Once upon a time, geeks were shunned for their intimate knowledge of computer language. They were known for their pocket protectors, their taped glasses, and something about having an overbite. As technology continues to trudge its way into the mainstream, the concept of a geek has changed dramatically. Geeks aren't the weirdos and social outcasts of the world anymore; they've not only become accepted, they've become fashionable and -- more importantly to companies like Tom Bihn -- they've become marketable.

Laptop bags were once designed with utilitarian goals in mind. The Buzz Laptop Sling Bag by Tom Bihn is still perfectly functional, yes, but it's actually quite the looker as well. I guess that would explain why the tag on the bag reads "Portable Culture." If you think that the styling and features found on The Buzz (let's keep it clean folks) has a distinct West Coast flavour to it, you'd be right, because Tom Bihn is based out Seattle, Washington, a stone's through away from Microsoft's home in Redmond.

Pacific Northwest Represent Yo!

For starters, it's not a backpack nor is it a traditional valise. Instead, it's a sling bag that looks a lot more like the style of bag that skateboarders like to use. The single extra-wide strap is thrown over your right shoulder, clipping in place with the rest of the strap that comes up near your waist on the left side. There's something decidedly fashionable about this look, because it departs from convention and hits up a look that is sported by the trendiest of geeks.

Next, you'll notice that it two critical pouches in areas outside of the main bag itself. On the primary strap that goes across your chest, you'll find a built-in cell phone holder. This pouch will accommodate most standard cell phones, including the recently launched Apple iPhone. If you're more into music than yakking it up, this pouch can instead by used for your iPod or MP3 player. If you're totally geeked out and you're rocking a BlackBerry or a Pocket PC phone, this pouch might not be big enough to accommodate your needs. A Cingular 8125 or T-Mobile MDA barely squeezes its way in there; it's a very snug fit and I wouldn't recommend placing a PDA phone of that size in there.

The second pouch is found on the side of the sling bag that doesn't have a zipper. In this pouch, you can fit your water bottle or whatever your choice refreshment happens to be. Remember how I said this bag screams West Coast? How it just seems to yell out Pacific Northwest? Well, when you check out the official product page, they say that this water bottle pouch is big enough to hold a 500mL Nalgene bottle. All the trendy outdoorsy types love Nalgene. They go on to say that it should fit bottles as large as 750mL, depending on their shape.

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