<p>I've read a lot of people saying not to get a 17'' laptop, because they are generally heavier and take up a lot of space. However, from looking around, 17'' laptops usually have bigger specs, which is important to me. Also, they tend to be cheaper than a 14 or 15'' laptop with the same specs. </p>
<p>So, are they THAT bad? Does the increased weight and size really make that much of a difference?</p>
<p>Where have you been shopping? Just wondering because everywhere I looked, the larger the screen, the higher the price (unless it was much lower specs).</p>
<p>It really does make a huge difference. A 17" laptop is really big and bulky as well as much heavier (and even a 14" laptop can easily weigh around 6 pounds).</p>
<p>It depends how much portability/performance you want. The highest performance laptops are generally 17", and if you’re into gaming then that might be the right avenue. Portability is an issue, though, as you’re not going to want to lug it around campus all day. If you’re mostly just going to use it in your dorm and can go without it in class then it would probably be fine.</p>
<p>No it is fine. They are around 9.5 pounds, which should fit in your backpack. I would prefer to carry around a laptop that can play 1080p video (maybe with a blu ray drive too).</p>
<p>It’s hard to give a recommendation just by knowing the size. But, if you plan on not taking your laptop everywhere, it works just fine,.</p>
<p>the only stats that are higher on 17" are graphics. to say that 17" have greater specs is inaccurate.
i agree that prices are higher as the product gets smaller; its a weird irony, but it is true. its much harder to find a deal on a 13" than a 15". the differences in price between a 17" and a 15" isn’t so bad though.</p>
<p>long story short, dont get a 17" because you think the specs are better. thats a terrible reason to buy such a bulky laptop. i have other reservations, but i have to stress that whatever size you get, the screen wont make you feel any better. if you go from a 17" to a 13", you wont know the difference after the first week of using it. the only difference you’ll really be thankful for after that is the 30-40% weight difference.</p>
<p>
Because high definition video on a 17" screen looks so much better than standard video… (hint: the difference is going to be barely discernible)</p>
<p>
There’s no irony. The only real increase in cost for a larger laptop is the larger screen; the cost of the larger case, etc are negligible. The costs in condensing all the parts for a smaller laptop outweighs the size of the screen, though, which is why they cost more. Why do you think laptops cost so much more than comparable desktops?</p>
<p>
I disagree. While the increase in weight is a nuisance, the increase in screen size from a 17" to a 13" is huge and is definitely noticeable if you play games or watch movies. Also, they generally have larger keyboards, too.</p>
<p>So, it basically comes down to a question of if you’re willing to sacrifice weight for screen size; if you are a heavy gamer and/or watch a lot of TV/movies, then it could be worth it. Otherwise, it probably won’t be.</p>
<p>Get a Quad Core Asus desktop for $750 on bestbuy.com and then get a 10" NetBook with 6 hours battery for $300. You get power and portability for what could be a lower price.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How muscular are you, and if you’re not big, then how good is your posture? Even if it were the only thing in my backpack, I would still not want to carry around that heavy of a laptop with me for an entire day’s worth of classes. If you don’t mind it, then you either deadlift a lot or you have severely internally rotated shoulders that hurt all the time.</p>
<p>im thinking of getting a Toshiba A505 which is 7.2 pounds and am worried about the weight…
anyone have any advice on this?</p>
<p>my advice would just to be aware of alternatives. if you dont plan on being a super heavy computer user in college (hopefully this is the case), then consider that your biggest concerns are probably not going to be with those those things that make a computer heavy. </p>
<p>portability is a luxury, and large screen size is usually not necessary.</p>
<p>If you seriously think that you need the power of a 17" laptop, then buy a desktop + netbook/ultra-portable. You’ll spend the same amount, get more power, and have a more portable machine on the go.</p>
<p>No one ever walks around with a 17". I’m in my fifth year (doing a master’s degree) and I’ve never seen a 17" laptop in a single classroom. It’s just not something you carry around, and if you’re not going to carry around your machine, get a desktop.</p>
<p>I rarely saw anyone with a laptop screen bigger than 15"…the sweet spot seemed to be in the 11"-13" range. And there’s a reason for that.</p>
<p>Agreed, ilovebagels.</p>
<p>If you’re moving around, you’re not carrying anything that’s more than 5.5 lbs and larger than 14.1", and most people who are using their laptops constantly on the go had the 11.6-13.3" size.</p>
<p>I’m not certain, but I feel like most of the people I knew who didn’t have macbooks had 15" laptops, and there were still a decent amount of people with MBP’s that size too. I don’t recall seeing many 11" laptops, either…</p>
<p>I think there’s an essential question that has to be answered by anyone interested in buying a laptop: why do you want a laptop as opposed to a desktop?</p>
<p>If your answer is “mobility,” then it is absolutely pointless to purchase a 17" laptop because you will not be carrying it around for classes; it’s just too heavy. Like modestmelody, I’ve never seen any 17" laptops in any of my classes.</p>