This is my third Thule product.  Having had the other two for over a year each I feel like I'm becoming very familiar with the craftsmanship and utility of their products.  What I love about Thule overall is that they are VERY durable.  You can carry it everyday, throw it in overhead bins on an airplane or in the backseat of your car and the bag itself still looks great and your stuff stays intact.  I also really love the water-restistant material.  It's great if you should happen to have a water bottle leak or spill on the pack.  Given that I often have electronics inside I like knowing they aren't going to get water damaged.  I have even had it out during a moderate rainstorm for about an hour and while I am sure the manufacturers wouldn't recommend that, the contents of my bag were still dry.  There are also a fair number of pockets, so it's easy to have the things you need right at hand.  I especially like the outside pocket for thin waterbottles.  The fact that it has two handles, in addition to a strap, is also great because it means there are more ways to grab it if you are trying to retrieve it, like from an overhead bin.

That said, I think if I had to choose between this pack and the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Thule-Crossover-TCMB-115-15-4-Inch-Macbook-Pro-Air-or-PC-Messenger-Bag-Black/dp/B0032ANC5U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Thule Crossover TCMB-115 15.4-Inch Macbook/Pro/Air or PC Messenger Bag (Black)</a>&nbsp;I already own, I'd probably go with the latter for a few reasons.  One, while this sling pack does have a designated and well padded pocket for your laptop it's inside the bag (vs. the messenger bag that has it in it's own pocket on the outside).  The other bag allows you to unzip just that compartment so you don't have to take your laptop out when going through security.  This bag does not.  In theory I guess you could zip the bag open to lay the laptop flat but that would only work if you had nothing else in the main compartment of the backpack.  The sling pack also does not have a designated reinforced smart phone pocket.  Yes, there are several pockets you could use for a phone, but they are not reinforced and don't fit the phone snugly.  For me this is a feature I really miss from the old bag because I use it constantly.  It's saved my phone from getting damaged when my bag got jostled and keeps it right at hand.

It also largely personal, but as a petite woman I find this pack a little bit harder to carry.  Despite the wide strap, it doesn't sit on my shoulder as well as the other bag does.  And the sling design is bad, say if I need to bend down and tie my shoe because I find that unless I strap it very tightly the bag tends to wiggle around quite easily and throws off my balance.

Overall, I think it's a very well made, durable and functional bag.  I don't think it has quite the utility of
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Thule-Crossover-TCMB-115-15-4-Inch-Macbook-Pro-Air-or-PC-Messenger-Bag-Black/dp/B0032ANC5U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Thule Crossover TCMB-115 15.4-Inch Macbook/Pro/Air or PC Messenger Bag (Black)</a>, but if you prefer a sling to a messenger or don't intend to use this for air travel (or don't care that you have to remove your computer) this bag is a great choice.  I intend to use it as my second bag more when I am going to and from work than traveling.