Microsoft offers up laptop totes for the ladies

by Evan Blass, posted Feb 5th 2007 at 11:17AM

It can be confusing and a little bit scary when big-name manufacturers decide to delve into new product categories. Case in point: whenever we're in the market for a new operating system, Microsoft is always right up there among our top three finalists; however, when we're trying to pick up a new laptop bag for our sweetheart, a "Made in Redmond" label would have little to do with our purchasing decision. Actually, the trio of new female-focused bags that the software giant is kicking out on the 15th probably aren't made in Washington or even the US for that matter -- Microsoft has teamed up with luggage manufacturer Samsill to bring its Madison, Manhattan, and Monticello totes (pictured left to right) into the world. This ~~all-leather~~ nylon and "leather-look" vinyl lineup handles laptops up to 15.4 inches (sorry, XPS M2010 owners), and contains all the amenities you'd expect from a modern notebook tote: padded internal sleeve, zippered compartments, and, um, shoulder straps for convenient transport. Other nice features include built-in file compression (looks like you could cram a whole ream of paper into the Manhattan), advanced search capabilities (simply stick your hand in and dig around), WGA security (you have to bring the bag in for "patching" once a month or it falls apart), and Microsoft's proprietary ReadyZip technology (for opening 'em up 30% faster). Prices range from $50 for the Monticello to $70 for the Manhattan, although no matter which one you order, all three models are shipped in the same package -- simply call up customer service for a license to use one of the other bags.

Read- Monticello
Read- Madison
Read- Manhattan
[Via Crave]