14 inch vs 17 inch Laptop

[TenOC]

I current have a 17 inch laptop. It is mechanical sick (bad keyboard, 250Gb HD is full and screen sometime shows problems) and need to be replaced.

I do not need a new laptop a use one on ebay will do. If I go with a 14 inch laptop will the keys be the same size as a 17 inch? I know that I will lose the number pads.

Do any of you old people (I am 82) have problems typing on a 14" keyboard?

I plan to go to Best Buy or Office Depot and try out a few 14" versions.

[bighatnohorse]

TenOC wrote:

Do any of you old people (I am 82) have problems typing on a 14" keyboard?

No - I went from a 15 to a 13-inch. Keyboard is the same as far as I can tell.

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I prefer the larger screen and will get a 17-inch next time.
SSD is the way to go (as others have repeatedly posted).

PS - nice photo album. Looks like Google is going to delete it?

[K_and_I]

crcr wrote:
I've had all sizes of laptops, but am about to buy my second 17.3". Personally I would not go back to a smaller screen. As far as transporting it, the extra size of the 17" doesn't bother me at all. I carry it in a Swiss Gear backpack, along with all necessary plugs, cables, and so on, plus room for papers, files, and other things I might need.

My new laptop is going to have an SSD (solid state drive) plus a conventional hard drive. Computers with SSD's are sooooo much faster, often boot up in less than 10 seconds I am told, and are also quicker in general usage.

Definitely go with the ssd drive. At my age, every second saved matters. Who knows how many I have left? 😉

[monkey44]

crcr wrote:
I've had all sizes of laptops, but am about to buy my second 17.3". Personally I would not go back to a smaller screen. As far as transporting it, the extra size of the 17" doesn't bother me at all. I carry it in a Swiss Gear backpack, along with all necessary plugs, cables, and so on, plus room for papers, files, and other things I might need.

My new laptop is going to have an SSD (solid state drive) plus a conventional hard drive. Computers with SSD's are sooooo much faster, often boot up in less than 10 seconds I am told, and are also quicker in general usage.

You can use SSD for both drives, two different type drives, one for boot, one for extra storage. Very fast, and you delete the spin type hard drive ... works great. I have two 500gb SSD in my laptop, and external SSD for back up storage.

[crcr]

I've had all sizes of laptops, but am about to buy my second 17.3". Personally I would not go back to a smaller screen. As far as transporting it, the extra size of the 17" doesn't bother me at all. I carry it in a Swiss Gear backpack, along with all necessary plugs, cables, and so on, plus room for papers, files, and other things I might need.

My new laptop is going to have an SSD (solid state drive) plus a conventional hard drive. Computers with SSD's are sooooo much faster, often boot up in less than 10 seconds I am told, and are also quicker in general usage.

[beachcomber_1]

I have two laptops a 14 and a17. The 17 is used at home, the 14 is for traveling the 14 is fine and at 79 I don't consider myself old.

[garry1p]

I am a lot younger than you (80) and I find the 17in a lot heaver to lug around however, I prefer the 17in over my old 14in.

[K_and_I]

Campfire Time wrote:
I'm 55 and I find a 14" screen too small. I have a 15" laptop and sometimes that's too small. My laptop never leaves my house but a 17" is too big to lug around the house.

However if you are used to a 17", you will grow to hate a 14" very quickly.

TenOC wrote:

K_and_I wrote:
If the keyboard feels too small, use an external keyboard and mouse combo.

How do you use an external keyboard with a laptop? . . . . :h

Wireless keyboard & mouse. Ain't technology grand? 🙂

Yep. I carry the dongle for the mouse on every trip, and if I think I will be typing a lot of numbers, I bring the keyboard that also works with that same dongle along for the number pad.

[RoyB]

I use a couple of 14-inch model laptops here but picked up a 24-inch smart TV at walmart for less the $100. Then I route the video from the small size laptop to the big screen using HDMI connection... Matches up just fine... I also use an older DELL standalone external keyboard plugged into the laptop USB port along with a wireless mouse also using another USB port on the laptop... The only time I lift the lid of the laptop is to turn it 'ON'

I also don't care much for the audio coming from these small laptops so I have yet another USB port using a sound bar haha... My laptops all seem to have two standard USB ports next to each other and one high MB USB port off to itself on the other side...

With the 24-inch also being a HDTV set I get to watch that as well by switching to TV mode... Best $88 dollars I spent in a long time hehe... This is a PHILLIPS BRAND 24-inch SMART MODE HDTV unit from WALMART...


Google image

I will do the same in my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer when camping. All very lightweight...

Roy Ken

[wa8yxm]

I have several laptops and a desktop all the keyboards are slightly different. I have two I use most often (Identical) but you quickly adjust to the "new" keyboard and then the full size feel.. Strange.

NOTE: 14" is in my opinion about ideal. much larger and there is more eye strain so I switch to "Windowed" mode and only use part of the screen.

[Campfire_Time]

I'm 55 and I find a 14" screen too small. I have a 15" laptop and sometimes that's too small. My laptop never leaves my house but a 17" is too big to lug around the house.

However if you are used to a 17", you will grow to hate a 14" very quickly.

TenOC wrote:

K_and_I wrote:
If the keyboard feels too small, use an external keyboard and mouse combo.

How do you use an external keyboard with a laptop? . . . . :h

Wireless keyboard & mouse. Ain't technology grand? 🙂

[monkey44]

TenOC wrote:

K_and_I wrote:
If the keyboard feels too small, use an external keyboard and mouse combo.

How do you use an external keyboard with a laptop? . . . . :h

You plug an external keyboard into laptop with USB cable - same thing with a larger monitor if you you find it useful.

When I'm home, I use both, when away, I just unplug and carry the laptop with me ...

ON Edit: You could also use a wireless keyboard (regular size) and eliminate the wires. It comes with a small plug in adapter, and both mouse and keyboard are wireless.

[TenOC]

K_and_I wrote:
If the keyboard feels too small, use an external keyboard and mouse combo.

How do you use an external keyboard with a laptop? . . . . :h

[K_and_I]

If the keyboard feels too small, use an external keyboard and mouse combo.

[MrWizard]

71 yrs young
i've had a 17" for at least 5yrs

its for the display size, not for the keyboard size
whether i'm reading these forums, an online ebook, or watching video, or editing photos,