i have a deluxe which is probably too big for my everyday needs, but it's worth it when i go somewhere for over a week and i can fit everything i need (two pairs of jeans, ten days' worth of shirts / underwear / socks, laptop, hoodie, bong, notebooks, textbooks... AND i fit an empty medium timbuk2 in there).

but yeah, the deluxe has the compression straps which make it a little easier to carry around a HUGE bag.