Computers & Networking

[koppes]

Since Netbooks have become so popular, laptops have grown in size.  The best size for a portable laptop is 14", and 15.6" seems to be the standard now.  I am a busy graduate student who bikes everywhere, and I carry my life on my back.  I need a small, powerful laptop on a budget, but the cheapest laptops are all 15.6".  Mind you that a larger screen also uses more power, which means less battery life.

Why are laptops so huge???

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

GO Here

There are tons.... 

[koppes]

I am aware.  I have looked at this page every day for the last month waiting for something to pop up (or go on sale).

The most 14" computers are over $600, and my price range is $400.  There are a couple, but they do not fit my specs--especially when there are nicer 15.6" computers for cheaper.  There is a sweet 14" HP advertised for $380, but it is not on sale.  THAT is the computer I want, but why is it not on sale?  Make it go on sale, and I will buy it.

[CrystalWoW Community Veteran]

For that particular unit I would suggest writing down the sku and calling your local stores to see if they have it as sometimes those items show up in store before they switch to available to purchase on bb.com. Smaller laptops always cost more in general for the same specs because they have to manufacture it special just to cram it all in the smaller case. Honestly, to get the best bang for your buck, I would suggest moving to the 15 inch size as it honestly doesn't make a huge difference for weight/dimensions. Maybe half a pound and a half an inch either way.

[RedWyv3 Best Buy Employee]

You might actually be better suits to a Tablet style PC at Best Buy. Small and portable, there are plenty of cheaper options and they do a wide variety of things. Extended battery life will definitely safe you having to constantly recharge. Or, a netbook, which has a physical keyboard.

[hockeycanuckjc Trusted Contributor]

In regards to the world of Netbooks, AMD has recently gotten into the game with their entry into the Netbook processor world. If you can find an AMD powered Netbook, you can get a model that has 2GB of Ram and a ATI Radeon 6250 graphics accelerator. These may cost close to a normal sized laptop, but keep in mind you can easily plug it into a bigger monitor when you are home, and then when you are on the go it acts as a laptop.

As for me, I love Netbooks because I use mine as a "Nettop" when at home plugged into a USB Keyboard, and USB Mouse, and my outdated by todays standards but still highly functional 20" CRT Monitor" (Compaq S920)