<p>My dad is forcing me to get a laptop from best buy because he has a no limit, no interest credit card from there (otherwise, I'd get a t400s) </p>
<p>But still, I'm really liking these dell studio laptops. Does anybody know which would be a better fit for a college student. Is 16 inches too big. Also, they have identical specs....it's just that the 16 inch might not heat up as much and has a bigger screen. </p>
<p>I need an answer quick so please, if anybody has any input, that would help</p>
<p>To be honest, I think the Studio 14z they have right now is the best one at Best Buy.</p>
<p>16" is too big if you intend on moving it around, IMO. The XPS13 is really not significantly better than the 14z which is lighter and thinner with near identical specs-- it’s just missing an optical drive and has a 9400M instead of a 9500M. If you’re just watching 1080p video, you won’t notice a difference. If you’re a gamer… well don’t buy a laptop.</p>
<p>Our son has the Dell Studio 15 (15.6" display) and it’s great: fast, smooth, great display, and runs cool. He bought it through the Dell website and customized it with a faster processor (8600) and a better video card.</p>
<p>Larger Screen
Blue-ray DVD drive
Slightly better video card (a little faster, 512 mb)</p>
<p>16" cons:</p>
<p>6.4 lbs vs 4.9 lbs (makes a difference)
5400 rpm drive vs. 7200 rmp drive (16" has a slower hard drive)</p>
<p>If you are getting an external monitor, then the 13" is fine for limited portable use. Otherwise, I think a 15" is the smallest screen for regular use.</p>
<p>I have a 15" screen, and never take my laptop onto campus. My brother just bought a laptop with 14.1" and it is much more mobile than mine. So, if I were you I would go with the smaller one.</p>
<p>I got a 14" and it’s the biggest that I like because it’s portable enough (like 5.3lbs), but not super small. I looked at some 13" ones and I really liked them, but the 14" was cheaper, and probably nicer size overall, so that’s what I got. But if the 13" had been cheaper, that’s probably what I would’ve gotten.</p>
<p>I purchased the 16’ directly from dell, and my friend just got his 16’ after looking at mine - he got his from bestbuy. We love these computers. Go with the 16’.</p>
<p>I just got my 14z. It’s light enough to take anywhere (lighter than the macbook 13", just for a comparison), can handle medium gaming, and has 4.5 hours battery (w/ internet on, brightness low, power plan on Power Saver, and backlit keyboard on, with the 8-cell battery… so the bestbuy one’ll probably get ~3.5 hours). The Studio XPS is likely a little overpriced as it’s supposed to be Dell’s premier-line, rather than their midrange-line (the Insprions are the budget-line). And it seems like the new Studios have pretty much everything the XPSs have. Except leather accents.</p>
But if heat’s an issue, don’t get the 16 inch. I’ve read that it gets rather hot.</p>