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14" too big to lug around?

T

TheWart

Diamond Member
I had my sights set on the Asus z63a which is quite cheap, but can be configured to have some extremely nice parts for less than $1400, but I am having second thoughts about the feasibility of a 14" notebook for a student on the go.

THose of you with a 14" (widescreen, btw), is it easy enough to pop in your backpack, take over to Starbucks, and then down to the library? While the 12" ones seem a little cramped (and no widescreen), the Sony S360 with its 13.3" screen is a compromise. Unfortunately, even though I might be able to snag a new one for ~$1250 after mir, it is the older centrino 1.7 chip, no DVD burner, and a slower 4200rpm hd.

I have been to the store to see the 14" ones, but it is really hard for me to tell without taking it around with me to school and other places.
 
They def are portable, but it depends on the weight. My sister has a Dell 600M and it at 5.4 pounds is pretty unportable, but my uncle has a Thinkpad and at 4.5 pounds, its pretty light. I can carry it in my backpack, and not feel a thing.
 
ig you have it in your backpack, it's not as bad as trying to carry it around. the only laptops i have are 15 inch, and needless to say they dont usualy leave the house.
 
12.1" is the largest? I know 15.4 & 17" is pushing it, but what is wrong with you guys? 😕 WIMPS!!!! 😛

Personally I carry a 15" T42 and don't mind it. I would rather have a 14" for the smaller form factor when pulling it out in class tho.
A 14" WXGA isn't bad; its about the width of a 15" notebook, but as "tall" with the screen up.
A 13.3" WXGA is ideal, but usually costly; also perhaps check out a non-widescreen 14". The 14" T43 I had was a dream to take everwhere, but I don't believe most 14" machines are as thin.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
12.1" is the largest? I know 15.4 & 17" is pushing it, but what is wrong with you guys? 😕 WIMPS!!!! 😛
Click to expand...

No kidding. I haul around a XPS2 with power brick, external 100 gig, 10# of books and a spare battery EVERY DAY.
Some of you guys need to get to the gym.
It would not be an ideal system for the op though.
 
What do have have - a generation of weaklings? I hauled a 9.5 lb. notebook with full accessories for a few years all over the place - South America, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, etc.

Now I have a new 5.4 lb. 14-in WXGA, and it is nothing at all to carry.

The big load is a 23 lb. backpack with my digital SLR and 5 lenses.

I look at it as good exercise - too many young, flabby Americans these days. 🙂
 
Its not that we don't want to carry the weight. It just doesn't feel cool carrying a big laptop bag to put everything in. I'd much rather have a 12.1 Inch Laptop in my backpack with a mini laptop mouse in my pocket than carrying a 10 pound monster in a laptop bag.
 
14" ThinkPad T series is sweet... best blend of weight while not compromising on screen size. @4.6 pounds, who can complain when anything typically smaller is only shaving 1 to 1.5 pounds off has a smaller screen, and most likely won't have the optical drive.
 
Originally posted by: WackyDan
14" ThinkPad T series is sweet... best blend of weight while not compromising on screen size. @4.6 pounds, who can complain when anything typically smaller is only shaving 1 to 1.5 pounds off has a smaller screen, and most likely won't have the optical drive.
Click to expand...
Dan, I'm glad you're here to play up the Thinkpads so I can't be called for playing favorites 😛
 
Originally posted by: Hacp
They def are portable, but it depends on the weight. My sister has a Dell 600M and it at 5.4 pounds is pretty unportable, but my uncle has a Thinkpad and at 4.5 pounds, its pretty light. I can carry it in my backpack, and not feel a thing.
Click to expand...


I can understand most of the arguments one way or the other, but WTF? How does 0.9 lbs. make the difference between "not feel a thing" and "pretty unportable"?

The bottom line is that under 14" you start having to make some big compromises. 14" laptops have a comfortable keyboard, a good-sized screen, enough room for an optical drive and a regular 2.5" hard drive, a decent amount of space to rest your palms on, room for a reasonable size battery, and the nice thin ones are in the 4 to 5 lb. range. Most 12" laptops are already making some big compromizes, and they're not even much lighter. If a 14" is really too big, you pretty much have to go for the true ultra-portables around 2.5 lbs. like the tiny Sonys or the Latitude X1 with a ULV CPU, no optical drive and slow hard drive.
 
Originally posted by: shady06
Originally posted by: screwd01
Originally posted by: R3MF
agreed.

12.1" widescreen is the largest i would be willing to lug around.
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same, i had a dv1000 and returned it....didn't like the weight aroud campus
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ditto, traded a v2000 for a 700m
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Nothing wrong with getting a Dell because of a good coupon, but don't kid yourself about the weight. The 700M is closer to the weight of a 14" than it is to most other 12" laptops.

The 700M is 1.5" thick and 4.1 lbs. with the tiny 4-cell battery. The HP/Compaq 14" laptops are the biggest 14" models I've seen, and they're 1.5" thick and weigh 5.3 lbs. with a 6-cell battery. 14" Gateways are 1.1" thick and 5.1 lbs. 14" VAIOs are 5.1 lbs. 14" IBMs are 4.9 lbs.

I'm just amazed that 1 lb. is breaking everybody's balls. If weight's that big a deal, get the 2.78 lb. ThinkPad X40 or the 2.5 lb. Latitude X1.
 
I used to lug a 15" laptop around, but got sick of that (and other problems with that notebook) and replaced it with a 12" iBook. Much nicer. 14" wouldn't be as bad as the 15" though, but I wouldn't do it.
 
I carry my 15" HP ZT3000 all the time. A nudge over 5 pounds, it's no lightweight but I wouldn't trade it for anything smaller. Had a 700M and disliked it -- small keyboard made it impossible for me to type on (I'm doing more than just clicking things when I use my system). My 15" 1920x1280 screen is also one that is pretty much not going to get me sold on a lesser spec system even if it weighs less.
 
I don't understand why everyone here is complaining about weight being such an issue. Carrying anything under 20 pounds shouldn't be such a big deal. I carry around the laptop in my signature and the notebook alone weighs 9.49lbs. The case is around 5 lbs.
 
And my Inspiron 6000 is not heavy at all for me. Geez, its like carrying a light textbook around. Some people are rather spoiled in terms of weight requirements.

now as for size, thats a different matter, 15.4 is the largest l like to carry but 17in, that thing needs to not move as much.
 
its a 2 inch difference.

not that big of a deal if you really think about it.

did i mention that its awesome for playing DVD's 🙂?

and that i only paid $1,230(total with shipping and handling) for it, with a $100 rebate i gotta turn in when it arrives.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: WackyDan
14" ThinkPad T series is sweet... best blend of weight while not compromising on screen size. @4.6 pounds, who can complain when anything typically smaller is only shaving 1 to 1.5 pounds off has a smaller screen, and most likely won't have the optical drive.
Click to expand...
Dan, I'm glad you're here to play up the Thinkpads so I can't be called for playing favorites 😛
Click to expand...


Heh.....(points fingers at all the Dell nuts) 🙂

Yes, I'm biased. We're biased!!! But I find ThinkPad users are biased for very real reasons in regard to their personal experience with the product. I'm also realistic when it comes to the other choices of others out there, as I've touched and worked with many of them.
 
Originally posted by: corkyg
What do have have - a generation of weaklings? I hauled a 9.5 lb. notebook with full accessories for a few years all over the place - South America, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, etc.

Now I have a new 5.4 lb. 14-in WXGA, and it is nothing at all to carry.

The big load is a 23 lb. backpack with my digital SLR and 5 lenses.

I look at it as good exercise - too many young, flabby Americans these days. 🙂
Click to expand...

True that homey. I carried my dv1000 everyday with a couple of books and it felt like nothing, especially in a backpack. I figured I had more leeway, so I got the Inspiron 9300, which is under 8 pounds, and it's been no problem walking even the 3/4 mile between my apartment and my girlfriend's in the heat. Anything under 10 pounds for a computer is really easy.
 
Well, I'm not exactly young and flabby. I'm a runner and borderline weight room junkie, and I still find my current 6.5 lb. notebook irritating at times. Just carrying it around all day when you also have to carry around over 20 lbs. of books is a bit tiresome. I almost got an X1 when they had that Latitude coupon.

I guess it really depends more on what kind of bag you have. If you have a normal bag with a shoulder strap, carrying 20+ lbs. just becomes awkward because of the balance, and some people don't like using a backpack and looking like a highschool kid.
 
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