I was in TJ Maxx the other day, looking for a laptop case and possibly a suitcase to travel with. (For those who don't know what a TJ Maxx is, they're a sort of discount department store. They get all of the previous year's leftovers, or slightly damaged goods and sell them cheaper. There's probably some sort of equivalent near where you live.) I saw all the basic black shoulder strap laptop cases which would have done the job, but then I saw this. I recognized the Burton logo from Miss Meg*'s dealings with the company. [Also a certain occasion where I drawled out, "Is that the Burton catalog?!" (only Meg* will get that one, sorry)] I unzipped the front pocket and come face to face with... "Is that a..?!" And indeed it was. This pack comes with a solar panel.
Now I'm not a complete stranger to avant electronics. I've been interested in wearable electronics since I first was introduced to the idea at Siggraph 2004. And to see someone walking around with a homemade solar panel backpack probably wouldn't surprise me at this point. But to see one in mass production? I was surprised. And pleased.
I looked the whole thing over. It comes with a hidden compartment between your shoulder blades to store your ipod. Your headphones attach to a output in the shoulder strap. And on your left shoulder strap there is a series of softswitch buttons to control volume and song selection and whatnot. (Burton has been putting that sort of technology in their coats for at least a year now, but it's still rather novel to me). I've always thought that carrying your ipod in your hands in a city situation was a desperate cry to be mugged. And while I still don't think this set-up will prevent you from getting mugged, at least now it's not as easy as taking it out of your hands.
And the solar panel. It can either be exposed in good weather or tucked away in not-so-sunny weather. It's just meant to power your ipod. It's only 5volts or something thereabout. Also, the power cord is firewire which is nice, but my ipod would need an adapter. (Also, for some reason, I feel compelled to mention that NO, I did not pay for a $300 ipod. It was given to me as a gift for my work at Atomicdust).
I also did not pay full price for the backpack. The pack didn't have a price tag anywhere on it so I took it up to the cashier out of pure curiosity. I was expecting to hear $160 or so because I assumed it originally went for $200.
Kat: I'm just curious, can you tell me how much this is?
Young Cashier: Uh, hum.... I dunno. Let me call my manager.
(we wait)
Manager: (looks it over) Uh, I think we sold this last week for $40, but because it's a return and missing its ipod, I can sell it to you for $35? Sound good?
Kat: (mouth open) Uh, sure. $35 sounds good.
I seriously wasn't planning on buying it. But I think it was the price that sold me. The basic black shoulder strap laptop cases were all running $30 or $35 anyway, so why not this one with a few other perks? (I guess I forgot to mention, but yes, it has a protected compartment for your laptop too). So I bought it.
That night I tested out the softswitch button and the electronics associated with playback and everything worked fantastically. I gotta admit, I was expecting nothing to work and was going to just rip out the electronics and use it as a carrier either way. But working electronics was a plus! I still haven't been able to test the solar panel due to inclement weather and no adapter.
A few days later I was surfing around online and decided to find out the real list price for the pack. Only to find its retail value was once $299. Yowzer! And it never once came with an ipod as the manager erroneously assumed. Now, I like the bag, but it's not worth $300. But $35 is quite nice.
