# Used laptop recommendations: It has to fit in 9.5 inches.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665 "2013-04-02T20:47:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/1 "2013-04-02T20:47:06Z")

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I need a used laptop, under $400, That will fit:

```auto

 ----unlimited----- 
| |
^ -9.5 inches- ^
points up there
points down there
| ----unlimited--- | 

```

Winblows 7 or XP.

Anyone have, or know, a cheap machine that I can get used that will fit?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/2 "2013-04-02T20:59:56Z")

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A mini-netbook with an external DVD player.

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**Author:** ![EatTheSun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@EatTheSun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EatTheSun)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/3 "2013-04-02T22:05:27Z")

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I’ll also add that, for reasonable prices, you should see if there is a Microcenter near you. They often sell used and open box items, as well. Or check [newegg.com](http://newegg.com) or [monoprice.com](http://monoprice.com).

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/4 "2013-04-02T22:13:40Z")

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It’ll be easier to look for advertised screen sizes. My 12"-screen laptop is 8" deep. Glancing around the intertubes, it seems like most 14" laptops are around 9.5". Some will be small enough, others will be a bit bigger.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/5 "2013-04-02T23:26:44Z")

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Not sure I really understand your diagram - are you looking for something no wider than 9.5 inches? Is that it?

Could be a tall order.

If so, the 10.2-inch (diagonal) screen class of netbooks is going to be a little too big for you. The 7-inch class of devices were often something other than a full desktop OS - either Windows CE, Android, or some form of Linux.

The OQO might fit the bill.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/6 "2013-04-02T23:28:59Z")

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Actually, what do you mean? 9.5 inches wide, or 9.5 inches tall off the desk when open? Use words.

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/7 "2013-04-03T00:40:09Z")

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My assumption was that you have a 9.5" constraint on depth (ignoring thickness), and that width is unrestricted. Thus, a 9.5" x 14" x 1.5" laptop (typical for a 14" diagonal screen) would be acceptable, but a 10" x 15" x 1" would not. Is that what you mean?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/8 "2013-04-03T01:30:39Z")

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I have an Acer netbook that came out about 20 minutes before the iPad made netbooks obsolete. It’s only about 7.5" tall/deep when open, but it’s 10.5" wide all the time.

At that the keyboard is uncomfortably small. Anything more narrow than that, I wouldn’t even call a keyboard.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/9 "2013-04-03T10:58:30Z")

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If it does turn out that the 10.2 inch netbook class fits, I’m going to recommend the Samsung nc10 - I’ve done all of my home computing on one of these, for the last 4 years or so. Very capable little machin, although on paper, nearly all netbooks look the same.

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**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/10 "2013-04-03T11:22:47Z")

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Thanks, all, I guess my diagram wasn’t as clear as I thought. Let’s see if I can spell out my requirements in words, better. I currently have a 10" screen eeePC. It’s getting old, and potentially unreliable. What I primarily got it for is to run a map program in my car, so it has to fit between the seats with the screen facing me. My eeePC fits with room left over. I measured that space, I found I had 9.5 inches. Since I can’t find any of the same model in good enough condition, I want to get one with a bigger screen, and maybe running win7, instead of XP.

So, imagine you’re sitting in your driver’s seat, and it’s between them, sitting on a console, not the floor, with the screen facing the driver. It needs to fit in 9.5 inches, due to the seat belts preventing it from being any wider. I want to know if anyone has one in that size they could measure, and tell me the model if it fits, or knows of a model that would definitely fit. It doesn’t need a built-in CD/DVD drive, since I have an external one, and don’t need one very often, anyway. I’m basically looking for something bigger and more up to date than what I have, without exceeding the space available.

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**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/11 "2013-04-03T11:35:43Z")

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I just went out and looked, and if it sits forward of the seat belts, I have about 2 more inches, but then the side to side dimension becomes a possible problem, so I will consider somewhat larger, up to say 11 inches, but then I need to know the other dimension, too, to see if it will fit.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/12 "2013-04-03T12:12:44Z")

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Still confused. You’ve described everything except the dimension of the device we’re supposed to be looking at. Are you talking about:  
[ul]  
[li]The width (i.e. across the keyboard)[/li][li]the front-back-depth (i.e. from the front edge, below the spacebar, to the back edge, behind the bottom of the screen[/li][li](seems less likely now) The height of the top edge of the screen when open[/li][/ul]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/13 "2013-04-03T14:46:20Z")

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The base, where it sits on the console between the seats, with the screen up and facing the driver’s seat, so I can see the map on the screen, just by glancing down. Left edge of the screen is near the dashboard, back side of the screen is against the passenger’s seat belt.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/14 "2013-04-03T16:24:59Z")

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Which dimension of the base is the critical one? Width, or front - back?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/15 "2013-04-03T16:41:16Z")

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Again, my netbook is 10.5" wide, which looks to be pretty standard for netbooks. However, the external USB ports, power connection, etc. all are on the sides. If you need to plug something in, that could be a problem.

Oh yeah. It came with Windows 7.

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**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/16 "2013-04-03T16:50:08Z")

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It sounds like he’s referring to the depth of the laptop.

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**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/17 "2013-04-03T17:16:57Z")

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Why do you need a laptop for this? Wouldn’t tablet work better for this sort of thing? Then you can mount it on the dash and have far less for your eyes to travel (thus also making it safer to refer to in the car). Grab an LTE iPad Mini and a good mount and go wild.

Me, I just use my phone, with a ProClipUSA custom holder, mounted on the console right next to my steering wheel. Super easy to see, I barely have to take my eyes off the road, built in GPS and turn by turn, etc.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/18 "2013-04-03T19:52:31Z")

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> [@Darth\_Panda](#):
>
> It sounds like he’s referring to the depth of the laptop.

I think you’re right, if only because 9.5 inches would be a fairly small width for a full-blown computer (i.e. not just a laptop-style CE device or some such).

I don’t know why it’s turning out so hard to get this nailed down though. We don’t need to know anything about the car, just _what are the maximum footprint dimensions_.

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**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/19 "2013-04-06T17:49:33Z")

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OOPS! I thought I posted this (to follow). Instead, I realized I needed to work on it, so put it into a .txt document, and then forgot to post it.

Here’s the post I thought I posted, which will hopefully explain my needs:

OK, let’s try another diagram:

```auto

|---screen---|<|
|--keyboard--| 9.5/11.0
|--keyboard--| |
|-track-pad--|<|
^----14.0----^

```

The base of the laptop, when open, has to be 9.5 or less on that dimension labeled 9.5/11.0 to fit between the seat belts. If it’s bigger than 9.5, it has to sit in front of the seat belts, in which case I only have 14.0 inches of room before I have to take stuff out of the cup-holder and stow the cup-holder to make room for the computer. If it fits between the seat belts, there’s no restriction on the dimension labeled 14.0, because there are no screens with an aspect ratio that would even come close to not fitting. If it’s bigger than 9.5 (but no more than 11.0), it has to be no more than 14 inches on the dimension so labeled, because if any wider, it requires screwing around with the cup-holder, which I would prefer not to have to do to use it.

I originally was looking for _any_ machine that would fit that space, have enough HD space to run win3.1, hold all the 650mb from the map program’s CD, and maybe have a little space left over for some old DOS games I could amuse myself with, when stuck in a motel room. 2gigs HD space would have done it, but machines that would fit in that space, and still have a big enough screen, didn’t appear until the ‘netbook’ form-factor was invented, and then improved to the screen-size I currently have. One of my nephews got a machine that fulfilled the HD requirement, in spades, but the screen size was too small. A couple of years later, another nephew (the first one’s brother) got one that _had_ the needed screen-size, too. It was a discontinued model, so I bought one, used on eBay, for 205 bucks. I’ve been doing most of my computing on that netbook, since then.

It’s 3 or 4 years old (since I bought it, and even older when you count the years the previous owner owned it) and I need a new one. This one is starting to beep ‘something’s wrong’ at me. Netbooks continue to be sold, but I’d like a bigger screen. Screen size is tighly coupled to base size. Asus still makes netbooks in that size. I want a bigger screen. Which means I need a bigger base. I’m looking for one that will fill the space, in order to maximize the screen.

As my brother’s Squadron commander (VA-75) said (while acting as the GIB) to a new LTJG pilot, “Just fly the fucking needles.” I’m looking for a new machine that will give me needles to fly. While still being useful for surfing the web, and playing games. And has a bigger screen.

---

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-laptop-recommendations-it-has-to-fit-in-9-5-inches/654665/20 "2013-04-06T18:11:00Z")

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I have an ASUS eeePC that I just measured at 10-and-just-under-3/8 inches wide and 7" deep. Since I’m having trouble with your descriptions, I’m just throwing that out there.

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