Design
The Kinetik briefcase plays it safe, with a hard outer shell in matte black accented with a few splashes of silver for zippers and the carry strap. According to Logitech, it's made from "lightweight, black, durable ballistic nylon and polyurethane", although I wouldn't recommend trying to deflect any bullets with it! The Kinetik briefcase certainly won't look out of place in a corporate environment but if you're after a messenger bag or satchel for personal use, a Crumpler would probably be more appealing.

There are three main compartments in the bag, one on each side for peripherals, documents and accessories and a laptop compartment in the middle.

Features
The briefcase has a bunch of padded pockets designed for storing gadgets and comes labelled with icons representing suggested use, including headphones, CD cases, batteries, cameras, and iPod or portable games consoles. There's also space for business cards and pens.

While the structured design of the pockets sound like a good idea, they take up the majority of both outer compartments and, because they aren't removable and due to the hard exo-shell, can make it difficult for irregularly sized objects that may not fit into the pockets.

Carry handles and a neoprene padded strap make carrying it easier but it'll still be a heavy lug if you're carrying a laptop and fill up both sides. The metal clips on the strap squeaked while carrying, which was a bit frustrating.

Logitech claims the briefcase will suit most 39.1cm (15.4-inch) notebooks (including extended batteries) and Apple MacBooks up to 17 inches (43.2cm). A 15.4-inch Dell Inspiron 6400 fit snugly with no problems.

Performance
The outer shell offers a fair degree of protection and survived a trip overseas and back without any serious battle scars. One side of the shell (presumably the one that would face your body) has a bit of padding but the other side had a few scuff marks on it after a weeks' use.

Sensible, robust and comfortable in any office, the Logitech Kinetik briefcase is a good option for commuting professionals who need protection for a laptop and a few extra accessories. However, if you plan to do extensive travelling, a padded backpack would be a more sensible option.