| « Best and worst computer-related stuff of 2007 | Merry Christmas from Microsoft: Vista patch SP1 released. » |
What's the best size for a laptop: 14 or 15.4 inches?
12/26/07
More people will buy laptops than desktops next year. It makes sense- they're as fast as desktops, only a little more expensive, and portable. With USB everything, there's almost nothing one can't do with a laptop.
Buying advice between for laptops and desktops is similar except in one regard: With desktops, you want to buy the biggest monitor you can afford, but choosing a laptop size requires compromise. People constantly on the move may prefer a 13.3" model or less and gamers with Arnold Schwarzenegger forearms will probably go for a 19" model, but chances are that you'll decide between a 17", 15.4", or 14" notebook. You'll probably watch movies on your laptop so it'll be a widescreen as well (It feels strange when I look at a standard 4:3 screen now.). Most people, being moderate, opt for the 15.4" model. I've had two 15.4" notebooks and now currently own the 14" widescreen T61. I don't think I'll ever go back.
In electronics, a little means a lot. An inch here and a pound there- pretty soon you're talking about schlepping the laptop or leaving it at home. Portability is much easier with a 14" notebook than a 15.4" inch one. With the lighter weight, my ThinkPad is a constant companion. Not only that, but placing it on a desk at school or a restaurant table- not to mention using it for the ever-popular bed-computing- is now a less cumbersome chore, .
True, movies will be smaller, but for office and graphics work, since most 14" laptops have the same WXGA 1280X800 resolution as a 15.4" model, you'll still be able to see the same amount of stuff on the 14". 15.4" screens seem too big to me now.
Keyboards are only a little more cramped with 14" laptops and the difference in hardware is nill except that you're more likely to find a good video card in a larger laptop.
Anyways, my 2 centavos.
Comment feed for this post
