Timbuk2 Dashboard (M) Video Review (Features Score: 6.5; Access. Score: 7/10)

Timbuk2 Dashboard - Medium

Pros:

Well made with stout materials +3

Love the mix of materials - ballistic nylon with a polyester felt.  Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. +1

Both a laptop and a tablet pocket. +3

Side zip pocket on the flap is fleece lined for protecting glasses. +3

The bottom of the bag is flat and perpendicular to the sides so that it stands solidly without tipping over. +2

Great deal (right now). +2

Cons:

The handle is in an odd position (not directly on top) and is just a thin bit of webbing. -1

There is no open file pocket on the back of the bag for easy access to document or stashing mail. -2

Velcro holds down the flap and, while handy for quickly securing the flap, it does not make up for the loud tearing sound every time you open the bag in a quiet room. -2

The unsecured square pocket on the front of the bag (beneath the flap).  It's too small and I don't trust stuff will not fall out.  Why not use more of this front panel and put a zipper on the existing pocket? -1

No pass through on back panel that would allow you to carry this bag on the handle of your rolling luggage. -1

The laptop/tablet sleeve should have had a subdivided tablet sleeve (split into 1/4, 1/2, 1/4 sections to allow for holding charging cables, etc.). -0.5

Nice but not necessary:

Ability to remove the laptop/tablet sleeve.

Removable stabilizer strap on back.

Accessibility:

A bag's accessibility is rated on a 1 - 10 scale (10 = most).  Three major compartments are judged.  The accessibility score for this bag:

Organizer pocket(s) = 7. Inside the main compartment?  Really? Lame.  At least it is on the front wall.
Main compartment = 8. Under a flap that you have to hold up to get access to your stuff.  Once there, it is a large space, but it is taken up by the laptop sleeve so you need to pack judiciously.
Laptop compartment = 6. Boo!  Not sure why I bothered to review this bag since it has the laptop section in the main compartment. Not only that but you unless you perform some insert origami, you need to yank open a Velcro lined envelope cover.  Sucks.

Overall accessibility: 7 out of 10.

Overall:  

With pros = 14 points, cons = -7.5;  The Timbuk2 Dashboard Medium earns a 6.5 

Front of Timbuktu Dashboard (Medium)

Back of bag.  Note the strange location of the handle.

Zippered pocket on the flap (side entry); fleece lined

Open top center pocket under flap

Organizer panel on the inside front of the bag

Zippered pocket behind the organizer panel on the inside front of bag.

Pocket on the inside side wall of the bag.  Would fit a small water bottle.

Padded laptop insert (tablet pocket)

Padded laptop insert (laptop pocket)

Laptop insert with cover extended upward