Ask YC: Ideal Laptop Screen Size for a developer?
If one should buy a laptop without having a desktop, Which of these screens is enough 12.1", 13.3", 14.1", 15.4"?
Consider the crick after carrying a 15.4" for hours!
Consider the crick after carrying a 15.4" for hours!
I've carried both 15" and 17" 1920x1200 laptops everywhere for years, including quite a bit of international travel. Even with a spare battery the weight never bothered me. I swear by 1920x1200 and prefer 15" to 17".
The other major consideration is virtual desktops. They're the resolution multiplier and help to make up for the lack of multiple physical screens. I use Linux with WindowMaker and half a dozen "Workspaces" dedicated to different tasks.
Same here, and opted fr a Dell D830 with a WUXGA screen to get the 15.4 1920x1200.
Smaller would have been to annoying.
However, for a few years I did use a Toshiba Portege with smaller screen (and lower res) and it had two big advantages: battery life was really quite good (I used an additional battery) and you could use it on a plane without special yoga techniques, even if the seat in front was reclined.
Also get a good chair, and a desk that is the right height, while you're at it.
My lappy is a small 12.1", but I never use it for serious work--just email, and occasional "watching a movie with the girlfriend, but still have some work to do" time. I just got an OLPC XO (7" screen, I think) and plan to use it for my primary travel lappy...no temptation to work long hours on a lappy that small, and I consider that a good thing.
There's just no way one screen without multiple screen emulation or external monitors will 'feel' right. Need more pixels!
However, 13.3" and 1280x800 is my minimum requirement that mobility could not justify any smaller spec.
This is convenient because you can easily take it to meetings, vacations, etc. and have all your data, but most of the time you'll be hooked up to a big display and won't need to use the laptop as the primary screen.
When it's hooked up to a 20" screen, I've got plenty of space. When I'm just using my laptop alone, I just use a multiple desktops app (like Leopard's spaces).