<p>What is the optimal labtop size (inches) for carrying it around in your backpack in college? </p>
<p>Give your opinion, and support your answer plz.</p>
<p>Anything that’s below a 17". 
I’d say a 13" or 15" is good, though. A 10" netbook is even better if you wanna stay lightweight.</p>
<p>13-14", IMO, is the sweet spot for getting something powerful enough while still being portable.</p>
<p>I agree with 13-14".</p>
<p>Depends on how big you are. A 6’ football player can lug around a bigger laptop than a 5’ small frame person. Also, weight is a more significant issue than “inches”. You can get ultra laptops that have more “inches” in screen size, but less inches in thickness, thus decreasing the weight.</p>
<p>I’ve had a 13" Black Macbook all through high school. I’m not yet in college, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I love my computer, but having used 15" Macbook Pros, I would never go back. </p>
<p>Depending on the computer, I think the ultimate size difference between 13" and 15" is marginal. I would definitely go with the bigger size. The extra screen real estate is worth it.</p>
<p>If you fly a lot, 13.3" MAX. My 15.4" macbook pro is too big for those tiny airplane seats. Oh and try to keep it under 5.5 pounds. 5.5 pounds is about the upper limit of what one can conveniently carry every day.</p>
<p>D has a 14" screen. Initially thought it was a little small, but seems perfect. Some of the 13’s look to be OK as well, but many that small don’t seem to have a disk drive.</p>
<p>I have a 14.1 inch, and it’s PERFECT. And if you want to get a smaller one such as a 13", many don’t have disk drives like MADad said, but you can always buy one that connects by USB. I’m pretty sure you will not be using a disk drive during class.</p>
<p>For general school use, 13"-14". For gaming, 17". For people on a budget, 15".</p>
<p>Mine will be 15.6". It’s a desktop replacement and I can’t stand anything smaller than 15". I don’t know how you can stand those tiny screens! That said, I don’t plan to carry it around very often, which really changes the game.</p>
<p>13" - 14" appears to be the most favorable range. In terms of mobility, anything larger tends to be a bit more unwieldy (not to mention the shorter battery life). But it is indeed a matter of individual preference.</p>
<p>13" is the smallest size you can get while still getting a full sized keyboard. IMO anything under that it becomes a pain to type.</p>
<p>Acer has a netbook with an 11.6 inch screen that has a full size laptop keyboard.</p>
<p>The 10" has a smaller keyboard</p>
<p>@MADad: A full-sized laptop keyboard and a full-sized keyboards are different.</p>
<p>I’d go with a 10" netbook. The keyboard’s still full-sized, but at a weight under 3lb, it’s really easy to carry around. In fact, I have a friend who carries her netbook in a giant purse!</p>
<p>What about long assignments, you ask? Well, I have a separate desktop for that, and there’s probably plenty of computer labs with huge screens if you don’t have one. My $550 desktop is more powerful than a $3000 laptop, and my netbook only costed $260.</p>
<p>You don’t want an Acer anything.</p>
<p>@SingDanceRunLife: Care to be more specific? I’ve had great experiences with the Acer Timeline series.</p>
<p>Acer is pretty much the worst brand for computers, and there is absolutely no reason to ever even consider buying one.</p>
<p>You’re still not being anymore specific…</p>
<p>Like I said, I’ve a great experience with an Acer Timeline as well as two of my friends, and Acer has lower failure rates than Dell and HP.</p>