenger bag. I am having the hardest time finding a tote bag that is both *artsy* and stylish and "different" yet decently made and functional. I'm in grad school, so I carry around loads of stuff at all times: oversize notebooks, huge textbooks, pens, cell phone, wallet etc. So this bag has got to fit a lot of stuff. Since my back bothers me sometimes, I'd like something that has a nice, comfy shoulder strap.

Right now I use a backpack but it just doesn't look professional or attractive for those days when I'm at my internship. (Plus, I feel like a big kid bringing my backpack everywhere and can never find anything in there!!) I want something that is less "kid" looking and more sophisticated and fashionable. I hope to transition the same bag into a casual business environment once I graduate.

I'd like to spend $100 or less, although I'm slightly flexible on that.

I'm a woman, by the way.

Dropped my planner in a puddle, this has got to end.

croutonsupafreak — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:11:10 -0800

I'm about to buy my first briefcase, and I'm looking for advice. I don't need to carry a laptop, I just want something that will help me juggle a couple books, my planner, loose sheets of paper, a 3-ring binder, a newspaper, and my purse as I go between home, work and work-related appointments. It should be easy to carry, professional looking, good at organizing these things, and maybe it can replace my purse during the work day. What are the best features of awesome briefcases? What should I be wary of?

shove that Briefcase up your...

bartleby — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:25:42 -0800

Briefcase vs. Offline files - please help get the boss out of my hair. Too much One of the partners at the firm has been having trouble with 'orphan' files in his My Briefcase. Sometimes they're OK, sometimes they show up orphaned. He can commit to calling me and talking about it for ten minutes each day, but can't commit to noting what he's done prior to getting orphans so I might be able to diagnose. I'm not that familiar with My Briefcase, and I have more pressing matters right now than spending the day poking through the MS KB. And he uses the My Briefcase on his work laptop which he takes home every night, so I can't take it away and try to reproduce the problem. Please help!

Here's how he works:
We have two offices, Main and Branch.
He has a docking station at each office and 1 laptop that he carries between them, and also uses to do work at home.
There are half a dozen small MS Office files that he works on often, which reside on a share on the server at Main office at \\servermain\foo\bar\baz\Boss's files.
{So he's not quite using Briefcase as it seems to have been intended, for keeping two machines in sync, or syncing files from removable storage back to a PC. Right?}

So he copies these files from the share and drops them in his Briefcase on his Desktop, and then wanders on his merry way, modifying them at home and on the road, syncing his changes back to the originals on the server share when he docks again at either office.

He started this on his own, and apparently it has been working for him for a while, but now it's not. Sometimes, and lately often, when he docks again a few of the files come up as 'orphan'. From what I can gather from MS, this happens when the originals have been moved, and the Briefcase cannot find them to sync with. But I doubt that the originals are moving, as he started the whole Briefcase thing because he can't be bothered to browse out to \\servermain\foo\bar\baz\Boss etc. So he's not doing it, and I can't see anyone else bothering with them either.

{One note which may help is that I finally got him to show me the Briefcase this morning before he docked, and all of the paths read "\\servermain\" etc.; but when he then docked and the Briefcase sync'ed, the paths all read "F:\bar\baz" etc. = The correct file path in both cases, but using the UNC in one case and the mapped share letter in the other. Is there possibly a problem with Briefcase resolving the two conventions?}

And since he can't ever tell me what he does differently between when it works or when it doesn't, or even if it's the same files that end up orphaned every time, I'm stuck trying to help him blind and hands tied. It's the usual "fix my car, while I'm driving it, and take no time in doing so" request.

Anyway, I've already used up my available time today getting this posting up. But has anyone seen this before?
Any suggestions for an idiotproof desktop "container" for a few files to be modified offline and then synced back to a network share? This morning's googling led me to several "Briefcase vs. Offline files" threads - should I be pursuing that?

Oh, and he has already promised me that he would lose a USB key with his Briefcase on it, and he doesn't want to spend money or time learning new software.

Gah! Metafilter genuises? Anyone?

Portable Office

birchhook — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 17:36:11 -0800

What features should I look for in a bag to use as a portable office? We have a very mobile lifestyle. We work from home for a total of 3-6 months a year, but the rest of the time we work from all over the place. We have been using GTD with varied success for about a year. I've discovered that work goes pretty well from home, but when we're travelling I barely get anything done. I feel that one of the problems is that at home I have everything in one place: project folders, inbox trays, etc.

So I think a possible solution is to get a bag that can function as a mobile office, that I would use at home and abroad. (Any other mobile work tips are appreciatied) Has anyone found a bag that works particularly well for this or features that are useful. I don't want it too big, because I want to feel free to use it all the time. Thanks

Help me prepare for my upcoming job interview

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:27:59 -0800

I've got a marathon job interview coming up, and I'm looking for advice on: a professional purse or briefcase I can use; how to stay energized, alert and upbeat for two consecutive days; cultural things I should be aware of in northeast Florida. I'm getting flown to Jacksonville, Florida, from the Pacific Northwest on an upcoming Saturday, to be met at the airport Saturday evening by my potential future boss. I'll have Sunday to recover and explore the town before the interview begins.

I'll meet with 12 people over the course of 16 hours on Monday and Tuesday -- HR people, people with the same job as I'm applying for, managers, assistant managers, and the very top corporate big wigs.

In the past I've just brought a leather portfolio to job interviews. My portfolio has room for extra copies of my resume inside, plus smaller pockets for the stuff I'd usually keep in my wallet (cash, license, credit cards, etc.).

I think I'd like to bring a bit more into this marathon interview, however -- including some crackers to munch on during bathroom breaks in case I get hungry, lipstick so I can refresh my fading color, and a prescription drug I'm supposed to take at the same time every day. I also still need to carry extra copies of my resume and my wallet stuff.

Can anyone recommend a professional-looking briefcase or purse that might do the job? Bonus points if it's under $100, and double bonus points if it's closer to $50.

I'd also love advice about how to stay alert and upbeat for the duration of the interview.

I tend to be drained by long periods of interaction with other people, and try to fit some alone time into my days to re-charge. That won't be an option here, as my breakfasts, lunches and dinners are all scheduled with interviewers.

My plan so far: stay on top of my workout routine in the 10 days leading up to the trip; make use of the hotel swimming pool and fitness rooms to continue getting regular exercise; accept every coffee or coke offered to me during the interview. That should help physically. Any tips for how to survive psychologically?

Finally, I've never been to northeast Florida before -- specifically, I'm heading to Jacksonville. I've heard that Miami may be even more laid back than the Pacific Northwest, though it's hard for me to imagine anything more chill than my current office after moving here from the DC area 5 years ago. I don't know if it's safe to assume anything about Jacksonville just because of things I've heard about Miami, however. Any tips on the Jacksonville corporate culture?

I'll be wearing my best business suits to the interview. Beyond that, are there things I should be aware of as I try to click, culturally, with the interviewers?

In case it matters to any of these answers: I am female, 27 years old, with five succesful years of experience in my field. This job would be a huge jump up for me, however. I'd have guessed it was five to 10 years away. Somehow they liked what I said in my cover letter and over the phone, however, and now I'm in the top three. I'd like to make it to the top one.

Sorry for my exhaustive questions. The interview is 10 days off, and I've already started having anxiety dreams about all the things that could go wrong. I figure the more info I have going in, the better. Thanks!

Buying a Leather Briefcase

SpecialK — Wed, 11 Aug 2004 11:15:39 -0800

To continue the 'bag' threads...

I realize that there have been threads before about briefcases, but my needs are slightly different and I want to see if I get different responses. I'm looking for a small leather soft-sided briefcase, but I can't find one I like. I currently have a small, non-expandable, incredibly cheap soft-sided canvas bag that I got for free from a TV station. It's got a big flap that folds over the top and clips in at the bottom. Obviously, this isn't the ideal bag for someone who's in sales -- it looks like it cost me exactly what it cost me, and I don't use it much 'cept to lug things into the office.

What I'd like to find is something the same size - about 13" tall, 16" wide, and 2" deep. I don't need to carry a laptop. I don't need separate compartments, just a pocket to stash cell phone, iPod, business cards, and pens, and a small interior compartment for a few pads of paper and some file folders. Leather is a must -- I'd be more interested in a brown unpolished bag that'd get an antiqued look quickly than I would a black highly polished case that's going to be a pain in the arse to maintain.

I've tried my usual resource for expensive gear, i.e. tumi and that ilk, but they didnt' have anything that interested me.

New Lawyer Looking for Recommendations for Briefcase for Files and Laptop

gd779 — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:30:18 -0800

Help me pick out a briefcase? More inside. I'm about to take my first law firm job, and I know nothing about briefcases. What kind should I get? I'll probably want to move files and my laptop back and forth each day. Money is no object (It will no doubt be a graduation gift, or at least subsidized as a graduation gift).