Laptops Screen Size and other details

Question

Hey everybody, as my first post and order of business I would like to ask this. Why is it that none of the notebooks a.k.a. Laptops, have a screen size bigger than 15.4''(in)? I mean other places like Alienware, have at least the 16.1'' screen and I know that notebook screen sizes are up to 17''! I mean come on! Take the new Inspiron XPS; that thing is KICK (you know)! THE best notebook(when you get a lot of the best)that I have seen. So why, WHY a 15.4'' screen! why not 17in or even the 16.1in!

Don't mean to sound rude on my first post just...a..little..upset. lol! Ok the second thing is the hard drive. Not ONE of your hard drives other than the 60GB, go faster than 5400rpm. WHY! Why when there are so very many other company’s that have 40, 60, 80, some that even have 100GB hard drives at 7200rpm, like ONLY Dells 60GB currently has. Both of those things the 80GB at 7200rpm and 17'' screen, I really am wanting, in my laptop.SPAN>

I will be getting a laptop within the next 6-7months, and it would asure a sale from me if a laptop had what the XPS has had that stuff as well(course at that point it would have to have even more, but still you get the idea.).

Message Edited by namlooc on 04-04-2004 08:45 PM

MBrown1003 · Answer

I compared the 9100 with Gateway's current top-of-the line notebooks (M675). Executive summary: GWY's hardware UI is more user friendly (for me), but the machine appears under-configured compared to the 9100, and is more expensive.

Here's some details...

The Dell has a 15.4" screen; the Gateway has 17.1". Bigger is better, right? EXCEPT...at WUXGA, the Dell is 1920x1200 pixels; the GWY only goes to 1440x900. (Huh?) So, I'm hoping (praying?!) that the Dell's screen is nicer by virtue of the higher resolution, in spite of the smaller size and conventional aspect ratio (rather than widescreen). Can anybody comment on this?

As far as hardware...

the memory bus is 333MHz on the Gateway vs. 400MHz on the Dell
GWY doesn't offer anything over 5400 RPM on their drives, regardless of capacity
you can't get a video card of over 64 MB (and the one they offer is slower, as far as I can tell, than what's in the 9100).

When I priced them out, the Gateways (configured as closely as possible) were $200 - $300 more than the equivalent Dell 9100.

What the GWY DOES have that's really nice are the following:

integrated numeric keypad. (Some of my home computing is the accounting for my bowling league, and a numeric keypad is a must-have for that kind of data entry.)
integrated scroll when on pointing device. (There's a chrome wheel between the buttons on the pointing device that is a perfect analog for the scroll wheel on a mouse.)
integrated media reader. (Reading CF cards from my camera and SD cards from my PDA with no additional hardware would be kinda cool.)

I've been a Gateway customer for several years....this is gonna be my first Dell computer. I'm pretty unhappy with Dell's fulfillment process so far, and I really wish the Dell had some of the UI features above, but in the end, speed & power won me over. I tend to keep PCs for a while, so it's worth it to me to get a stronger/faster chassis. (This applies to my automotive tastes, too!!)

edited for readability & grammar

Message Edited by MBrown1003 on 04-05-2004 02:20 AM

Me111111 · Answer

Just curious why on earth would someone want a 17in laptop. GET A DESKTOP IF YOU WANT 17in. I would say that except for desktops bigger is not better!

Me111111 · Answer

I have Inspiron 600m and 14.1in SXGA+(1400x1050). So I know i have a high res screen in a small case so im not the one really to be replying here i guess!

Ripper108 · Answer

What system and screen size do you have Me111111 ?

sakor1 · Answer

Jeeez, the XPS is big enough as it is without a 17' screen!!! stu

namlooc · Answer

I do have a desktop with a sqaure 17in screen, I want the same for my laptop.

Me111111 · Answer

Ya Stu's right there!

HMKrieps · Answer

The reason why there is no 80 or 100 GB drive in 7200 rpm is that simply the only 2,5' drives available in 7200 are the Hitachi with 60 GB and a Toshiba with 50 GB. PLease note also that a two year old 7200 rpm HDD is normally slsower than an actual 5400 rpm drive because simply the data density increased. Similarly, a 80 Gb drive with only one disk is faster than a 80 GB drive with 2 or more disks.

namlooc · Answer

What about the smaller one's? Don't they disirve to run at 7200rpm?heh But what about other companys that have 80GB HD at 7200rpm for laptop?

mattcowger · Answer

Who offers one? Alienware doesn't (their 80GB is a 5400).

namlooc · Answer

Need to check on that I know there are some.

kormath · Answer

Jeeez, the XPS is big enough as it is without a 17" screen!!!

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'Nuff said. In my opinion the 17" screen laptops look ridiculous. Laptops are supposed to be small and compact for easy carrying etc. I've toyed with the 17" toshiba in best buy and it was hard not to laugh at the salesman as he bragged about the quality of the 17" screen. To me, (key words there) the 17" screens are a joke for a laptop. What will people want next? 19 or 21? heck why not go with a 37" plasma

HMKrieps · Answer

The only laptop I know that has bigger 7200 rpm disks is the Acer Aspire 17xx series, but it uses 3,5' desktop disks and NOT 2,5' Notebook disks. All the others have 2,5' disks and at this time, there don't exist other 7200rpm drives in 2,5' than the 2 I listed.

Me111111 · Answer

kormath, i agree i think that 12in is the lowest and smallest they should get and 15.4 is the highest and biggest. Get smaller and it doesn't become as entertaining and feature rich as a fully featured comp should be, get bigger and you've got your self a desktop with the wires crammed into a tiny case!!

Oh and for me a 14.1in or 15in is the best!!

Message Edited by Me111111 on 04-06-2004 04:58 PM

namlooc · Answer

That weights only 10 punds and you can take on trips to no where like the desert,camping, or just a long car trip! DVD's on 17in screen = better than on anything >(lessthan)17in like 15.4. any disagreements there?   I thought not.

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Laptops Screen Size and other details

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