Smatree
A sleeve that already has a handle
CityEdge, CityShield and MobileBase sit between a sleeve and a briefcase. The protection is a moulded inner shell; the difference is that the handle, the strap and the front pocket are already on it, so nothing has to go in a second bag.
Door to desk
This is the shape for a short carry — a train, a taxi, a walk across a campus. Grab the handle, go, and set it down on a desk where it still looks like something you meant to bring.
The front compartment
Flat, against the outer wall, sized for a charger, a cable roll and a notebook. Against the outer wall matters: a brick in a pocket on the inside face presses into the lid every time the bag is squeezed.
Strap and shoulder
Detachable, adjustable, with a pad that stays where you put it. The anchors are riveted through doubled fabric for the same reason as on the packs.
Choosing between this and a sleeve
If the bag is the only thing you carry, take one of these. If it goes inside a rucksack that already exists, take a sleeve — the handle just gets in the way.