Hands-On Review--Tom Bihn's Empire Builder Briefcase for MacBooks and MacBook Pros

When we travel, we have used Tom Bihn's Empire Builder briefcase for our PowerBooks and MacBook Pros, 15" and 17", since 2003 when we highly favorably reviewed it along with two terrific accessories, the Brain Cell and Absolute Shoulder Strap. Around town, we have used just the Brain Cell which easily snaps out of the Empire Builder. We love the design of the handles which fold to center, making it always easy to pick up.

In the mean time, Tom Bihn has improved the Empire Builder (shown at right) in a number of significant ways: the tendency for the briefcase to roll over when filled has been substantially reduced or eliminated, the zippers have been replaced with a moisture resistant type, the snaps that hold the Brain Cell inside have been replaced with clips and the back pocket has been made into two with the new one split into three sections, one serving as a "roll-aboard" attachment slot.

All of our gear fits easily in the Empire Builder, along with meeting documents and reading material. The removable plastic dividers in the main pocket do a great job of separating and protecting documents from getting scrunched up. The many small pockets for pens, CDs, cell phone, iPod, etc. are extremely useful. When filled with our 15" MacBook Pro in the Brain Cell (shown at right) and all of our other gear, the Empire Builder now sits on the floor without tipping over so a minor nuisance has been eliminated to our satisfaction.

Another small nuisance in the original Empire Builder is that the snaps that hold the Brain Cell in are kind of difficult to snap closed, especially at the bottom. The clips that hold the Brain Cell in the new Empire Builder are a significant improvement in ease of use and security.

The additional pockets on the back to slip in plane tickets, boarding passes, car rental envelopes, etc., along with a magazine or newspaper are also a good improvement as are the moisture resistant zippers. The center back pocket has a zipper on the bottom so that it can serve as a "roll-aboard" slot to securely fasten the bag to a set of wheels.

The Empire Builder is superbly functional and highly protective of your Mac. The front, back, bottom, and sides are padded and stiffened by 1/4" (6mm) closed-cell foam to protect contents and maintain sharp looks. At the top of the front pocket there's a small plastic ring that offers a place to attach either the key snap that will keep track of your keys for you or a Tom Bihn Organizer Pouch. We use the key snap to keep from "losing" our keys in the bag--we always know exactly where they are. The Organizer Pouch is great for emptying your pockets of metal objects, including your keys, before passing through airline security checkpoints.

The Brain Cell remains the best and most protective slipcase that we know of. And the Absolute Shoulder Strap remains the best shoulder strap on the market.

In a month's use, the only glitch we ran into is that the new Empire Builder is a tiny bit thicker than the original which created a problem getting it into the overhead carry-on compartment of a few commuter aircraft. This is probably the design change that eliminated the tipping tendency. More considered packing of our gear in the Empire Builder eliminated the problem.

The Empire Builder is well-made from 1050 denier ballistic nylon and 500 denier Cordura. Our original Empire Builder is still going strong after logging zillions of miles around the globe for nearly four years. The stitching is excellent and not coming out anywhere. The Tom Bihn Empire Builder at $150 is so well made out of such great materials, that you may not need another briefcase--ever, the life of Tom Bihn's warranty to the initial purchaser. If it's mated with a Brain Cell ($50) and an Absolute Shoulder Strap ($25), in our experience and opinion you will have the best bag money can buy. [Bill Fox]