20-inch widescreen laptops coming soon
posted October 25th 2005 10:50AM
Forget that 17-inch widescreen laptop.
Just wait a little while, and you'll be able to pick up a 20-incher, according to one report. The study, from IDC,
points out that LG Philips is already pitching a 20-inch display to laptop manufacturers, and that Samsung already has
a 19-inch laptop (the M70, pictured) on the way.
Widescreen models, now considered niche products, are expected to dominate the laptop market by the end of next year,
according to IDC. And though you'll initially have to lay out a fair bit of coin for a mega-screen, IDC predicts that
pricing on smaller screens should begin to, er, flatten, which means you could end up being able to pick up that
20-inch unit for not much more than you'd pay for a 17-inch today.
[Via Slashdot]
Greeeeeat; I can't wait to sit next to a guy with one of these on a plane.
Has the whole world taken crazy pills?
I have a 15.4in laptop and I can't imagine anything bigger, I thought 17in was way too big. all other technology is getting smaller and laptops are getting bigger?
Too big. Maybe when the flexible displays come out they can make a laptop that folds twice or rolls up. For now, I guess you put this thing in like an art portfolio case? I don't care who you think you are, break the screen, and you will cry.
#4 (Desert):
If you can comfortably use a 17" as a laptop for longer than 10 minutes, you need to lay off your namesake(s). Even my 15" ThinkPad needs a table for long-term use. I think if it were lighter I'd have less of a problem. Maybe when solid state storage (battery-backed up DRAM or something similar) becomes affordable bigger will be better. For now, though, the average person (read: "beast of burden") needs to shed every gram from their backpack that they can.
Nah, try looking at it from a different point of view, maybe as a desktop replacement. For people who move about frequently and don't need to use it on their laps - on planes, etc. Still will be VERY heavy to bring around though, even if it's occasional.
Same here. I had an Inspiron8600 15.4" widescreen and when I upgraded I went down to the 700m 12.1" widescreen. Even though it took a bit of getting used to the smaller keyboard, I love it now and actually use it, where I would leave the 15.4" at home because it was just too big and heavy to lug around.
Niche market? I'm a buyer for an IT store and I see a good deal more than 50% of the laptops being widescreen. Maybe Dell and Lenovo haven't jumped on board yet; but that's hardly niche-market status.
I can't imagine lugging 20" of laptop around with me. I suppose it would be okay for occasional carrying, especially for those whose computer needs warrant a larger, more high resolution (although no mention of that here) screen. For the everyday computer needs I have, I think I'll stick with 15.4" or less (I really wish I had gone with 14" now).
Oh, and "desert" is a sandy, dry place, not an after-entree course (dessert).
here, this is another one. http://www.argoncorp.com/201lt.html
I've used 12", 14", 15" and 17" display panels for notebook computers. I think bigger is better for display purposes. However, I will agree that for real portability, bigger is not better.
The advantage to having larger displays, is the chassis that the PC is built in affords the notebook to offer more hardware options to the end user. More ports. More internal devices. More. Yes, it's large. Yes, it's heavy. Yes, it's probably going to keep you warm in an arctic freeze. So, yes, it's a portable desktop replacement. It's still better than the days of old "luggable" computers.
I'd take a 19" or 20" model. Being able to work with more detail on my screen is more important to me, than the overall weight - because I'm not a true road warrior. For those souls that find being at home the exception to the rule for their work experience, there are solutions for them that are sub 2 pound notebooks. For me, toting a 10 pound beast that causes the lights to dim in the airport if I power it up on their AC circuit is fine so long as it has the horsepower I need and the display panel to allow me to see everything I need to.
Besides, if all notebooks were that thin and light, companies that make rolling computer bags would lose an item from their production list...which would mean a loss of jobs for those third world countries where the bags are assembled.
David
One more, this is another one
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/334/C1183/
I think this one is the best laptop I have ever seen.
ha ha xman. That looks like you could attach another keyboard and play a great game of Battleship.
I read somewhere that the 19inch screen is detachable and can be docked to a "monitor stand" to be used as a 19" desktop monitor..
Laptop, doesn't always mean "to be used on a lap." A lot of people need/want a computer with a large display that can be transported easily. (Think of it as a literal mobile desktop) A 20 inch laptop batter life may not be all that important. It can be used on battery, only in a squeeze.
Let's say you need a place to work at the office (or home office), you want a nice big computer screen. Then you need a computer for home, You bring it home to use it at your desk; it has a full display and can be used as a TV, DVD player, burner etc.
Or maybe your a consultant who travels a lot, needs that same home computer, but wants it in their hotel, in their apartment, at their vacation house. They can easily move a PC with the power and display of a desktop around. So stop thinking of laptops ONLY as mobile workstations. Nowadays it is fairly common to move your desktop around....
This is what makes free market economies great. I have no doubt that laptop screens will get as big as people are willing to pay for. 20 inches seems like overkill to me, but then, I tote my notebook all over the place and I shudder to think of the back problems this behemoth screen might cause me. But hey, that's just me.
They may work well as desktop replacements. I mean, if you need a workhorse at office and then need to bring your work home, it wouldn't be inconvinient...
There is no way on earth I would buy something like this today. However, back in my roadwarrior days, when I was sometimes stuck for the weekend in a hotel in the middle of nowhere, with nothing on the crappy cable service they provided, and with nothing outside but a frozen wasteland, my salvation from utter despair was the combination of my books and the DVDs I brought to watch on my laptop. A 20" widescreen would have been wonderful, provided that I wasn't moving it much more than from the car to the hotel room and back.
don't worry guys. when apple makes a 19" or 20" laptop, all the fanboys will be screaming "brilliant!"
lol
It would be nice to have, that's for sure, but I already have a 17" widescreen and 15'. I do use the 15" more simple because it's more portable. The Toshiba 17" doesn't even fit properly in the case that came with it, it's too big! I wonder how long the battery would last with a screen that big!
When are they going to make laptops with detachable screens?
I want to take my COMPUTER with me, not my SCREEN. I don't use it "on the road", I use it at home, at work, at a friends place, etc.
I can have MULTIPLE screens at these locations, and just carry the light computer around.
I have a 15.5" widescreen laptop that I think is decently wide. I cant imagine what 20" would be like. My desktop monitor is only 19". Dont mind having that as a desktop replacement though.
I'm lookin at the gamers pc side, we spend tons of cash on lighter PCs, but they are still way heavier than a 20" lap would be, plus way less portable. I say give us big screen portability, we will pay for the luxary. Heh I take a 22" widescreen laptop, just because a little larger case, doesn't mean it has to be totaly filled up, plus the advantage of better cooling.