The Mezzi M1 Molded Attache Laptop Case is a hard case meant to carry and protect your laptop. Coming with a combination lock built in to the case, a shoulder strap, and various compartments for holding papers, pens, etc., this case has some features that makes it different from others, but contains your standard features as well.

Remember the good old days before the iPod and the iPhone, when you couldn’t rely on your iDevice case to convey your personality? Back then, you had just one thing to carry around—your computer—and that alone let passersby know every tiny detail about who you are. Well, some of us still carry around laptop computers, and Speck wants to make sure you’re making a statement with their CorePack Fly Messenger Bag and AftPack Notebook Backback.

The Saddleback Leather Laptop Case is an exercise in simplicity. There’s no elaborate folding scheme for airport security checkpoints, no hidden pockets for iPhones and whatnot, there aren’t even any zippers. It’s just leather. Mind you, it’s quality leather. 100% waterproof full grain boot leather with a high density Neoprene padding, as Saddleback will tell you at their site. But is that worth $265?

As we all know, the kind of cover you put on your laptop says a lot about you; everything, in fact. It gives people exactly the kinds of deep insights into your personality that are normally reserved for years of close friendship or Twitter feeds. “Who are you, Mac user? What mysteries does your MacbookPro hold? What kind of screenplay are you tapping away at as you drink your dark mocha latte, soy, no whipped cream?” People are thinking this, I know.

To look at the Racer-X laptop bag from WaterField, you wouldn’t think it would run upwards of $190. In fact, when I showed it to a colleague of mine, he said just that; “It’s not worth it.” But he doesn’t speak for all of us. First, he’s a PC user, and that’s a different mindset than those of us protecting the more expensive Apple laptops. Second, he made the comment based solely on the outward appearance of the Racer-X. And whereas it is sharp looking, it’s mostly canvas, not leather. It’s not a hard case. It doesn’t offer a locking mechanism. So, what does the Racer-X feature to justify the premium cost? Quite a bit, actually. Quite a bit.