Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

blog.jgc.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 268 posts

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#91

Post by themadturk »

kragen wrote: post #68
IanCal wrote: post #18

> For me, the ultimate laptop bag is one that looks nothing like a laptop bag; it should look like nothing special at all. That sounds like almost any regular backpack then. They can also be pretty weather proof, don't need to be carried in one hand, aren't open topped showing what's inside easily, and padded. Any simple and cheap backpack would solve this exact problem but better surely, unless your desire is to be…

When I lived in San Francisco, backpacks were marginalized as being associated with being too poor to own a car. High-school students might carry a backpack, college students might carry a backpack, people on the bus might carry a backpack, but mostly not professionals who drove to work. Maybe that's changed, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwWpqsI_3s purports to be from 02022, and in its first minute, I cou…

I'm in the suburban Seattle area, and many, many adult professionals carry a backpack...even when they commute a few miles by car and walk 100 feet into their offices.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#92

Post by maxbond »

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #84
maxbond wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crime is probably the best hypothesis but the other one to consider is that they have some sort of minimalist aesthetic, and they genuinely like the look of grocery bags (and nondescript bags in general). If this was a security through obscurity tactic, why would they publish this blog post?

You think laptop thieves will read the blog and start stealing brown paper bags on the off chance there's a laptop inside? To me it seems like a pretty good strategy, with the downsides being you have to lug it around by the handle (no back or shoulder strap, which would spoil the camo effect), and it doesn't have pockets for small things like cables / dongles / etc.

I won't make that claim but I do think obscurity tactics are not normally publicized.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#93

Post by chatmasta »

kragen wrote: post #83
chatmasta wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t looking poor a good strategy for being an unattractive target for theft?

No, police punish theft from rich people, not theft from poor people.

Good thing my backpack was stolen so I won’t look poor when I go into the police station to report the theft.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#94

Post by averageRoyalty »

andrewshadura wrote: post #88
kragen wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in San Francisco, backpacks were marginalized as being associated with being too poor to own a car. High-school students might carry a backpack, college students might carry a backpack, people on the bus might carry a backpack, but mostly not professionals who drove to work. Maybe that's changed, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwWpqsI_3s purports to be from 02022, and in its first minute, I cou…

What is 02202? A postal code?

I'm guessing they use 5 digits for displaying the year. 02022 = 2022.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#95

Post by albumen »

andrewshadura wrote: post #88
kragen wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in San Francisco, backpacks were marginalized as being associated with being too poor to own a car. High-school students might carry a backpack, college students might carry a backpack, people on the bus might carry a backpack, but mostly not professionals who drove to work. Maybe that's changed, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwWpqsI_3s purports to be from 02022, and in its first minute, I cou…

What is 02202? A postal code?

He wrote 02022. It's the year in a Long Now [0]context, avoiding the Y10K problem that's just around the corner.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_of_the_Long_Now

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#96

Post by deadbabe »

CBLT wrote: post #33
IanCal wrote: post #18

> For me, the ultimate laptop bag is one that looks nothing like a laptop bag; it should look like nothing special at all. That sounds like almost any regular backpack then. They can also be pretty weather proof, don't need to be carried in one hand, aren't open topped showing what's inside easily, and padded. Any simple and cheap backpack would solve this exact problem but better surely, unless your desire is to be…

> regular backpacks look nothing like a laptop bag You're missing some context here — this is in San Fransisco.

I always wonder why no one invented hoodies or jacket with some kind of built in laptop pocket in the back.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#97

Post by jonny_eh »

stronglikedan wrote: post #36
IanCal wrote: post #18

> For me, the ultimate laptop bag is one that looks nothing like a laptop bag; it should look like nothing special at all. That sounds like almost any regular backpack then. They can also be pretty weather proof, don't need to be carried in one hand, aren't open topped showing what's inside easily, and padded. Any simple and cheap backpack would solve this exact problem but better surely, unless your desire is to be…

> Any simple and cheap backpack Where I'm from, a simple and cheap backpack is just as much a target as a laptop bag. The only solution is to just keep an eye on your stuff, and be aware of your surroundings, at all times.

Sounds like generally good advice, with or without a laptop on hand.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#98

Post by kragen »

themadturk wrote: post #91
kragen wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I lived in San Francisco, backpacks were marginalized as being associated with being too poor to own a car. High-school students might carry a backpack, college students might carry a backpack, people on the bus might carry a backpack, but mostly not professionals who drove to work. Maybe that's changed, though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwWpqsI_3s purports to be from 02022, and in its first minute, I cou…

I'm in the suburban Seattle area, and many, many adult professionals carry a backpack...even when they commute a few miles by car and walk 100 feet into their offices.

I'm glad to hear it.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#99

Post by _whiteCaps_ »

deadbabe wrote: post #96
CBLT wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> regular backpacks look nothing like a laptop bag You're missing some context here — this is in San Fransisco.

I always wonder why no one invented hoodies or jacket with some kind of built in laptop pocket in the back.

Surveyors vests have those. Probably draw a lot of attention to yourself wearing hi viz though.

Re: Is a movie prop the ultimate laptop bag?

#100

Post by xp84 »

kragen wrote: post #83
chatmasta wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn’t looking poor a good strategy for being an unattractive target for theft?

No, police punish theft from rich people, not theft from poor people.

Police (and DA) in SF don't punish any theft from anyone in my experience.
Post reply on HN