Input on Laptops

I was going to put this in Dan's Computer section but I am hoping to reach a wider audience here.

Is bigger, better?

I'm getting ready to buy a new laptop. For the past few years, my employer has supplied my laptop. Now that I'm diving in and becoming my own employer, I need to fork out and buy my own.

Not a large selection in the stores here (not many stores). Wondering if any of all y'all have some input on whether the extra weight associated with a larger screen (~15.4 vs. 17) is worth it.

I will need to be taking my laptop with me to clients' offices, and I'm not partial to working on my desktop even when I'm at home because I hate to be stuck in one place.

Any input would be great.

Thanks!

I just went from a 15" to a 17" and I love it. I carry mine around in one of those totes with wheels, so the weight difference does not bother me. Infact I never realized that it probably weighed more till I read your post. :eek:

It depends on what you're doing with it and how much you're going to be lugging it around (and how you're going to be lugging it). My screen is 15" and the only time it's a problem is when I'm working on a Word document and a spreadsheet at the same time (or two docs or two spreadsheets), where I need to have both of them on the screen at once. But I can work at home and use external monitors when I really need to, and I hate carrying this thing around, so I'd prefer a slightly smaller screen than I have, but if I really hated sitting at my desk and never used an external monitor I'd probably want a larger screen. If you're going to go with the larger screen you can always seek out one of the lighter models so that the weight issue isn't as big a deal.

Personally I prefer the larger screen, especially if it's my primary computer. Sounds like this will be your primary computer, so it should be fully functional including things that will decrease eye fatigue etc.

You can always get a wheeled case to carry it (and all of your other "stuff") to client's offices if it is an issue.

Also, don't forget the many online options for purchasing your computer!

I love my 17" screen for the obvious reason that it is much nicer for viewing large excel spreadsheets, etc. The other thing I really love about it is the 10 key pad. If you will be entering numbers it really makes a big difference to have that.

The drawback for me is that I travel a lot and even though I have one of those laptop wheel luggage bags by the time you put a power cord and misc other stuff in there, the weight increases to the point that I dread lifting it up (and down and up and down) to put in the overhead bins. Also unless you are traveling in first class there isn't enough room to work on a larger laptop.

I don't have mine hooked up to an external monitor when I work from my home office and have been happy with the 17" screen for the work I do.

My next laptop will be for travel purposes only and I will get a small (less than 15") and light laptop so it doesn't make my bad back even worse.

Your clients will appreciate the larger screen. But... Personally I like the smaller lighter models because I do not like the extra weight. I travel by plane a lot and it is more comfortable for me to carry my clothes in the carry-on and the laptop in a bag that gets piggy-backed on the carry-on.

I never bring my laptop anywhere, I have the 17". If I needed it for business or something then I might have gotten a smaller one but I can use my blackberry if needed when I travel.

Depending upon what you get...

Be aware, it will not be as light as other laptops. I believe my 17 inch laptop weighs in at around 10 pounds. My parents bought me a nice Targus carrying case, that distributes the weight really nice and makes it easy to carry around...

For me, I bought my laptop because, well, I wanted one. And, when I do something, I do it right...that's why this thing cost me around 2 grand. It is an ASUS...and is essentially a desktop gaming replacement laptop.

It is nice to be able to run anything on here, in a nice big screen. Whether it's movies, or even word documents and browsing.

And SG? Honestly, I would look at online stores besides brick and mortar stores. Specifically NewEgg.com...

There, you can pretty much use their advanced search option and narrow things down to specifically what you are looking for. You may not get it instanteous like at a B&M store....but you may save money, and it opens up the options to what you can get. You aren't just limited to Acer, Sony, Dell, HP...you also get ASUS, Lenova, Fujitsu, Toshiba.

mine's an Acer Travelmate 3260 and I love it. 5-in-one memory card slot, 3 usb ports, 15 inch screen, huge power inside and weighs about 3 pounds.

I use it for casual gaming and my spreadsheets.

I bought a HP 17" and had nothing but problems with it.. I also didnt like the bulkiness of it.. it was heavy and akward to carry anywhere. I took it back.

I then bought a 15" Acer Ferrari and have been totally happy with it. I see very little differance in the size of the screen, and compared to the ease of carrying it I would go smaller anyday. My next one will be even smaller.

Wow! GREAT input!

DMJoy: Sorry, my friend, for pointing that out! ;) Good idea, the tote on wheels thing. I do anticipate that working for myself, this would be the way to go since it's inevitable that I will wind up carrying around some of these big fat documents, as well.

Dan: I know you're right, about looking at other online stores, but I've gotten a bit out of the loop on what's hot and what's not, being that I've just used whatever laptop my recent employers have given me. And I don't really have anyone here to bring me up to speed on what I should be looking for as far as details. So I'm kinda stuck with a go-with-the-herd mentality/approach. But, you know, I'll take a look at what I'm learning on the Dell site, and go hunt around on sites like NewEgg. Thanks for the encouragement. And the Dell 17" weighs in at under 8 lbs; not too bad but a couple of pounds heavier than the ones with smaller screens.

My laptop won't be my sole computer but it could very well wind up being my primary use computer. It usually has been in the past because I just hate being stuck at my desk in my home office all the time.

I'm not much into gaming or watching movies or vids on my computer so I don't need super high-end components for those activities.

Fae: I definitely liked the nearly-fullsize keyboard and 10 key on the 17". I don't anticipate doing a lot of plane travel but I could wind up doing some. Is the larger laptop awkward to use on the table tray? (Not being facetious; I'm really wondering.)

Pink: I tend to be a power-user with all sorts of documents open at once. Kinda comes with the territory of writing for a living. Good point because as I recall, my last laptop was a pain when it came to trying to work on multiple documents, concurrently.

Rosiesue and Coral: I saw Acer in the store today but had never heard of it so didn't really look closely at it. But if it's that light, I should take a look! And, Coral, I'm really not interested in an HP either. I had one a long time ago and had nothing but problems.

I have a HP Compaq nx8220....never ever had a prob with it for two years now...touch wood....power, ports, wireless stuff, lots of features for different media....goes like a dream and light as a feather

I love NewEgg. I've bought many items through them including a computer. I've saved so much money using them that there is no way I would ever buy from a store like Best Buy again. It's geared towards all types of buyers (from the whiz to the novice). The reviews are very helpful in guiding you in your decision. Unlike other sites there are usually multiple reviews filled with content and not just useless "I like it or I hate it" posts with no reasons to why they do. And we have a resident expert here (((Dan))) who is extremely helpful at helping you sort through all the jargon. He was very helpful to me when I was looking.

I've played around with an Acer laptop and loved it. I wouldn't hesitate buying one. I have a Sony Vaio and I love my computer. I know a lot of people love the Vaio laptops as well, though I don't know how pricey they are.

A new computer! How exciting (well it is for me at least, it's my favorite item to purchase because I know it's going to bring me years of fun!).

A little early...but congrats!!! :)