I got got this as a back up just in case I didn't like the new messenger bag I purchased to replace my old backpack. I'm happy with the messenger bag, so I haven't used this backpack and probably won't anytime soon, but here's my first impressions, anyway:

The material is 100% polyester, and it feels like it: thin, platic-y, perhaps water resistant, and it doesn't have any padding except for the straps. It does have some rigidity to it, so the bag will keep some of its shape and won't go limp like an empty sack if there's nothing in it. At a glance, it doesn't seem like it would last, and yet at the same time it seems to be as well-constructed as it can be, considering the material.  It's not as big as a standard backpack and that shouldn't surprise anyone (it's got "medium" right in the name and the dimensions are listed) but it held my 16 oz thermos, 7" tablet and 10" notebook comfortably when I tried it on. The main compartment is big enough to fit a netbook, but it would need its own sleeve due to the aforementioned lack of padding.

All in all, it's pretty much what you'd expect from a $10 backpack. At the very least, it would probably make a good backpack for a younger child, a Once in a While Bag for occasional outings or a back-up bag to throw in the closet or trunk of your car, just in case. It might work as an every day carry, but for how long is anyone's guess. I own a larger, good quality Everest backpack and the brand seems to get favorable reviews, so who knows? It might exceed expectations. I'd say if it lasts you an entire school year of consistent use, you'll definitely have gotten your money's worth.