# Is a bigger laptop screen size better?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 20, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562 "2011-11-20T18:07:54Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/1 "2011-11-20T18:07:54Z")
Especially for students. A smaller laptop is easier to carry around. I reckon a larger screen would increase work output, though. Bigger screens have better resolutions too.
---
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/2 "2011-11-20T18:13:51Z")
There’s an obvious tradeoff between screen size and portability. You need to decided what works best for you.
---
### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/3 "2011-11-20T18:45:22Z")
Last spring, at least, there were 14" laptops around. I bought those for my kids, as they seemed a good compromise between portability and screen real-estate. Also, it was hard to find a smaller screen (in the price range I was looking at, anyway) that didn’t have Windows 7 Starter. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice.
Keep in mind that even with a smaller screen, you still have the option to attach a larger external monitor when working at home. Add an external keyboard and mouse, and you’ve got the comfort of a desktop.
---
### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/4 "2011-11-20T18:49:48Z")
> [@anon11](#):
>
> Especially for students. A smaller laptop is easier to carry around. I reckon a larger screen would increase work output, though. Bigger screens have better resolutions too.
Bigger screen also equals less battery life which is kinda important for students who need to be mobile
---
### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/5 "2011-11-20T18:57:08Z")
More important than screen size is screen resolution. Even most 15" laptops nowadays are equipped with paltry 1366x768 screens which can barely display anything. This will display the exact same amount of content as a 13" 1366x768 screen, just blown up bigger. 15" isn’t worth it unless you go for one of the few laptops that feature a HD screen (1920x1080).
---
### Author:  [@anon11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anon11)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/6 "2011-11-20T19:50:11Z")
Do you suggest a bigger screen, at the expense of portability?
---
### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/7 "2011-11-20T20:14:52Z")
Are you a student? Or are you buying this for someone else who is a student? Either way, the student should try out different sized laptops at some place with a lot on display, like Best Buy, even if you’re buying it somewhere else. This isn’t a decision anyone here can really make for you.
---
### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/8 "2011-11-20T21:32:52Z")
I think a bigger screen is better. It’s a laptop so it’s going to be portable. I don’t buy that a smaller laptop is somehow more portable. There is a tendency these days to miniaturize everything to the point of uselessness. If smallness is your mindset then you may be happy with a postage stamp screen.
---
### Author:  [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/9 "2011-11-20T21:45:52Z")
How far are you going to carry it?
I have a 17.3" because my idea of portable is being able to go from the living room to the back porch.
My daughter has a 10.1" because she likes to take hers to friend’s houses.
---
### Author:  [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/10 "2011-11-20T21:49:18Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#):
>
> It’s a laptop so it’s going to be portable.
Sure, but there’s different degrees of portability. The laptops that weight close to 20lbs are on the extreme lesser end.
Why do you think the Macbook Air has been so popular?
---
### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/11 "2011-11-20T21:58:31Z")
With my first laptop purchase, I spent a little more to get a 17 inch screen. I later decided the extra size wasn’t worth it. It was also more awkward trying to use it on an airplane.
I have since bought a laptop with a regular size screen (14 inch, I think) and I don’t notice the “lack” of size.
If you are doing a lot of graphics and things like that, then maybe. I don’t.
---
### Author:  [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/12 "2011-11-20T22:08:19Z")
I have a 15" screen and opted not to get the larger 17" because it defeated the purpose of a laptop and easy portability. When I am at home I just hook a 19" LCD up to the video port and use an external keyboard and mouse like the above poster mentioned. Works great for me.
Large monitors aren’t expensive any more and you can buy one for about the difference in price between laptops.
---
### Author:  [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/13 "2011-11-20T23:02:29Z")
I’m a full-time student now since Fall and _needed_ a new notebook (for internet access) thanks to an older one failing.
Netbook. I bought one : slow, tiny screen, and even my ham hands adjusted to the odd spacing between the keys.
I would never use it as a replacement or _only_ computer, though, for doing anything … well, really, anything – only came with an MS Office “Starter” package (I can’t use OpenOffice, because I use accents when typing personal things and don’t have a “foreign” keyboard to plug in). It compiles C code fine, runs circuit emulation software, and plays well with the Internet, and is great at downloading pirated copies of The Simpsons (that last one’s a joke – probably biffed it – from South Park or some shit).
No way would I ever consider carrying around anything larger or heavier than my current model again. I guess if you’re driving everywhere it doesn’t matter, but it makes a big difference to me on foot with lots of books.
---
### Author:  [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/14 "2011-11-20T23:21:16Z")
13-14 inches I think is the ideal range for people who are constantly mobile with their computers.
But not all notebooks are created equal in terms of specs, screen resolution and processing power.
As noted earlier, Screen **resolution** is more important then screen size. My 13 inch with 720p resolution lets me do as much work as people with 15 inchers.
A new class of laptop called ultrabooks are just starting to come out which carry impressive specs in a 13 inch laptop package and weighing in under 3-4 lb at 800-1000$. I’d pick me up one of those if I were looking for a new laptop.
---
### Author:  [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/15 "2011-11-20T23:50:11Z")
I’m at a different price and use point, but I will echo the above experience.
I bought one of the first Apple 17" laptops - back when it was quite unusual - and about as expensive as it gets. I found the extra screen real estate did help me a lot - I was preparing lecture material and similar work, and the ability to get all the toolbars and peripheral context laid out on the screen was a big help. I had moved from a 14", and it really was a big leap. Early this year it finally died (after 7 years I can’t complain) and I replaced it with a 15" Macbook Pro with the high resolution screen. This is actually better. Better because it has more actual pixels on the screen, although the actual area is slightly smaller. The screen is lovely - I got the matte screen (which now comes at a price premium - which is curious given that you used to have to pay a premium for the gloss screens.) The screen 1680 by 1050 - which means I get about the same effective real estate as a reasonable sized desktop screen. So much so that I can use a virtual desktop to a remote desktop machine with no issues at all, and just flip the remote machine’s screen onto the laptop and start work.
The point: it is the size of the screen in pixels that matters most, not the physical size.
---
### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/16 "2011-11-21T00:08:19Z")
Since this is a matter of opinion, it’s better suited to IMHO than GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
---
### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/17 "2011-11-21T02:12:47Z")
> [@Harmonix](#):
>
> 13-14 inches I think is the ideal range for people who are constantly mobile with their computers.
>
> But not all notebooks are created equal in terms of specs, screen resolution and processing power.
> As noted earlier, Screen **resolution** is more important then screen size. My 13 inch with 720p resolution lets me do as much work as people with 15 inchers.
>
> A new class of laptop called ultrabooks are just starting to come out which carry impressive specs in a 13 inch laptop package and weighing in under 3-4 lb at 800-1000$. I’d pick me up one of those if I were looking for a new laptop.
720P is pretty low resolution - only 1080 x 720.
My 13” MacBook has 1280 x 800, and it’s not a particularly hi-res display.
---
### Author:  [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/18 "2011-11-21T09:31:21Z")
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> 720P is pretty low resolution - only 1080 x 720.
> My 13” MacBook has 1280 x 800, and it’s not a particularly hi-res display.
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720
Cite: [720p - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/720p)
My laptop is actually 16:10 like yours at 1280x800. Comparable to most people with 14 and some 15 inchers. Again, resolution is more important then screen size.
---
### Author:  [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/19 "2011-11-21T11:33:38Z")
I found with netbooks and laptops the size of screen and other features, really requires you look at each item individually. I bought a laptop over the Internet and was unhappy with the way it felt and screen looked. Though the laptop itself was fine, it was the feel of it I didn’t care for.
I say when it comes to netbooks and laptops you must see it and pick it up and get a feel for it. Then you can always buy it on the Internet later if you like it
---
### Author:  [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562/20 "2011-11-21T12:21:16Z")
I bought a 17 inch Asus. Good computer but it was too large- in the sense that it would not fit on a tray table on an aircraft. Sort of defeated the purpose.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-bigger-laptop-screen-size-better/603562.md?page=2)