what has it got in its pocketses?

The last time I travelled, I broke the handle of my old suitcase. The "standard" rollaboard suitcase seems to have changed since 1996. (Either that, or I'm looking in the wrong stores, and can't find a standard one.) The new suitcases are lighter. That's splendid. The retractable handles seem sturdier, with more comfortable grips. I approve of that, too. But what happened to the pockets? Once upon a time, suitcases had lots of pockets! There used to be a choice between more smaller pockets and fewer big ones, as a matter of design preference, with maybe some options about whether a pocket would be waterproof. And the more expensive suitcases were more likely to have nicer zippers on all those pockets, that would go both ways and wouldn't stick. But it was trivially easy to find a 22" rollaboard with an outside pocket big enough for a mass-market paperback. (I remember several where I could fit two hardcovers in one outer pocket! And a pair of shoes in the other! It would disqualify them as carryons, but it all fit.)

The shortage of outer pockets might just be bad design or cheap construction. Inside the suitcases I've been looking at, all the pockets seem to be made of transparent nylon, or of coarse mesh. I didn't see any opaque compartments at all, in the 8 suitcases I looked at last night. I wonder if this is supposed to be for my benefit in remembering what I packed. I kind of doubt it. It reminded me of the transparent plastic backpacks for kids in schools with very restrictive security policies.