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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.
2 comments
Great post, I wish they had added some mini's in the mix as well. It would nice to see the pro's and con's for all us online shopping people 
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 
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