Tank Bags and computers, good or bad idea....

[jbeaber]

Anyone have experience with having a laptop in a tank bag?  I know magnets aren't the best things for computers, or at least weren't at one point.  I commute by bike and would love to get everything off my back....

[calamari]

I wouldn't be really worried about magnetism... after all, the magnets in tankbags are mostly 'one-way' (almost no magnetism on the side facing the inside of the bag).
I have a laptop, and i think is a bit too big for the tank (width or lenght). It's a 14inch btw. but even if it was the perfect fit, I wouldnt really place it on the tank... nor on the tail.
There's a whole lot of vibration in those places, and I wouldn't want to shake the hard drive that much.

[jbeaber]

The computer already lives in a padded bag and I would definitely put some more padding in the bottom of the tank bag.  I have a tiny laptop.  Will fit in the bag I'm getting....

[davipu]

it'll be fine.

[calamari]

In that case, I'll say you should worry about the grip of the magnets on the tankbag and how well will they perfom with the added weight of a laptop.

you don't want the tankbag flying off your bike while doing 65 on the freeway, do you?

[jbeaber]

4 pund laptop, baby...  I have had a motorcycle battery in my girlfriend's bag with no issues, so I'm not concerned abutt he weight.  The bag I am looking at has 10 magnets, so it should grip pretty well...  We shall see.  I was more concerned about the magnets damaging the computer.

[knowlsey]

no worries, it has to be subject to strong magnatism for a long time before any data loss, if the tank bag leeks magnatism from the side of the magnets, it would definately not be enough, as said above the magnets are one sided and magnatism is concentrated to the tank

[Chuck]

I carry my laptop in my tank bag all the time.  Just in case, I pack everything else (shirts and whatnot) on the bottom, and keep the laptop as far from the magnets as possible.  I also imagine that it helps with vibration, too, but I'm just imagining.

[natedawg120]

As long as the bag will hold it your laptop will be fine.  It takes a very very strong magnetic field to repolorize a HD platter.  This is what you are worried abut because this is what causes data loss.  In fact i had a huge magnet out of an old scsi storage HD containing 8 5" platters, it was really old, and I stuck both magnets to a latop hd with data on it and then tested to see if the data was still on it, it was.  So the I am sure that the magnets will not hurt the laptop.

[Rema1000]

You should have a good backup routine anyways.  Once you have that set-up, then you don't have to worry about your data much.

I ride with a powerbook in my magnetic Held bag, with no problems.  But I would probably be worried if I didn't know that I can recover from a lost drive quickly.

[Frost]

it's the vibration you should worry about...

[jbeaber]

Thanks for all the info.  I have a padded case for it.  I may add a 'pillow' to the bottom of the bag if I decide to use the bag for the commute in place of a backpack.