What's up with 18-inch laptops?

An 18-inch Acer next to a 17-inch Gateway.

You may (or may not) have heard some buzz lately about new laptop sizes, as models with 16- and 18-inch screens join the traditional 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, and 17-inch party (plus all those 7- and 9-inch mininotebooks).

That may seem a little like overkill, but there is at least some method to the madness when it comes to the new 18-inch screen size (and these new sizes may eventually replace more traditional 15- and 17-inch displays). Take, for example, the very first 18-inch laptop we've gotten our hands on, the 18.4-inch Acer Aspire 8920.

The new screen sizes allow for true 16:9 aspect-ratio displays, which means Blu-ray or other HD content will fit the screen better. The native resolution of our 18-inch screen was 1,920x1080-pixel resolution (you know, like Blu-ray), while a high-end 17-inch laptop is usually 1,920x1200. To fit a lower, wider panel, the Acer Aspire 8920 is about 1.5-inches wider overall than a 17-inch Gateway P-172. Even though both of these laptops were equally deep (11.9-inches), the Acer has a hinge that pivots the entire lid back, making it about .75-inch shorter when you've got the screen open at a 90-degree angle (as pictured).

The upshot is you're trading a little tabletop footprint space for a more cinematic experience in a marginally larger chassis, and we've seen some not-yet-announced 18-inch laptops that are hardly larger than their current 17-inch versions. However, we also think the laptop industry could get swamped with too many screen sizes, causing consumer confusion--so maybe we should all agree to pick a handful and stick to them. So, the question to you is: What laptop sizes should we keep, and which ones should be retired to the great wire box in the sky?

[chronoex]

My 13 inch Macbook is just the perfect size. Anything over it is pretty much overkill.

[outers55]

I've gone through a variety of laptop sizes over the years and I've decided that for me 3 sizes would be fine (relying on a phone for small computing tasks). 18" for the desktop replacement I like to use and has been very handy over the years, a 13" for carrying around, and if there is any room left in the budget, a 15 inch to leave around somewhere like work. To be honest, once I have a phone that can surf real HTML, I'll probably only worry about hte 13" and 18"

[rocketal]

Seems to me having a small, medium, and large would make sense. 12, 14, 17 perhaps? And then of course your extra small EeePC's, etc (I love my EeePC). I think most of any possible confusion would come from the adjacent sizes (14, 15 or 17, 18). Much over 17 and you're getting away from the concept of being a notebook computer. And I don't know how on earth you could consider "anything over" 13 inches as being overkill. All depends on your needs.

[prophet333]

18" screens would only be useful if they maintain or exceed the DPI of existing 17" displays, in order to finally progress beyond the old WUXGA res. 1920x1080 is clearly a functional retrogression from old-fashioned WUXGA, since 1920x1200 can just "letterbox" 1080p as well as having as being more capacious for other display purposes.

[larry123]

It's not just for movies....
An 18" screen would be great for us who trouble shoot the software an logic that runs a machine. We need to open several windows at a time to watch what's going on so we can make changes or run down the problem. However, when the heads up large screen glasses become refined......

[audiophile7]

Those new sizes dont offer real advantage over 15" or 17" when it comes to productivity. So if u buy the laptop mainly for entertainment it could be good, but for work, traditional sizes are better cuz they offer higher resolution.

I agree that they're to many sizes. I think that laptops should have 3" difference in size between one size and another, so it would be: 9", 12", 15", 18".

[will2348]

an 18 inch screen size is brilliant i love my big screens. This has pretty much persuaded me now to get a new laptop instead of a new desktop. The only reason i like desktops is because of there big screens.

[hernancrespo22]

u're an idiot..

[d4nner]

Man, I just don't understand the laptop market.

Why in the WORLD would anybody want a laptop larger than 13 in? The ONLY reason to own a laptop (IMHO :) is for PORTABILITY! In other words, for school or work.

(I must confess, I am writing this on a 15 in laptop but that is only because they are generally cheaper and I am a cheap college student.)

I guess I can conceive that it would be nice to have a gaming laptop for gaming parties. But even then, I would much prefer to just make a small tower and be able to configure and upgrade it on a regular basis and cart it (and the rest of my gear) around rather than purchasing a whole new machine every few years.

So, my question to all is: Why would you own a laptop bigger than 13 in?

[Valmeow]

I just bought the new Acer Aspire 8730 with an 18.4" screen. Yes, it weighs 9lbs., but I live in a small apartment in Manhattan and I don't have any space for a desktop. This a fabulous machine with all the bells & whistles...and the screen is gorgeous!! It fits perfectly on a bed tray w/ legs that I use on the bed. If I needed a laptop to travel with, I would probably consider the Acer mini-notebook or a small Sony Vaio. But this is my compact version of a desktop.

That is why these new 18"+ screen laptops are great for alot of us!!

[d4nner]

Man, I just don't understand the laptop market.

Why in the WORLD would anybody want a laptop larger than 13 in? The ONLY reason to own a laptop (IMHO :) is for PORTABILITY! In other words, for school or work.

(I must confess, I am writing this on a 15 in laptop but that is only because they are generally cheaper and I am a cheap college student.)

I guess I can conceive that it would be nice to have a gaming laptop for gaming parties. But even then, I would much prefer to just make a small tower and be able to configure and upgrade it on a regular basis and cart it (and the rest of my gear) around rather than purchasing a whole new machine every few years.

So, my question to all is: Why would you own a laptop bigger than 13 in?

[c|net Reader]

I can understand your concern. One can attach an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse to get the space needed for many big jobs. However, I can imagine a few cases that might make the large screen worthwhile. Consider the person always traveling, and thus not having access to the external screen, etc. I can also imagine those with failing eyesight wanting a large screen for more readability.

[only_truth]

I am a college student. I have a gateway tablet laptop so I can take notes in class. I chose gateway because I like them better than Toshiba, but currently they are the only two companies that make 14 inch tablets. The more screen real-estate for note-taking is really important to me, and because I'm in college it's not too difficult to tote around a 14 inch laptop along with other school supplies. So that's one reason to have a laptop bigger than 13 inches. I suppose if there were 13 inch tablets, I might have opted for that because it would be lighter, but the 12 inch tablets are just not big enough for my needs.

[Composer_1777]

17" laptops r pretty awesome, but only if it is a media laptop and you use a desk alot. In reality the 17-18" laptops are not that portable and are only good at home, on a desk or if you like to move alot.

[c|net Reader]

Differentiation is good, but too much bewilders the consumer. The industry must agree on some standard sizes.

As for native HD resolution, I agree with prophet333 that letterboxing works just fine while providing greater resolution for other purposes. If one display shows HD content much smaller than another, or with lower resolution, that would influence one's choice, all other things being equal. If one display looks just like the other when showing HD content and can show more content when using other applications, the larger display might be the better choice.

[hernancrespo22]

13" laptops are for business use, had a Dell Latitude, yes it was an ancient piece of crap, but i managed to bang out assignments on time, edit documents, and create power point sideshows when necessary. I have a 15.4" laptop for my personal use, and I am really loving it.. the High Definition LCD screen, and just the general ease of use made it more attractive than the 13 ". Also if its a all in one PC..15-18 inches is fine, because this would most likely serve as desktop replacements, and not be machines you would be transporting on a daily basis. Netbooks.... in my opinion are barely better than typewriters that surf the web. You can't open multiple windows & use them easily, and for a lot of men,, its too small for their hands..Google Chrome allows for tabbed browsing on any laptop. However,being cheap, and lacking the amenities of its larger brothers, the only saving grace is pricing.. and it probably allows persons who could not ordinarily own a 'laptop' to purchase 1. to me their are the TATA NANOs of laptops.. & will either find a niche or fade.. 13"..15" & 18" are here to stay.