Cloud computing: A fashion revolution perhaps?

Glitter-and-Spandex and I are both about 5'2'', and we both schlep laptops and books around everywhere, hence our mutual obsession with finding the right luggage for our graduate school commutes.  Glitter has spent way too much of her precious time trying to find a suitable backpack for her small frame and glam look.  And I have spent way too much of my precious time trying to reduce the amount of stuff I have to carry so I can eliminate the need for a backpack altogether.  After hours of exhaustive research, I am convinced that cloud computing is going to change grad school fashion forever.

Here's what I want.  A tiny netbook, that can fit in a purse.  Then I want to save everything on the internet (the cloud), so that the netbook is just a cheap conduit to my important stuff, and not inherently irreplaceable.  I never want to lose a file again, or have another hard drive crash.  I want all the papers I need to be saved in an online library so that all I have to carry is that tiny netbook.

The most promising fulfillment of my dream is the netbook Google is probably going to come out with later this year.  Apparently it will be called the "Speedbook," and connect you to the internet within seconds of pressing the on button.  The operating system, Chrome OS, will be the browser, and the browser will the operating system.  There will be no software stored locally (no Windows, no Word, no PowerPoint, no Outlook, no iTunes). Instead, there will be the Google App store, which will offer tons of free and purchasable online apps to replace offline software.  For example, you can do word processing with Google docs, or Adobe Buzzword, instead of MS Word.  I already got rid of my email client and use Gmail exclusively, I'm halfway there!  Instead of a hard drive, you can back up your files to an online storage service like Mozy, SugarSync, Dropbox or SkyDrive, or even keep your stuff in Google docs.  I pay Mozy 5 dollars a month to keep all my music, movies and documents stored on the internet.  It's awesome, because I don't have to worry about dropping an external hard drive, or maxing out my computer solid state drive.  And if I forget anything, I always have access to every file, everywhere that there is internet.  Most of these websites offer about 2 gigs of storage completely for free, no strings attached.  SkyDrive offers 25!  I can see myself moving almost exclusively to the cloud in the next year or so.  Think of how small my bag would need to be if everything was in the cloud!  I could even skip the computer all together, carry a clutch, and use the computers in the lab (although I couldn't take notes in class).  Or I could get an awesome case for my netbook.  Or, I could get a glam netbook like the  Eee PC 1008P below, and just bring that!

Anyhow, cloud computing I think has a  lot of implications for the fashion conscious graduate student.  Just wait, the revolution has begun.

Backpacks don't go with sequined dresses.

But unfortunately they go with "my lifestyle." F that noise.

Anyway, I need a backpack. God, I can't even look at the word. Backpack, backpack, backpack. I don't WANT a backpack. However, the reality of "my lifestyle" is that I have scoliosis [holla!], a commute that involves the bus and a dramatic uphill walk [meaning I am dramatic during it... it is a fairly steep incline to be fair], and a lot of shit to lug around. But try as I may, I cannot imagine a backpack going with a dress like this:

I mean really.

I'm having a lot of trouble with The Great Backpack Debate, because I know that I'm going to look kind of lame with a backpack. Backpacks are equated with elementary school and high school and perhaps "expected" to be banished by the time you get to graduate school. Last year I just shoved all my school items into my purse and an elaborate series of canvas bags. It sucked. And although they were dirty canvas grocery bags, I feel like they still made me look more like a "graduate student" than a backpack. And they looked slightly better with sequined dresses.

But alas. I can't have it all ways. Either I live up to [perhaps my own?] grad school expectation of "grown-up bag," or my commute remains horrible and my back hurts all the time. And maybe I'll figure out a way to effectively work the backpack + sequins look.

Here are some sweet options I've been eyeing. Interestingly, I am finding a lot of choices in the skater-backpack-options:

What's nice about these two is they have built in coolers [seriously that's awesome] and padded laptop sleeves [though I want those laptop sleeves SecretlyCrunchy posted. Hardcore]. But they may be a bit too big for my frame still [seriously being short makes backpack shopping kind of awkward].

I'm incredibly intrigued also by these Timbuk2 bags. I've never had one, but I know people who have and they seem to be really good bags. This one is only $50, super simple, and WATERPROOF:

This is the one I may be most intrigued by, but think I am too short for still [it only comes in a medium, not a small]. It has a side access laptop pocket, which seems like it would be quite a luxury:

I'll report back on how whichever one I pick works on a dramatic commute for a nearly 5'2" girl.

Stylish Laptop Cases that aren't Neoprene

Everyone and their mother take their laptops to class with them these days, usually in the same patterned neoprene sleeve. Even the undergraduates. And god forbid you look like an undergraduate. Solution? Get an awesome laptop case.

Embarrassed that you are reliant on new media for your survival? Hide that shit with a laptop case in disgiuse. These bags will keep everyone around you guessing...Who is that person? Where is their laptop? Why are they so cool? Why are they reading a Catalonian newspaper?

Psha, you say, I am proud to be a doctoral student who spends more that 75% of my waking time hunched in front of this machine. Well then how about a bag that celebrates technology? These bags do just that. Or mock it. Or celebrate it, but ironically. Whatever.

Or of course, you can go glam. There are a variety of sequined options out there, from a classy, monochrome black sequin, to the preppier quilted pastel with sequin accents. These bags say "yeah, I type really fast, and I look frickin' awesome when I do it, and sometimes I have dance parties in my office and you're not invited, because your laptop bag doesn't have sequins."

Now you're probably wondering what I schlep my little Lenovo around in. I'm still waiting for Mountain Hardwear to come out with a Monkey Phur laptop case. Until then, although I will occasionally stuff it into my green pleather over-sized DKNY bag, I usually go old school by putting it in the special laptop pocket of my backpack. Lame, I know. Glitter-and-spandex does not approve. In her opinion, backpacks don't go with sparkly cocktail dresses. Ever. Period. So that makes backpacks out of the question.

• BookBook: available at Twelve South
• Etch-A-Sketch: Handmade by Betz White at betzwhite.com
• Laptop Case Against Crime: available at mitemite.es
• My Documents: available at Think Geek
• Cassette Tape: Available at Think Geek
• Abbi Mina Slim Briefcase for MacBook Pro 17-inch: available at Amazon
• Leopard Sequin Laptop Case: available at Amazon
• Black All Over Sequin Laptop Case: available at Amazon