Hi Fireboomer:

A.B. is right, the "industrial tough" notebooks can really take a beating. You could probably throw one loose into an aluminum pannier and expect it to survive. However, they are quite expensive, at least double the cost of a similar unit that is not "toughened".

I have carried my IBM A21p laptop around in my pannier for over 40,000 km and only had one minor problem - the modem board came loose inside it after two weeks of riding on Irish roads. IBM in Dublin fixed it free, while I waited.

I like IBM laptops because they are quite durable, and also IBM has laptop service depots in just about every country in the world. Plus, they offer a free 3 year international warranty on all their laptops. So, I highly recommend IBM to you.

All I do to protect the laptop when it is in the pannier is 1) I put a piece of felt between the screen and the keyboard when I close the lid, to stop the keys from touching the screen if I hit a really hard bump, 2) I have a very small laptop bag (the USD 25 variety) that has some foam padding around the edges - I keep the laptop in this, without any accessories closeby to bang into it, and 3) I just pack my clothing (socks, etc.) around the laptop bag to create a cushion.

Although I ride a ST1100, which is not an off-road machine by any means, I have ridden on a lot of really crappy roads, hit potholes, dropped the bike, etc. all without any damage or harm to the laptop, save for the one loose board mentioned earlier.