16-17 inch laptop and traveling

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stocknoob4111
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16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by stocknoob4111 »

Anyone here use a 16+ inch laptop and travel with it frequently? Do you regret it or do you enjoy the bigger screen. What model did you buy?

I currently have an old Surface Pro 4 (12.3"), absolutely love it's diminutive nature but at almost 7 years old it's showing it's age (slow dual core) and looking to replace it. Still torn whether I should go with a 14" or a 16-17" one. I plan to full time travel in the future and having the larger screen as my only machine may be something I appreciate more.
JD09
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by JD09 »

I used to in 2016 - long haul international every month. It was a pain. More than size, the weight - it was a corporate asset. I was happy to trade it in for Virtual access(which at that time had less compute). I have a 13.3" personal now and its perfect for travel and when WFH while I'm abroad. If I need more screens, I can hook it up to external monitors.
THY4373
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by THY4373 »

I have done it both ways with 13/14" and 16/17" laptops. It depends on your needs and how you travel. I miss the screen real estate and generally better hardware of a big laptop but not enough for me to give up travelling light/small so my default now is smaller is better. But I really like to travel light these days (only one carry on bag total). YMMV
bloom2708
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by bloom2708 »

I don't think a 16" or 17" laptop makes sense much anymore. Especially for traveling due to the size and weight.

I'd buy a USB 3.0 Dock or USB-C Dock and hook it to a nice big monitor at home if you have a dedicated spot.

I'd stay in the 11 to 13" size for frequent travel.
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cheese_breath
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by cheese_breath »

I had a 17" laptop for the home. Big screen because DW's poor vision didn't allow her to read anything smaller. Sat on the desk at home most of the time, but we took it with us every year when we went to her daughter's home for Christmas week. With the appropriate carrying case it's just like carrying a briefcase.
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the_wiki
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by the_wiki »

Check out the LG gram line. Their 17" laptop weighs 2.9lbs, 16" weighs 2.6lbs. For comparison, an Apple Macbook Air 13.3" weighs 2.8lbs and is considered "ultraportable". Your Surface Pro 4 with the keyboard cover is 2.4lbs. They are unbelievably light computers and they usually have some on display at Costco so you can handle one and be amazed.

It still has a large footprint so you need a good sized notebook backpack to pack it in. But the weight will not be an issue.
Jags4186
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Jags4186 »

Comes down to whether you want to use a computer on an airplane. I find it near impossible to use a laptop on an airplane but if I tried I can’t imagine using anything bigger than 13.3” in economy. If you fly upfront that’s another matter.

In general, I like screen real estate for spreadsheets. I don’t need 17” to browse the web.
normaldude
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by normaldude »

Most airlines let you carry-on:

1) A personal item (~16"x10"x8"), must be able to fit under seat in front of you.

2) A carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9"), must be able to fit in overhead bin.

A 13.3" laptop will definitely fit in the personal item bag (~16"x10"x8"), but a 16"-17" laptop will probably not, and will have to fit in your carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9").

In most situations, this isn't a problem.

HOWEVER, sometimes you get to the airplane, and all overhead bins are already filled, and the airline staff insists that you must check your carry-on suitcase before boarding. This becomes a problem because:

a) Lithium batteries - like the one inside your laptop - are not supposed to be in checked luggage. This is because the luggage area of an airline isn't pressurized like the passenger cabin, and lithium batteries can explode, catch fire, etc. Different airlines around the world may have different policies & enforcement, regarding spare batteries vs laptop batteries.

b) Approximately 1% chance that checked luggage gets lost. They'll usually get the lost suitcase back to you after a day or two, but some suitcases are lost forever.

MY CONCLUSION: I stick to 13.3" laptops (and some 14" laptops) where the 2nd dimension is under 9" (with sleeve, under 10"). That way, I can always fit it inside my personal item bag (~16"x10"x8"), and it will always be with me. If I were a digital nomad, and wanted to travel with a bigger monitor, I'd probably buy a separate 15"-17" portable monitor, and keep that in the carry-on suitcase (22"x14"x9").
Last edited by normaldude on Wed May 10, 2023 10:20 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Independent George
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Independent George »

What are you using your laptop for? Most of the people I know who use 16"-17" laptops are either video editors, engineers, or gamers. At the other end of the spectrum, if you're just using it for light tasks like browsing or watching videos, a tablet makes way more sense. In between, 12-14" thin & light laptops are great for light productivity tasks. I will say that a 3:2 aspect ratio is a huge improvement on those small laptops compared to widescreen.
02nz
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by 02nz »

I tend to think 14-inch displays are the best compromise for size and portability. There's been a shift away from the 16:9 aspect ratio (back) toward taller 16:10 or 3:2; being more square, these give more display area for a given diagonal size. I find that in terms of usable screen space, my 16:10 14-inch laptop is about as good as a 16:9 15.6-inch display, and the 14-inch is of course far more portable (and much narrower, another consideration for airplane use).

Another thing you might consider is a USB-C external monitor, these are not too expensive, and you might get a smaller laptop for those times when portability is important, with the ability to bring the USB-C monitor when for example you're going to be in one place for a longer time.
Last edited by 02nz on Wed May 10, 2023 3:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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unclescrooge
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by unclescrooge »

I've used 13 and 14 inch Dell latitude for travel for years. They are great.
I prefer 14 inch screen but they are both great.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by bob60014 »

Do you need/want to bring a laptop along while traveling? What are you really using it for? Something specific? If it's just "that's all I've used and feel comfortable with it ", forget it and just get a tablet. I transitioned years ago and haven't looked back.
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mrmass
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by mrmass »

Depending on what you do with it. For me, I travel with a Surface Go 2, yup 10.5in screen. I don't do any processing on it as I RDP into a computer at work to do most of my work. I like to travel light.

It fits in this

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09F96VQVV?re ... tails&th=1



At home If I use it, its connected to a 32" 2K monitor.
lakpr
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by lakpr »

I have a Lenovo Ideapad-3 laptop with 16" monitor. I usually work from home, and this laptop is my daily driver. I also take this laptop on trips, and recently made a trip to India with it. It does fit in my High-Sierra backpack, which was my carry-on luggage during the trip: https://shop.highsierra.com/backpacks-b ... -save-more (but a bluish color than the blackone shown here).

I really dislike the tiny real estate on 13.6" or lower displays on the laptop.
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AllMostThere
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by AllMostThere »

16" & 17" is too big and heavy to regularly travel with. IMHO, 14" is the sweet spot for travel size. Good screen size with manageable weight. :beer
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by FrugalInvestor »

Twenty years ago when I was working I lugged around a 15" Dell when I traveled, what a pain that was! Now I use an old 11" Samsung Chromebook for travel and a much newer 14" at home. I have no desire to go back to the "good ol' days." Technology has improved our lives in many ways and the size and weight of laptops is an excellent example of that. I would stick with nothing larger than 13" for travel.
Last edited by FrugalInvestor on Wed May 10, 2023 7:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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UpperNwGuy
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by UpperNwGuy »

If you're going to travel, get a small screen.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by jello_nailer »

Dell XPS 13
13.4" Screen, weighs 2.59 lbs. I have one with 32GB RAM. Wouldn't have it any other way, except maybe the small Mac Air.
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tibbitts
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by tibbitts »

I had a 17in laptop but it was awkward for travel. I went back to 15.6 and am happy with that.
Running Bum
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Running Bum »

the_wiki wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 3:11 pm Check out the LG gram line. Their 17" laptop weighs 2.9lbs, 16" weighs 2.6lbs. For comparison, an Apple Macbook Air 13.3" weighs 2.8lbs and is considered "ultraportable". Your Surface Pro 4 with the keyboard cover is 2.4lbs. They are unbelievably light computers and they usually have some on display at Costco so you can handle one and be amazed.

It still has a large footprint so you need a good sized notebook backpack to pack it in. But the weight will not be an issue.
I second this. It fits in the notebook backpack I had for smaller laptops and I also got a thinner sleeve type pack when I don't have much else to carry.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by the_wiki »

normaldude wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 3:27 pm Most airlines let you carry-on:

1) A personal item (~16"x10"x8"), must be able to fit under seat in front of you.

2) A carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9"), must be able to fit in overhead bin.

A 13.3" laptop will definitely fit in the personal item bag (~16"x10"x8"), but a 16"-17" laptop will probably not, and will have to fit in your carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9").
16x10x8 seems really small. Where did you get those numbers. Would a standard backpack even fit in that area? The few airlines I checked were more like 18x14”, which would easily fit the biggest laptops on the market.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by normaldude »

the_wiki wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 8:04 pm
normaldude wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 3:27 pm Most airlines let you carry-on:

1) A personal item (~16"x10"x8"), must be able to fit under seat in front of you.

2) A carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9"), must be able to fit in overhead bin.

A 13.3" laptop will definitely fit in the personal item bag (~16"x10"x8"), but a 16"-17" laptop will probably not, and will have to fit in your carry-on suitcase (~22"x14"x9").
16x10x8 seems really small. Where did you get those numbers.
Yes, I'm using very conservative numbers for personal item limits:

===========

United Airlines: 17"x10"x9"
http://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/travel/ ... ry-On.aspx

American Airlines: 18"x14"x8"
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/bag ... aggage.jsp

Spirit Airlines: 18"x14"x8"
https://customersupport.spirit.com/en-u ... e/KA-01143

Ryanair: 16"x10"x8" / 40cm x 25cm x 20cm
https://help.ryanair.com/hc/en-us/artic ... Bag-Policy

===========

Therefore, I find that a 16"x10"x8" personal item bag should beat most bag sizers.

Image

Image

===========

Unfortunately, the 16"x10"x8" personal bag that I use is currently unavailable.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078TFVCB2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798RVZFH
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HWP8922

Doing a search on Amazon.com for "ryanair personal item" and "united airlines personal item", I found some bags that are of similar size;

16"x10"x8"
https://www.amazon.com/Cabin-Manhattan- ... 07K47BG6K/

16"x10"x8"
https://www.amazon.com/Cabin-Max-Ryanai ... 07SM7B7VR/

17"x10"x9"
https://www.amazon.com/KT20-17x10x9-Hol ... B0B8D2HS82

16"x11"x8"
https://www.amazon.com/ECOHUB-Backpack- ... B0BS11FYZ1

===========

NOTE: I'm just being ultra-conservative with my 16"x10"x8" personal bag size. Many airlines won't even measure your personal bag, as long as it fits under the seat in front of you.
gavinsiu
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by gavinsiu »

You should factor in the power adapter. Many of the 13-14 inch laptop tend to use a more ultra-lower cpu with integrated graphics. The power supply might be a usb c adapter a little bit bigger than your phone charger. The 16 inch tend to have a desktop cpu and a power hungry GPU, it might draw over 100W and the adapter is likely to look like a large brick and weights a few pounds.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by jetstream »

+1 for the LG Gram. I have been traveling with one for several years. I like the 17" screen, the numeric keypad and the large keys. I even carry a second portable/travel monitor when on long trips and a wireless mouse. Some people don't need that much screen and keyboard, but I find it very helpful. I spend many hours working on the computer while on the road. The whole setup easily fits into a day-sized backpack with room left over for books, noise canceling headset and other travel gear.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Mr. Buzzkill »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 2:14 pm Anyone here use a 16+ inch laptop and travel with it frequently? Do you regret it or do you enjoy the bigger screen. What model did you buy?

I currently have an old Surface Pro 4 (12.3"), absolutely love it's diminutive nature but at almost 7 years old it's showing it's age (slow dual core) and looking to replace it. Still torn whether I should go with a 14" or a 16-17" one. I plan to full time travel in the future and having the larger screen as my only machine may be something I appreciate more.
I travel frequently with a 16 inch MacBook Pro. It’s large, heavy from being made of metal casing instead of plastic. But I have no regrets because:

1. I work remotely on it most days, and don’t always have access to a larger external monitor, and I need to the mmaximum screen real estate that I can get for my primary display

2. I never use it on an airplane because seats are so narrow these days and spaced so close to fore and aft seats that I can’t spread my elbows on my long arms enough to comfortably use it, and because of the risk of the inconsiderate person in front of me reclining his seat without checking first.

3. Instead, I keep an iPad in my laptop bag, with folio keyboard case. In flight, I can use the iPad and keyboard far enough forward on the seat-back tray that my elbows aren’t too much a problem, and it’s short enough to not get crushed when the forward seat reclines. It also can double as a secondary monitor for my laptop screen when i have no other option for extended screen real estate. And it serves as my eReader when I use the Kindle app on the iPad.
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stocknoob4111
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by stocknoob4111 »

thanks for all the perspectives. For sure I normally would not consider a 17" laptop for travel, however, there are now some larger laptop models out there that are also lightweight. The LG Gram (mentioned in this thread) and Acer Swift X are 2 that were on my radar. The LG Gram is frequently on sale at Costco which also makes it a candidate. I've tried it out at Costco and it is crazy light so does it mean one can have our cake and eat it too perhaps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS4Pi3vL2zA

My work laptop is a DELL Precision 5560 11th gen 15.6" that weighs 4.3 lbs. with 32GB. I like this laptop, performance is amazing even though it's a previous generation but i've taken it on a few trips and after a while the weight can be borderline heavy.

One con with the LG Gram is that it's difficult to find a model with dedicated graphics and the integrated Iris Xe graphics aren't great if one wants to do
some basic video editing. I've heard the integrated Radeon graphics on the Ryzen 7 are much better in this regard. Acer Swift X comes with a Ryzen 7 but the current gen (6000 series) does not have USB 4 which is a deal breaker and the availability of the Ryzen 7000 series is spotty.

So, from what I am gathering from the comments, if weight wasn't an issue some may change their mind?
Last edited by stocknoob4111 on Thu May 11, 2023 8:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
gavinsiu
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by gavinsiu »

Are you plannning to do video editing while on battery power? A lot of those gpu laptop will get 8 hours of battery life if doing low power stuff and may be one hour if you use work the GPU. Typically the cpu's processing power is reduced on battery. This would not apply to a m series Mac book.
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stocknoob4111
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by stocknoob4111 »

gavinsiu wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 8:03 am Are you plannning to do video editing while on battery power? A lot of those gpu laptop will get 8 hours of battery life if doing low power stuff and may be one hour if you use work the GPU. Typically the cpu's processing power is reduced on battery. This would not apply to a m series Mac book.
Unsure about video editing at this time but I may choose to use it for video editing, since I am planning to keep my next machine for 5 years at least I want to make sure I am getting something that takes into account other use cases. Yeah, it will definitely be plugged in if I am using it to edit videos or do anything performance oriented.

Starting next year I will be traveling full time (nomadic travel) so my use case is more as a desktop replacement as it will be my primary computer. But there is also the consideration that if one is traveling a lot a large heavy computer can become unwieldy. As I mentioned if the 17 inch was heavy as well it would be a non starter, but if weight wasn't an issue would the form factor be a problem, that I don't know yet.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by jpohio »

Rumor is that Apple will announce 15.5” Mac Air at their development conference in early June. Nobody knows how real that rumor is and nobody knows the specs (max memory, weight). Might be of interest to you.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by gavinsiu »

One advantage to the larger laptop is that they usually have the option of upgrading the memory. So let's say you start doing a lot of video editing and need 64 Gb of memory, you can swap in some large memory.

If you go with the Mac, you have to go with whether memory configuration you purchased it at. Apple also charges a premium for more memory.

I am not familar with how the software operate on each OS.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by illumination »

This is probably just a "me" hang up, but one reason I don't buy the larger screen is I hate traveling with a really expensive laptop. At least in the Mac world, the larger screens really have a big jump in price.

If it was something that was in the safety of my own home at all times, would feel more comfortable with a $3,500 laptop than something that's getting banged up. I can also more easily process just buying a $1200 laptop more often and realize its disposable and will have some cosmetic damage.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Barsoom »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Wed May 10, 2023 2:14 pm Anyone here use a 16+ inch laptop and travel with it frequently? Do you regret it or do you enjoy the bigger screen. What model did you buy?

I currently have an old Surface Pro 4 (12.3"), absolutely love it's diminutive nature but at almost 7 years old it's showing it's age (slow dual core) and looking to replace it. Still torn whether I should go with a 14" or a 16-17" one. I plan to full time travel in the future and having the larger screen as my only machine may be something I appreciate more.
I have a Dell Alienware 17" laptop that I've traveled with. It is a bit heavy to lug through an airport, but if you're going to be in one place for awhile (like a week or more), it might be worth taking it.

My wife has a Surface Pro 7 that she uses at home and travels with it. She started with a Surface Pro 3, but Microsoft bricked it with a Tuesday update after the warranty expired. I replaced that with a Surface Pro 4 and sent the Pro 3 back to MS for after-warranty repair. The Pro 4 started having screen flickering issues last year, so I got her the Pro 7, which she uses now.

I now have been using the Pro 3 as a travel computer if all I'm going to do is email and web browsing. It's much easier to pack in my carry-on bag (instead of its own bag like the 17" Alienware). It's a bit slow, and I had to get an aftermarket keyboard after MS bricked the Pro 3 keyboards with a firmware update a few years ago.

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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by rob »

For business I travel with a big macbook and it's heavy and cannot be used on a plane.... Personally I use a 14" Lenovo carbon machine - a little less power than a big macbook but i7 and lots of power (and at a pinch can be used in a plane seat).... at a fraction of the weight. I use the mid-sized mac usb brick with both and also matches my phone so very convenient - it is slower to charge the big macbook but works fine vs the crazy brick it came with.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by clip651 »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 8:11 am
Starting next year I will be traveling full time (nomadic travel) so my use case is more as a desktop replacement as it will be my primary computer. -
Are you traveling full time (touristy stuff) and just checking email and other light use at night? Or are you traveling for work full time and will be on the computer many hours a day at each destination? In other words, how much will you actually be using the computer? And what sort of tasks will you do on it?

Also is your nomadic travel going to be primarily by land or air or sea or some combo? If you are traveling the US by RV vs. many international plane flights, that's a big difference in convenience for different sizes and weights of computers.

I like my LG Gram as a desktop replacement, but I'm primarily using it at home, and I may not be using it for the same computing tasks as you are. The big screen, light weight, full size keyboard and a number pad work well for me.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by cjking »

I use a desktop with a large monitor at home. For use away from home, for weeks/months at a time, where a separate monitor isn't an option, I've been considering getting a Lenovo Yoga 7i with 16" display. I haven't looked at specs side-by-side, but that appears to be a hugely cheaper option than the LG Gram that I've just checked out, as a result of this thread.

Screen size is my number one priority, in a machine that will be my main machine for extended periods.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by stocknoob4111 »

clip651 wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 11:13 pm Are you traveling full time (touristy stuff) and just checking email and other light use at night?
At the moment I will retire mid next year and don't intend to work full time but I do plan to perhaps work on personal Software development projects for 5-10 hrs a week (estimate). I may also do some video editing for YouTube.
cjking wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 2:49 am considering getting a Lenovo Yoga 7i with 16" display. I haven't looked at specs side-by-side, but that appears to be a hugely cheaper option than the LG Gram that I've just checked out, as a result of this thread.

Screen size is my number one priority, in a machine that will be my main machine for extended periods.
This was my thinking too.. currently I actually have 3 external monitors, 1 x 32 inch Ultrawide (1440p) center monitor and 2 x 27-inch QHD monitors flanked on each side - I am driving all this via a Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to my DELL. This is my work setup of course but going from this to basically 14" screen is going to be an adjustment to put it lightly :shock:

I'm really interested in the LG Gram but from reports I read on Reddit it has thermal throttling issues due to improper cooling, not sure how accurate that is but my thoughts were I can buy it at Costco and then return it if it does not perform well.

Regarding the Lenovo, guessing you're referring to this? At 4.2 lbs, it's much heavier than the LG Gram.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yog ... Id=6502220
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by cjking »

That looks like the one. Weight is not a major concern for me, but my use case is carrying it in my luggage to a boat and using it there, so for me that's a non-issue.
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by rob »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 7:21 am
clip651 wrote: Thu May 11, 2023 11:13 pm Are you traveling full time (touristy stuff) and just checking email and other light use at night?
At the moment I will retire mid next year and don't intend to work full time but I do plan to perhaps work on personal Software development projects for 5-10 hrs a week (estimate). I may also do some video editing for YouTube.
cjking wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 2:49 am considering getting a Lenovo Yoga 7i with 16" display. I haven't looked at specs side-by-side, but that appears to be a hugely cheaper option than the LG Gram that I've just checked out, as a result of this thread.

Screen size is my number one priority, in a machine that will be my main machine for extended periods.
This was my thinking too.. currently I actually have 3 external monitors, 1 x 32 inch Ultrawide (1440p) center monitor and 2 x 27-inch QHD monitors flanked on each side - I am driving all this via a Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to my DELL. This is my work setup of course but going from this to basically 14" screen is going to be an adjustment to put it lightly :shock:

I'm really interested in the LG Gram but from reports I read on Reddit it has thermal throttling issues due to improper cooling, not sure how accurate that is but my thoughts were I can buy it at Costco and then return it if it does not perform well.

Regarding the Lenovo, guessing you're referring to this? At 4.2 lbs, it's much heavier than the LG Gram.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yog ... Id=6502220
For dev work: Have a think about a smaller screen size but with an additional screen. I have a 14" laptop (above) but also a 14" travel monitor - Think the size of an ipad but lighter with similar flip style screen cover. One USBC cable and you have two 14" screens and it takes almost no space when stacked with laptop. Works just like a 2nd - touch screen - monitor but I THINK (never tried) can also be driven from phone for watching movies - The one I got does not have a color space large enough for good photo/video editing but they likely have improved from 5 years ago when I got mine. I find dev work better with 2 smaller screen rather than one big but I know a lot of that is preference...
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
G-J-H
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by G-J-H »

++1 for LG gram 17" laptop. Traveled twice with it, both times great. Very light, and easy to travel with.
Independent George
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Independent George »

Details are not out yet, but I am very curious about the Framework 16 laptop. I'm not in the market for the 16, but if I were, I'd be waiting on their specs. Framework is a startup committed to building modular, upgradeable, repairable laptops without sacrificing functionality. The Framework 16 is designed with a modular bay that can house either a discrete GPU, expanded storage, or an extended battery/power bank, etc. - and the laptop itself is designed to have a modular keyboard allowing the user to add or remove a number pad. Specs for the expansion bay and input modules have already been posted to github for anyone who wants to design their own components.

I was an early adopter of the original Framework 13, and have been more than happy with it (and have already pre-ordered the Ryzen 7640U mainboard upgrade due out in a few months). It's not perfect - battery life is shorter than comparable laptops, and the 11th Gen Intel chips are not the greatest - but the ability to buy a barebones laptop and supply your own memory, SSD, and Windows key (or Linux distro if that's your preference) automatically puts it far ahead of every other OEM out there. And I didn't realize how useful it was to be able to swap out the modular ports as needed - I spend a fair amount of time at my parents' house, whose wiring has not been upgraded since the 40s. Being able to charge from either side, and change from USB-C to USB-A to Display Port to HDMI as needed has proven to be incredibly useful when you have limited options on wall outlets.
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stocknoob4111
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by stocknoob4111 »

G-J-H wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 5:54 pm ++1 for LG gram 17" laptop. Traveled twice with it, both times great. Very light, and easy to travel with.
How has the performance and reliability been? Do you have the integrated or discrete graphics?
visualguy
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by visualguy »

G-J-H wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 5:54 pm ++1 for LG gram 17" laptop. Traveled twice with it, both times great. Very light, and easy to travel with.
Yet another vote for the 17" LG gram. Wonderful large-screen notebook for travel. It is amazingly light for its size, but since the size is naturally large, it's not the best choice for cramped economy plane seats. If you don't use it much on the plane, or you travel in business class, then no issue. Otherwise, a notebook with a smaller screen might be better.
G-J-H
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by G-J-H »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 11:14 pm
G-J-H wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 5:54 pm ++1 for LG gram 17" laptop. Traveled twice with it, both times great. Very light, and easy to travel with.
How has the performance and reliability been? Do you have the integrated or discrete graphics?
Performance and reliability have been great for me. I don't do any aggressive gaming or high end processing. You can go to the LG site to check out the exact specs, I got the 17Z90Q Ultra Lightweight Laptop, but not sure that exact model exist now.
Independent George
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Independent George »

stocknoob4111 wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 7:21 am
cjking wrote: Fri May 12, 2023 2:49 am considering getting a Lenovo Yoga 7i with 16" display. I haven't looked at specs side-by-side, but that appears to be a hugely cheaper option than the LG Gram that I've just checked out, as a result of this thread.

Screen size is my number one priority, in a machine that will be my main machine for extended periods.
This was my thinking too.. currently I actually have 3 external monitors, 1 x 32 inch Ultrawide (1440p) center monitor and 2 x 27-inch QHD monitors flanked on each side - I am driving all this via a Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to my DELL. This is my work setup of course but going from this to basically 14" screen is going to be an adjustment to put it lightly :shock:

I'm really interested in the LG Gram but from reports I read on Reddit it has thermal throttling issues due to improper cooling, not sure how accurate that is but my thoughts were I can buy it at Costco and then return it if it does not perform well.

Regarding the Lenovo, guessing you're referring to this? At 4.2 lbs, it's much heavier than the LG Gram.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yog ... Id=6502220
I'd make the argument that for your use case, aspect ratio might matter much more than raw screen size - you can get a lot done a 13.3 - 14" screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, but there are huge drawbacks to 16-17" laptops if you plan on traveling with it. The primary market for those larger machines are video editors (who need that real estate), or people who need the dGPU for rendering, modeling, or gaming. It's easy enough to use an external monitor at home - but if you're traveling, the extra size and weight of the larger laptop can be a headache.

The extra 2-3" might not seem like much, but you'll definitely notice it when traveling. A larger laptop automatically means a heavier carry-on at the very least, and possibly less room for other items depending on how you pack. If you stay in a hotel, most safes I've seen won't fit the larger laptop.
lws
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by lws »

I travel light.
I take a 16 inch Acer laptop.
Need big text to read properly.
WolfgangPauli
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by WolfgangPauli »

My view is unless you are an engineer and need a lot of power, traveling for me means a chromebook or iPad.. that simple. In fact, I can do everything with a Chromebook and a Kindle (for go to bed reading). My backpack is significantly lighter.
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rob
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by rob »

WolfgangPauli wrote: Sun May 14, 2023 12:44 pm My view is unless you are an engineer and need a lot of power, traveling for me means a chromebook or iPad.. that simple. In fact, I can do everything with a Chromebook and a Kindle (for go to bed reading). My backpack is significantly lighter.
Software dev and video editing is what OP has stated... Not the domain of a chromebook...
| Rob | Its a dangerous business going out your front door. - J.R.R.Tolkien
Finridge
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Finridge »

For just browser use and email and social media, a small chromebook (or even just your phone) will work fine. But if you are planning on doing real work, having a 16-17 inch screen can really make a big difference. And you can get a "personal item" sized backpack that has a padded laptop sleeve for a 17 inch laptop.
cjking
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by cjking »

Someone mentioned up-thread the idea of having a portable monitor. I noticed when I googled LG Gram that there is such a thing as a 16" LG Gram portable monitor. So if you were sold on the idea of a 16" LG Gram laptop, note that you can get what I assume is the exact same screen separately, and presumably use it with any laptop.

https://www.lg.com/uk/laptops/lg-16mq70

If I've understood the technology correctly, a laptop with the right type of USB connection can support two external portable monitors of that resolution, daisy-chained together, so no need for a hub.
Fpdesignco
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Re: 16-17 inch laptop and traveling

Post by Fpdesignco »

I used to be a surface laptop and book fanboy. To much trying to be like Apple these days and no justification for one usb port and the stupid magnetic charged. Also, price point is severely out of whack for what you get.

Look at the Lenovo X1 Carbon gen 9-11
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