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Ask YC: Ideal Laptop Screen Size for a developer?

4 points by dkberktas ↗ HN
If one should buy a laptop without having a desktop, Which of these screens is enough 12.1", 13.3", 14.1", 15.4"?

Consider the crick after carrying a 15.4" for hours!

19 comments

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rms
Do you plan on hooking it up to external monitors? How many different workplaces do you have that plan on moving it between?
dkberktas
I have one 22 inch at home. During nights I can use this but at office hours (I mean normal day time) I should depend on laptop screen. I guess the optimal is 13.3 considering weight and screen resolution
brooksbp
I have a 15.4" and it's suitable for travel. Though, I'm a huge fan of multiple screens / OS X Spaces (X alternatives).

There's just no way one screen without multiple screen emulation or external monitors will 'feel' right. Need more pixels!

aston
My 13.3" has a screen with the same resolution as my older 15.4". Way easier to travel with, though (half as heavy). I think screen size + resolution is the better question.
dcurtis
The MacBook Pro 15.4" is fine for me, and doesn't weigh a ton. In my Timbuktu bag, it doesn't really hurt my shoulder for about six hours.
wus
I had tried a Dell 12.1" M1210, Macbook and Macbook Pro all before. To me the bigger the screen/resolution the better and Macbook Pro is certainly one of the lightest 15.4" so I would recommend that. Personally I could not tell the weight difference between carrying a 13" Macbook and 15" Macbook pro.

However, 13.3" and 1280x800 is my minimum requirement that mobility could not justify any smaller spec.

SwellJoe
Find a way to have a desktop. Working for sustained periods on a laptop is asking for back and neck pain, fatigue, and probably long-term damage to your body.

Also get a good chair, and a desk that is the right height, while you're at it.

My lappy is a small 12.1", but I never use it for serious work--just email, and occasional "watching a movie with the girlfriend, but still have some work to do" time. I just got an OLPC XO (7" screen, I think) and plan to use it for my primary travel lappy...no temptation to work long hours on a lappy that small, and I consider that a good thing.

ctkrohn
Absolutely agree. My work computer has triple 1280x1024 LCDs, and while I am not a professional programmer, I imagine that such a setup would make me immensely more productive. One monitor for documentation, another for your editor, a third for testing... or whatever setup you want.
pg
I use a 12" Powerbook that I take everywhere. I have big displays on each coast that I plug it into when I'm there. I'm definitely more productive with the big displays, but I've worked for a month using just the laptop itself and it was acceptable. It may help to be using a very succinct language.
ctkrohn
Too bad they don't make the 12" Powerbook anymore. Mine died a few months ago after 3+ years of service. Fortunately I don't need a laptop anymore.
mrtron
Macbook isn't much bigger, and it is great. There is a new smaller macbook apparently coming out soon.
ctkrohn
Eh, my brother and sister both have Macbooks... they're a good bit wider, and they feel flimsier due to the plastic construction. A Macbook Nano has been rumored for some time... I'll believe it when I see it. I'd like to see one 12" or smaller, with a solid-state drive, and with no optical drive.
ivan
15.4 + widescreen
staunch
Resolution is the big differentiator. A Dell 24" LCD does 1920x1200. So does a 15.4" WUXGA laptop. I worship at the resolution shrine.

I've carried both 15" and 17" 1920x1200 laptops everywhere for years, including quite a bit of international travel. Even with a spare battery the weight never bothered me. I swear by 1920x1200 and prefer 15" to 17".

The other major consideration is virtual desktops. They're the resolution multiplier and help to make up for the lack of multiple physical screens. I use Linux with WindowMaker and half a dozen "Workspaces" dedicated to different tasks.

jamesbritt
> I worship at the resolution shrine.

Same here, and opted fr a Dell D830 with a WUXGA screen to get the 15.4 1920x1200.

Smaller would have been to annoying. 

 However, for a few years I did use a Toshiba Portege with  smaller screen (and lower res) and it had two big advantages: battery life was really quite good (I used an additional battery) and you could use it on a plane without special yoga techniques, even if the seat in front was reclined.
For my most recent purchase I weighed the value of various features under the most common operating environments.
pistoriusp
My 15.4" powerbook works fine for me, but I also use an USB apple keyboard, just so much more comfortable.
altano
The mac with the smallest screen that can still be plugged directly into a DVI monitor without an adaptor.
bkbleikamp
I would get the smallest laptop you can find with reasonable specs, and just get a 24" Dell (or 30" if you get one with a decent video card) display to hook it up to at your desk.

This is convenient because you can easily take it to meetings, vacations, etc. and have all your data, but most of the time you'll be hooked up to a big display and won't need to use the laptop as the primary screen.

hbien
I'm fine using a 12" Powerbook, but they don't make that anymore. My next laptop will probably be a 13" Macbook.

When it's hooked up to a 20" screen, I've got plenty of space. When I'm just using my laptop alone, I just use a multiple desktops app (like Leopard's spaces).