I got this backpack because my old North Face Recon just wasn't expanding and holding everything I needed it to. This backpack looks about the same size from the outside, but definitely holds more and expands more easily. I have an Osprey daypack and was really pleased with the quality so I decided to get an Osprey as my college backpack. The laptop sleeve is great because there is space between it and the bottom so even if you drop your backpack the laptop won't be hit. There's also an awesome sleeve space behind the laptop sleeve which has been great for loose papers, magazines, etc that you don't want to get ruffled in the main space. The water bottle sleeves are very large and easily fit my Camelbak water bottle. The zippers are a good quality and I don't expect them to break anytime soon. The pack also sits really well on me (5'5" woman) and nicely distributes the weight. In the smaller zipped area I like there are three open pouches at the top and the whole area is deep. This is a nice catch-all area for whatever else I might be carrying. My only wish was that there was one more decent sized pocket for snacks. But in general, this is a wonderful backpack that is going to last me a long time.