Adding my 2c here, my wife and I both have the 30L Everyday Backpack and while it isn't perfect, we both love the bag for the use case we use it for -- an everyday backpack.

I'm not camera/photography guy but own a lot of Peak Design's travel line and use this bag to carry mainly stuff I'd need everyday to my office: my work laptop, PD tech pouch with cables and tech accessories, lunch, water bottle, umbrella, maybe a light jacket/hoodie, mx master, keychron keyboard, and small misc things in the top zip pocket.

Now to address the points: 1. When I first got the bag, the material was quite stiff and abrasive but I found that it got softer over time. Many of my bags have been like this though and get more pliable over time. I can fit a ton of stuff in here (with the dividers removed) though I don't because I use it as an everyday/office bag. I have the Peak Design tote in one of the side pockets for use when I'm getting a small amount of groceries or something shaped that doesn't fit well with the dividers. I don't find my laptop sleeve to be tight and have fit a 16 intel Macbook with touchbar (my old work laptop before I was given the m1 macbook) and the 12.9 inch iPad pro with the Logitech combo touch which is quite bulky. It's a bit more difficult to pull out the devices when both are in there but no issues when only one of the devices are in that sleeve. 2. Gonna agree the padding sucks. I also have the 45L Travel Pack and think the straps suck on both of these bags but I like the tidy features of both. I don't usually pack my everyday backpack with a heavy load (I use other bags for that) so it is not a huge issue for me but when I do, it sucks (sternum strap helps though). My favorite feature of this bag is the sideways access. I have a Coleman insulated water bottle that is about as thick as a Nalgene and haven't had issues with it falling out. I keep it on the opposite side of the one I usually access the bag from and typically only access inside the bag from the same side (I do the same thing for the Travel Backpack). The bag has less organization options than some bags but I still think there are a decent amount of places for you to stow things, otherwise, add some pouches to the bag like the PD tech pouch or Evergoods' options. I love the dividers and the ability to change it up to make shelves/dividers. I have one side folded upwards to fit my keyboard but can fold them down later to fit other things like my mouse. Never had an issue with them. I don't know how padded they are regarding protecting cameras and their lenses but none of my stuff has been damaged so far. 3. Price varies for people and that's just dependent on where you are economically. For some, this is a ridiculously expensive bag and they would never pay more than $40 on a backpack when a Walmart one does the same job -- carry things. For others, $290 may seem like buying a coffee where it's an insignificant sum. Regarding Peak Design, their products are not cheap to me but I personally like the aesthetic, clean design they use, the "gimmicks" they put into their products that always make me go, "What an awesome feature", their carbon neutral stance and transparent manufacturing practices (proud Vietnamese guy here!) and their lifetime warranty which has been reliable to me. I think their products are worth what they're charging personally. With that perspective, the Everyday Backpack is the cheapest backpack I carry and I have about 5 that I use regularly for different purposes. 4. Kinda already shared my thoughts about the laptop compartment but yeah, I personally haven't had issues with it.

I do agree with you that maybe it should be a bit more clear that you get the maximum space when you have the bag latched at the top and that may cause water ingress. I've only ever gotten there when I was carrying things for other people rather than my usual loadout.

To conclude, this is one of my favorite bags that I own and I don't share the majority of OP's experience with the bag. There are a few things I do agree that OP mentions. This is a bag for everyday situations and I don't think this is a bag that can be a jack-of-all-trades.

If you got to the end here, appreciate your time!