Buy Laptops

1. Laptop Screen Size

Size matters right? Well, when it comes to your new laptop you bet it does!

If you need your laptop to be easily transportable then size is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a laptop PC, generally the size of the screen will determine the size of the laptop and therefore its portability.

Screen sizes on laptops generally range from around 10 inches up to around 17 inches, with the average laptop screen size measuring around 14 inches.

Clearly the smaller the laptop screen size is, the smaller (and lighter) your laptop will be. If you'll be traveling with it on a regular basis then you probably don't want a screen size more than about 14 inches or so, anything bigger and it starts to become quite a lump to lug around along with everything else you may be carrying.

Size matters, but less is more...

Or more precisely, less laptop is more expensive! Computers and electronics in general are one of the few consumer product areas where the less you get (in size), the more you pay. Laptops between a screen size of about 14 inches and above generally don't incur cost penalties due to their size, but when the screen size drops below around 14 inches, the cost of your laptop will get progressively higher as the size gets smaller.

A laptop with a 10 inch screen has to make use of some pretty fancy electronics to fit all the necessary parts in whilst keeping the performance at an acceptable level, and its these electronics that mean the cost can be substantially more than a larger laptop.

Screens are one of the few areas where there is sometimes compromise when compared to desktop PCs. Whilst a 10 or 12 inch laptop can compete with a desktop for system performance, it obviously cant match it for screen size, however the clarity and sharpness of laptop screens is usually very high and doesn't cause much of a problem when using it for extended periods.

What's the use?

Your use of your new laptop, combined with how portable you need it to be, will together decide what screen size you go for.

As in most areas discussed here, gamers and intensive graphic users have the need for higher performing systems than more average users, these users need a decent screen size to work (or play), and a size of 14 inches as a minimum is probably a must.

Obviously if regular portability is required then a compromise needs to be reached between the screen size and its use, but a laptop offering a 14 inch screen tends to meet most requirements nicely in the middle and is a suitable balance for most users.

Conclusion

The screen size of your laptop is dependent on a number of factors, how portable you need it, your use of it, how much you can afford.

Generally, if your a gamer or graphics user, go for a laptop that offers a 14 inch screen or bigger. If your use will be more general (email, word processing etc) than its down to personal choice and budget. If you would like a really small, light weight laptop less than 1kg - 2kg for instance, then you need to be prepared for paying a premium as it would probably need to be a 10 inch laptop and therefore would be correspondingly expensive.

If your laptop will be mainly for home use than a screen size of 15 or 17 inches would be ideal and will give you a good display size for watching movies etc.