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Due Next Year: Dell's 19-inch Laptop
WheelRunner writes "Engadget is running a story about Dell's new 19-inch laptop. Sadly, it's too late for the only lap that could hold it, Marlon Brando's." Maybe if Apple would put a keyboard-containing lid (and a briefcase-style handle) on the 20" iMac, a market for car-battery backpacks would emerge.
If you must post fat jokes to the front page, could you at least make sure they're funny?
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
Imagine some cretin in the cattle-class seats on a jet trying to open one of these things up.
"Excuse me, mind if I take over some of your very limited personal space?"
"No, mind if my baby pukes on you keyboard?"
At some point I expect these things to come with telescoping legs so you could actually use it as a portable desk.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I don't think you'll see many road warriors adopting 19-inch laptops any time soon, but that's not the intended market.
This laptop is designed for people who need casual portability, like taking the machine home with you at night or on a weekend.
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
I only hope they make a carrying case large enough to haul this monster around in.
A 19" laptop...a laptop computer that may violate the size requirements for aircraft carry-on luggage...not that's progress!
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
...that Brando quip was a new low.
Dell doesn't do design work, they do integration work. This pretty much proves it, though I'm sure the 5 or so that will be sold (all to CEOs and CIOs) will make excellent conversation pieces. :-)
The heat from below can burn your eyes out
Oy. How much is that beast of a machine going to weigh? The article calls it a "backbreaking monster." No kidding!
http://nerdfortress.com/
This "19" laptop" is actually something akin to 19". This may sound dumb, but "17" laptops" always look like they're 6" high by 25" long, and that just disgusts me. Yeah, that's probably what they're supposed to look like, but I personally don't see the point to it. It's bad enough that, according to TFA, the widescreen laptop market is supposed to be nearly 80% of the total laptop market, but if this "19" laptop" winds up being 6" high by 3 feet long or something equally annoying, I'm going to hurl.
If I see a 19" laptop with something akin to a normal 19" flat panel monitor, I may consider it. But otherwise, forget about it.
not=now
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
made in India for 200$ or less?
or is it just tech-supported there?
I am sure that they will sell a few, however. One classmate lugs an 8lb PC laptop with 30min of battery life to class every day and plugs it into his wall outlet. He always sets his laptop on his desk, never on his lap. I'm sure he could do the same with this one.
I guess the age of the luggables has returned...
Do not try taking it everywhere. I've found the best solution is to go to extremes. A good cell-phone and a good honkin' minitower. Well until we become cyberthalamuses (then we'll become the computer).
Transcend Humanity. Please.
At those size metrics, the best option to carry it might be to get an army of these little guys to help you out.
-- http://www.criticalassets.com
When Apple does it, it ROXORS! When DELL does it, it sucks.
The massive laptop is actually part of a new chipset design by Intel - with the success of the small and light Centrino design, Intel wants to persue the larger laptop market as well. The new chipset, the Overcompenson is expected to do well among groups that purchase expensive sports cars, Hummer H2s, and respond positively to Enzyte commercials.
I got a 19" Laptop.... IN MY PANTS!
Slashdot...a website crawling with fat nerds making a FAT JOKE...the irony here is...very thick.
If you must post comments critiquing a story's jokes, could you at least make sure they're funny?
You got THAT right!
Dashboard Widgets
welcome our new Dell 19" laptop overlords.
Here is a friend's prediction of 2007's Powerbook 30"
TGIK got rid of his 17" powerbook after a few months. It was too damned big. It was no longer a convieniently portible device. it was a mobile workstation.
I think it's awesome that tech has come to the point of making machines like this. But how long is it before more people that don't need/want/know how to upgrade their machiens have these instead of real desktops at thier desk, in mass numbers? Think how much easier in a corporate environment it would be to move someone from one cubical to another, if all they had was a 'laptop' and personal effects!
Pretty Pictures!
I have a 15.4" widescreen (dell) laptop. That's more or less the ideal size if you're going to carry it around all day. I found the 17" version too big to use. The nice thing about their screens, though, is that they offer high resolution screens (like 1680x1050), while many other manufacturers are stuck in the 1024x768 range.
see a Text Widget
...and her
I thought the idea of a "laptop" or "notebook PC" was so that it was portable.
Isn't this sort of thing the reason docking stations were invented? portability for on-the-go and a way to simulate a regular desktop when you are in the office?? I mean, reallly!!
-PONA-
+that's funny...I don't FEEL tardy.+
When I bought my first laptop, a GRiDCase III Plus, it was ten and a half pounds, and was a featherweight compared to the ~30lb. luggables then available (Compaq, Otrona, &c.)
G GERBLK/
e en=PROD&Product_Code=TB0351
Apple even had a carrying case for the 128K Mac when it first came out, which tradition is carried on in:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/LTA%20Projects/ILU
And there's even one for the Mac Mini:
http://www.tombihn.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Scr
The thing I'm faintly surprised / disappointed at is that no one has mad a combination carrying case and battery pack for a Mac Mini _and_ Wacom Cintiq (LCD integrated w/ a graphics tablet) which would get one a Tablet Mac w/o waiting for Apple to build one.
William
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
I think Dell's going by the military's definition of "portable" which is any piece of equipment that can be moved by two soldiers. It's also sometimes used to refer to any piece of equipment that can be moved by a HMMT. You know, like a portable PATRIOT launcher.
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
... the luggable is back.
sigs, as if you care.
Nothing builds character like a heavy duty Sun workstation carefully balanced on one's lap. To say nothing of more resilient balls.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
Seriously. What use is there for a monster like that? If you want something like that, just get a desktop.
I, for one, am happy with my thin and light Centrino notebook. It's weighs 4.9 pounds, is 12 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 1 inch tall, with a 14.1" XGA screen. It's incredibly portable...I carry it with me most places I go, it fits nicely on my lap, I can hand it off to someone to show them something on the screen. I can't do any of those with a DTR brick.
I was somewhat skittish about buying a machine with an Intel processor (part of the reason why I started looking at it in the first place is that the only notebooks with an AMD processor and decent specs were DTR bricks), but my fears were unfounded--I have to say that this machine is perfect. It even runs Linux like a dream.
I support the Center for Consumer Freedom
Seriously, I used to carry around a big-arse artist's portfolio case with a three-foot wide drafting board and giant pads to do design sketches back in high school and the total weight was close to thirty pounds with everything in the case.
Someone makes a three-foot wide laptop with screen to match, I am soooo there. Full size keyboard, graphics tablet, and folding joystick right in front of me, big-arse 32" or so screen in front of me, maybe even fold-out flat speakers. How is this too big? I'm sick of chiclet keyboards, undersized screens, cramming all that power into too small a space and creating an upside down hot plate to scortch my crotch with.
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
to power the laptop.
...
Cool, now try to patent that
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The new Dell Hernia laptop!
Chip H.
This recent development underscores the main problem with miniturazation...that while we can continue to make things smaller and smaller, their interfaces (input - keyboard/mouse, output - screen/speakers) must remain large enough to be useful, and the larger, the better. Even if you totally discount other problems like removable data storage, the main problem of user interfaces will continue to stand in the way of true miniaturization.
I'm wondering why we haven't seen a laptop marketed with a roll-up keyboard, fingertip mouse, and VR glasses? Freed of these constraints, the actual laptop could easily be made small enough to be wearable.
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
I think the ideal size for a laptop is the 15" Powerbook (or the 12" iBook/Powerbook if you want extra portability).
The 17" one is just too big for daily use, and is more suited as a mobile desktop as people have mentioned.
This 19" thing is going to be huge. It's just a desktop with a handle.
There's no doubt it will be a pile of plasticy crap too - I've yet to see a PC laptop that doesn't look cheap and tacky. Even the fancy Sny Vaios (which also carry the hefty price premium) look cheap.
i mean, come on. with 19 inches, you are going to be large as hell and heavy as hell, after you factor in the battery its going to need. it really should just be considered more of a 'mobile desktop' rather than a 'laptop'. people hate carrying around 10lbs laptops. wonder what that will weight.
Sincerely, the American Association of Chiropractors.
Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
There is such a thing as a "Desktop Replacement" market segment. I personally use my laptop as a Desktop PC all day hooked up to a 19" monitor and an ergonomic keyboard. At the end of the day I unplug it and take it home. I have my PC everywhere.
Think about it, in the PC world of today people:
A laptop with a 19" would fit perfectly here. Remember, Dell isn't where it is because its dumb. It does its research, and if its coming up with a 19" laptop, its because there is a market for it. Don't be fooled, airplane junkies won't be using this kind of laptop, they'll want something ultra compact with a long battery life.
I hope they make a carrying case better then what Toshiba has. I bought the Nylon extra large carrying backpack for my Toshiba s901 (and now for my dell 9100) each of which as a large honkin monitor. The straps are broken. THese things are heavy, and I am lucky if i get an hour to an hour and a half of battary life (running low demanding apps). But its well worth it when I can go to my friends and play all of my fav computer games (i.e. CS). It is also well worth it when I can do Flash designing on it without any probs. There will be a market for these - especially designers who are on the go.
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
"Excuse me, mind if I take over some of your very limited personal space?"
"No, mind if my baby pukes on you keyboard?"
It's especially fun to recline your seat when someone has one of those open behind you and is going on about how important he is.
Crunch.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Everybody is screaming about 19" being "too big". Am I the only member of Slashdot who can lift something heavier than a book? I mean, Jezus people... if you're too wimpy to carry around a tiny little thing like this, get yourself to a gym (or a doctor) immediately. I, for one, would *love* to get a few of these things if I could justify the $$.
I don't respond to AC's.
That isn't a portable computer, but more a transportable one!!
The biggest reason i haven't ever gotten a laptop is the keyboard layout. i've been using a standard qwerty keyboard for so long that i always get flustered whenever i try to find a control key on a laptop.
Hopefully, Dell can use this as an excuse to put a full keyboard on a laptop. i'm sure you could get plenty of new sales for that fact alone.
For the record, before everyone trolls me about it, yes, i know you can put a ps2 or usb keyboard on a laptop. It just kinda defeats the portability issue . . .
Much smaller, lighter notebook. Ok, power consumption of projector would suck.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
You've obviously never dealt with their customer service dept.
Everybody is screaming about 19" being "too big".
This is Slashdot, a predominantly male-oriented site. Guys are used to screaming "too big!" at any mention of something larger then 6".
People like you should be given a parachute and a Greyhound ticket and told to continue their vacation another way.
"Maybe if Apple would put a keyboard-containing lid (and a briefcase-style handle) on the 20" iMac, a market for car-battery backpacks would emerge."
Can't post a story about Dell without mentioning Apple?
Vote for Pedro
PC (read:Windows) have not had much success with alternative form factors whereas Apple has done pretty well.
So, with a 17" and now a 19" version perhaps this is how the PC market emulates the iMac.
I could see leaving one of these on the desk without having ANY intention of taking it anywhere.
With USB thumb drives getting bigger and bigger it won't be long before I can take my desktop home without lugging the PC!
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
What is the point of a lap top this big?
I have the Dell XPS Gen 2 and although not thin and light, it is pretty comfortable to lug around in the XPS backpack. I got it for its gaming and development capability, of which it excels in both. If there was a 19" version of if available today I probably would have gone with it.
Hear me out on this. I doubt they will do this since Dell it's a little too creative for Dell's business model, but imagine if this were marketed as a tablet pc aimed at artists/engineers. With a stylus and high rez touch sensitive screen you now have a decent sized portable system which I would think would be very useful for graphic artists. It's large enough to work comfortably on but also reasonably portable (if a bit heavy). It should be possible to cram a LOT of batteries into it to keep the battery life respectable.
Possibly good for CAD work too for engineers who need a larger screen and occasional portability. I've done a lot of CAD work myself and I could see such a device being pretty handy. Graphic artists will have to comment about the utility of such a device for them since I'm not one.
In a suprising move, governor Arnold Swarzenegger has desided to become Dells new posterboy, vigoursly endorsing the new 19" laptop as "The laptop for real men":
Arnold stated in a (self-written) press-release that:
"This new supah-phowaful laptop computha by Dell is supah-big and not some fairy-ahss small regulah laptop. Finally I can use ah computha suthablah for me. Dell has made a Arnold-supha-extreme version with big, powhaful steel keyboahd and ah lasah-disc draivah. I don't wannah use those small cds and dvds when I watch Terminaitah on my computha!"
...and that looks like it was taken from some sort of report or press release. And you are, hearing it fourth-hand. Looks to me like a typo, and that they probably meant 17". Don't you think they'd say "the first ever 19-inch widescreen model" and maybe mention something about how enormous that is, instead of merely saying "Dell's first ever 19-inch widescreen model"?
oh yeah, and...
I got yer 19" laptop right heeeeere...
Yes; so long as they follow the conventional design, a 19" laptop is always going to be, in effect, a luggable.
What is needed is (e.g.) flexible screen technology that allows you to fit a large screen in a smallish space, and to have it fold in the middle so it isn't any larger than (e.g.) my 14" Compaq laptop.
This still begs the question of how it would unfold; and even if it could be unfolded, would it be usable on (e.g.) a train or an aeroplane?
The other alternative is to have an inbuilt mini-projector, that you simply project against a suitable wall; and retain the existing 14" LCD for regular use.
The final alternative is to have special glasses which superimpose a VR image on top of the real world; you type on a real keyboard, but you look at a virtual screen. This would require very accurate match-up for day-to-day use, as I suspect any noticeable 'juddering' of the virtual screen against the real world would cause motion sickness otherwise.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
Sorry about your penis. . .I'm not sure if this joke is about the heat from this thing or people compensating.
Don't be fooled, airplane junkies won't be using this kind of laptop, they'll want something ultra compact with a long battery life.
I agree. I'd love to have this 19" LCD laptop for days I want to work outside on the patio (with appropriate shade). However, when I'm commuting on the train, nothing has served me better than my Thinkpad 701C ("butterfly" keyboard, bright LCD, long battery life, footprint of a sheet of paper when closed). Sadly, it died, and the two that came after it sucked.
Here come da fudge!
Now I can spend twice as much for something that I can't reconfigure/upgrade (hardware wise) which doesn't follow standards (I love dell). Move over lugging around a desktop because now I can lug around a 'laptop' that weighs just about as much.
-Tim Louden
Why, exactly, do we need a rack-mountable laptop?
-- Alastair
Is 19" the size of the screen or the size of the rims on this fat bling-bling POS? Don't forget the spinners...
while we can continue to make things smaller and smaller, their interfaces (input - keyboard/mouse, output - screen/speakers) must remain large enough to be useful
:)
That's why I grabbed me a superslim Toshiba three years ago. 12.1" screen thin as sliced cheese. You get them more powerful but no slimmer or lighter today
Kjella
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
I'm gettin' the Kaypro and Osborne out of the basement. They're obviously worth something again!
:
But seriously, we're really getting back to "portable computers" and "laptops" again, as opposed to "notebook computers."
I guess the easiest way to shrink these things down again is to
1. swap the LCD for a projection device that displays onto your glasses.
I imagine we're not quite there yet -- unless you want to look like "Lawnmower Man."
2. Without that pesky monitor in the way, your nearly full-sized keyboard can fold in half for storage.
--- Dan
A laptop larger than a porn star's member... finally. Millions women, many of them midgets, have been waiting for 19 inches.
..is what would make a killer Laptop, imagine!! that is probably what that Apple tablet patent is *really* for :)
is it a bird, is it a plane, nope; its my dual 19" screen laptop!
/. is good for you.
If all you want is a laptop with a big screen to carry between work and home (and with a screen this big, you're gonna need to plug it in), why not just get a much smaller laptop with 2 separate 19" LCD displays for work and home? Docking and undocking laptops really isn't that much work...
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Is this what Slashdot has come to? One news regurgitator site posting headlines that point to another news regurgitator site?
Better than a shuttle for portability at LAN parties. The crucial issues are cost and obsolescence (harder to upgrade). I would be very interested. Def
Whoah! A 19-inch "laptop" plus the $$Billions?
Oh, you mean Dell Computer ...
It is a lot easier to carry an external HD back and forth and hookup to desktops than lugging a 19 inch. Plus you get a mouse which is always a benefit.
Sign me up. I want one. I have a 17" Dell 9200. Its great and has replaced my desktop.
Colleagues bitch that it looks like an aircraft carrier... Its really a desktop replacement that can be carried between home & office.
I use a Sony Vaio ultra thin/light machine for plane trips, etc. Transporting that bad boy 9200 is too daunting.
How heavy might this sucker be? To get some perspective, consider the laptop I'm using right now, an Acer Aspire 1710. It has a 17 inch diagonal screen (not a widescreen), a full-size keyboard (with keypad) and standard desktop PC components (CPU, memory, and hard-drive). It barely fits into the Targus case I bought for it (it's kinda thick on one end), and weighs in at a hefty 16 pounds. It's great when I need to take a full-blown workstation with me to a client, because I don't have to play around with a more anemic beast (e.g., I have the luxury of a fast 250 Gig hard drive)
Now, consider how much heavier a 19 inch machine might be. The screen alone would add significant poundage. Dell might use smaller and lighter components inside to shave some weight off, but you also need to look at the sheer size of the thing. If it ended up no heavier than my machine, the weight isn't a problem (IMHO), but I don't know about the size.
"My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right." --Senator Carl Schurz (1872)
No thanks. I already have one of these http://www.talics.de/wp-content/images/powerbook.j pg
I can see this model being a success for those who:
:P
1 - Are graphics folks and want the extra screen room. I work with some hardcore architecture faculty and students who can use all the display they can get.
2 - Power users who prioritize power and features above design and weight.
If you want something light and pretty, go get a Etch-A-Sketch, wuss.
Now, if I only had enough in the budget to get one...
For the sake of all that is held dear by geekdom, please stop complaining about how large it is. If it is too large for you, don't use it. For many people the size is just right. It slides right into place, and gets the job done better than a smaller one would. For some people, bigger is better.
If you can't accomodate the size, don't buy it. If it looks like handling it would be uncomfortable, don't try to force it to fit. You won't be happy with the results.
Some of us NEED something bigger to satisfy our needs. Those small 15 inchers just don't pass muster. Of course, it may not be appropriate to haul around out in public, but we don't care. It may not fit on the plane, so what. Somebody talked about not being able to use something this large in the hull of a tanker. That isn't the first place that comes to mind when I think of this gorgeous 19 inches of bliss. I think the office or home is more appropriate. I need 19" to meet my needs, so I would buy one. ;-)
Seriously, though, this is not meant as a traditional portable laptop. It is meant to take advantage of the burgeoning laptop market, by taking the relative advantages of a laptop on to the desktop. Think of people living in smaller homes, or people who move, by car, between a couple of locations, but need the screen real estate. I believe there is a market for this, and I will buy one, if the $$$$ is right.
If they make it weigh under 2 lbs I'd be all over it.
At the time of writing this, there are about 150 comments to this article, and most of them are composed of people who complains about the big size, the lack of portability, the weight etc... But hey, some people want a laptop with a big monitor, and this fits the ticket. Other people want a feather weight laptop with a 12" screen, and there are laptops for those guys too. Why complain about the size of the new Dell when there is ample choice in the market place?
For most people, the ergonomics of that stuff bites. If I had to use one of those roll-up barf-proof keyboards for any length of time I would go nuts.
Different configurations for different folks - and I think the market is doing that, albeit too slowly for the tastes of the "wearable" crowd.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Big cigars
:D
Hummers
19" laptops
Nothing says "compensating" so loud and clear
That's not true. Orson Welles could also have supported Dell's 19incher.
I want a 19 inch in my laptop, running Debian Woody.
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
My feeling was always that man-portable meant that 1 person can carry each of the components alone... while luggable meant someone can carry it alone in it's entirety.
A heavy mortar being "man portable" because it easily comes apart into 3 pieces. It also means you could carry it all yourself in some number of trips...
So a typical desktop is man portable but not luggable even though most people probably can't safely carry a 21" monitor WHILE carrying a CPU, keyboard, mouse, etc. A typical fullsize rack is NOT man portable or luggable... and even a 25" laptop would be luggable. Actually, the flat panel iMacs probably qualify as luggable, too.
Looking for freelance Actionscript (Flash/Flex) or ColdFusion work and/or freelance developers. Email me, put Slashdot
For business purposes, the 19'' integrated monitor is inane. LCD screens are fragile, and they become more fragile the larger they get. The last thing you want when you're running to make a flight is to see your $2k 19'' integrated LCD laptop screen hit the ground and get pixel ebola. Not to mention the comments already made about the autoclave like heat coming off this monstrosity, and the inevitable hernias.
Not to say people won't buy 'em. There are enough people around for some small minority to make incredibly useless purchases. But from a business point of view, this laptop is absurd -- and certainly doesn't fit in the new business tech chic. Around here -- smaller is better. Lighter too.
The only purpose I can come up for one of these beauties? LAN parties. I guess someone should tell Dell about WOW.
--Moiche
Although if they'd come out with a second button on a powerbook it'd be a lot better.
Apple is NEAR the top in laptop construction. Not as tough as a real Toughbook and not as nice as a Thinkpad, but better than everything else. And usually with better battery life because the architecture is more conservative.
However being able to use OSX is more important than any of those details. Anyone who hasn't seriously tried using OSX for a long period should definitely try it.
Also, of course, IBM doesn't make the Thinkpads anymore...
Looking for freelance Actionscript (Flash/Flex) or ColdFusion work and/or freelance developers. Email me, put Slashdot
A lot of people will scoff at huge "laptops," but the fact of the matter is, if you need a computer that you can move to abritrary locations and set up with no expectation of any hardware already being available at the location, this is currently the only practical way to carry a big screen around with you.
It'd be nice if there were LCD monitors specifically designed for portability that could be used to create this effect with any laptop. Current LCD monitor designs, with their bulky bases and lack of any screen cover, are not exactly practical for this. Maybe they could open up like laptops and use the weight of the laptop to hold the base in place.
You'd still need a way to deal with the laptop screen blocking the external monitor, though, unless you enjoy turning your head to the side. (We're already lugging two sizable pieces at this point; we don't want to add a keyboard to the mix on top of that.) Some variation of the tablet swivel-screen that covered the screen but exposed the keyboard would be nice.
Heck, easily portable 20" LCD monitors would be nice even just for carrying around with extremely small form-factor PCs.
The battery life could be measured in minutes if you tried to use it for anything heavy duty. And if you're not doing heavy duty stuff, what's the point of lugging a hulking great laptop around again?
This laptop is designed for people who need casual portability, like taking the machine home with you at night or on a weekend.
I think it's just a blatant attempt at one-upsmanship on Apple's famous 17" Powerbook (yes, I'm aware there are other seventeen inch laptops in existance).
I think there's a big market for these 'desktop replacement' machines in cities where the majority of people live in small apartments. Don't underestimate the clutter of connections, cables, powerstrips, and peripherals necessary for a desktop pc.
Also, you may not want to tote a 19 inch laptop on a plane, but you might drag it around the apartment or to the neighborhood starbucks.
Imposing Libertarian views on everyone online since 1992.
My first R&D project (mid eighties) - we had a test protocol that we had to fly out to.
;)
We used the Original compaq portable (the monster with the Green CRT and two 5 1/4 floppy drives)easily 20+ lbs.
I carried that sucker all over LAX/Chicago O'hare because we were too paranoid to check it as luggage.
Ah, back in the day. We were studs.
looks how kids today whine about carrying around a 10 lb. laptop.
sigs are for losers (except to point out that sigs are for losers)
I am tired of the aspect ratio of the screen going AWAY from vertically-focused tasks (lists, lines of code) toward the horizontally-focused who just want to watch and/or edit movies.
They need to make a feature on a laptop similar to what I can do with my Dell 20.1" -- allow for 90 degree rotation. You can't beat it for long listings.
How would this work? I don't know -- it's a hardware problem.
Jes' curious...
At least they stopped selling the full Pentium 4 laptops. I have one of those things and after about 10 minutes of having it on your lap you have to stand up and walk it off. Probably had to replace too many melted keyboards.
In my opinion there are two types of good laptops
.....
1) Light: at most two pounds 8.9-10.4 screen
2) Medium at most four pounds 12.1-13.3 screen.
Anything heavier than 4 pounds IS NO GOOD.
If I want a heavy thing I buy (or build) a desktop.
There are light desktop systems lighter than 3 pounds(ATOZ Mocha Pentium IV -2.8 pounds, iMac Mini)
The main idea: Laptops MUST BE light and small, light and small,
Low weight is not enough, small volume is also important (Example Sharp MM20, is great Sharp MP30, although only 2.8 pounds, is no good because it is too bulky.
Apple Laptops would be great if they were lighter and smaller. Their lightest portable is 4.6 pounds which is WAY TOO MUCH. Apple engineers do not know how to build small, they should learn a thing or two from Sharp, Fujutsu, Sony, Toshiba and Samsung.
When TVs were only 4:3, then the diagonal told you exactly both the height and width. All you need is the diagonal when there is a fixed aspect ratio.
Diagonal measurement never obfuscated anything before widescreens.
Pre-widescreen, you would get the height and width exactly for all the 4:3 TVs, using the following:
Height = 3/5 * Diagonal
Width = 4/5 * Diagonal
There are similar easy equations for the widescreen TVs, you just have to know the fixed aspect ratio and the diagonal. Nothing is obfuscated if you know the diagonal and the aspect ratio.
types with his thumbs on a 12" Powerbook like its a blackberry!
Light is less than 3 pounds. 7 Pounds is very heavy.
Back in my day we had ENIAC's on our laps.
If I had the money I'd definitly sell my Z80K and get one of those when it comes out!
This thing will be as portable as a portapotty.
Stick a cell phone and PDA in the thing, sell it with a belt clip, and then you've got a device you can use.
Ah, so now Dell's making a 19-inch laptop. So what? A friend of mine has a 19-inch Alienware laptop. Its beautiful. The problem is, of course, with it's insane graphics and standard Pentium Extreme Edition, it has about one hour battery life and could serve as a space heater, despite its four fans. But then, who cares, so long as you've got a crazy good gaming machine in your lap... and your pants are on fire...
There's an old saying that says pretty much whatever you want it to.
I've been wanting to see a briefcase computer for a number of years now as I like my screens big - though the scale of my new home setup of dual 21" 1600x1200 lcds is a bit further away in such a portable form as a briefcase.
I did use (and still have) a laptop (15") for the last 3 or so years as my main machine - not sure I ever once actually put it on my lap though - so heat or weight there was not a problem for me.
I think a 24" screen may be about the limit for a briefcase computer, until screen folding or rolling comes on the scene. Most professional men used to carry briefcases to and from work as a matter of course not that long ago (30 yrs? 20?) - and had been for decades, if not longer. No reason for it not to come back.
Size and weight (and expense) are the main factors to improve on for now, but as we all know technology marches on, and now finally laptop tech, perhaps now that laptop sales are surpassing desktop sales and lcds are getting a lot cheaper.
The most interesting thing to happen with briefcase computers will be social I predict. All of a sudden a rather major reason for rooting employees in a building together - where their big-screen desktop computers are rooted - just evaporates. Calls into question the need for a common building, or at least what kind of building, if everyone can carry their work world with them and access everything else they need remotely.
Of course this issue is already playing out at the macro-level with national and international work teams/partners/clients/etc, but soon it will be playing at the micro-local-level too. Physical buildings are expensive...
+
Sigless in Gaza.
The former allows you to edit a page at a time, the latter allows two pages side by side.
One of the problems that the larger displays face is that either the illunication is uneven, or if you sit somewhat close to them the viewing angle varies across the screen and causes the perception of illumination to vary.
A colleague has one of the huge Apple cinema screens, great for graphics work but is almost too big for text work as you have to turn your head to see the whole screen (given the cramped working conditions!).
For the past 4 years, every company i've been at a laptop is the standard. Its difficult to get a desktop anymore.
Personally, my next computer for home will be a laptop. I'll use my old computers for servers but the main PC will be a large 'laptop' like this. Now that my wife and kids are starting to use the computer more and more it would be nice to get them out of my little dungeon of a workspace in the basement.
I'd also like to be able to sit out on the deck while pluggin away at some code. Granted, I can use my work laptop but I hate dragging that thing back and forth every day. And plus, when they see me take it home they assume they can call me as well.
"Thanks to the remote control I have the attention span of a gerbil."
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Unfortunately, some necessary hardware is not included.
Don't worry. They won't be needing all of your limited personal space for long until planes start really having power outlets everywhere since the battery will die by the time the plane gets off the runway. That is of course assuming that Dell bothers to put a battery in it; they might just think batteries hopeless and totally abandon them since this thing would eat through them like crazy. I'd almost rather carry a UPS, Mac mini, and 20" LCD around with me as I'd probably get about the same battery life.
http://www.canesta.com/products.htm
(I have no relation with the company, just think the idea is cool)
Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
Dude, a Laptop
Gave that one to my girlfriend. Best $1500 (refurbed w/ employee discount) I ever spent.
Fellas if you need a laptop try that one. Or a Thinkpad-w00t!
IOW, yet another feeble attempt to clone the iMac.
I remember way back when "notebooks" used to be the smaller versions of laptops, some being quite literally book sized (I know I had a 233MMX that used to fit in the leg-pocket of my cargo pants).
Currently I have an HP Pavillion ZD7000, which is often referred to as a 'mobile desktop' - with a 2.8Ghz processor and crotch-roasting heat emissions (and about a 1-2h max battery life) I'd definately hesitate to call it a laptop.
I had a hell of a time finding a case that would fix my 17" widescreen. While I could use some standard laptop bags by removing the dividers etc, most wouldn't fit, and the thing really does watch on the shoulder-straps. Eventually I hunted down a laptop-backpack which has done a much better job of distributing the weight. It's a kensington "contour" packpack and even with only one shoulder-strap on I don't get the fatigue and numbness my previous briefcase-style laptop cases gave me.
Not sure if they make laptop-backpacks for a 19" machine, but if they do you'll find it much more comfortable than a normal laptop case (more room for your tools/accessories too).
17" monitor here, widescreen at 1200x900 resolution standard. It's great for graphics work, or even code eding where I get those long indents or lines. It's also very nice for when I need to have a process running a monitor or edit between two terminals, I put the monitor on the right and do my work with space to space on the left half of the screen.
1 thrift store 35MM camera
1 package 2-part epoxy
1 hacksaw/dremel
-----------
1. Extract brass ferrule from cheap "Camon" camera.
2. Prepare 2-part epoxy.
3. Affix ferrule (optionally ferrule/camera-body substrate combination) to bottom of laptop
4. Cure and compute.
for tradeshows where you want to demo your software to a group of people but don't want to lug around bunch of big monitors.
Have you ever been to a turkish prison?
Replace "Marlon Brando" with "Cowboy Neal".
Because people wanna watch movies on their laptops, right? I am looking forward to the next-gen 42 plasma version of laptops with built-in 8" sub-woofer. Only if I can find a foldable version of lazy-boyz chair.
I have a 15" Powerbook, and I love the size of both the screen and of the powerbook in general - I think it is indeed very portable.
OTOH, I am starting a consulting business for which I'll need a Windows laptop... and the one I'm considering is a Dell 700m, 12" Widescreen. If you really need to be portable (I'll be going to several clients throughout the day for meetings and such), nothing beats these laptops.
-.
http://www.grandstyle.com/roomycoa.htm
In a reprint of a Consumer Reports article, I saw the following stats, based on Delta, United, American, and US Air fleets.
DC 9's and MD 80's have seat widths of 20 to 23 inches. Southwest Air's seats are 14 to 25% narrower than average seat widths on DC 9's and MD 80's.
757's and 767's have 19 inch wide seats--10% roomier than Southwest Air's seats.
747's have seat widths between 19.5 and 20.5 inches--12% to 16% roomier than Southwest Air's seats.
L1011's have seat widths between 18.5 and 20 inches--7% to 14% roomier than Southwest Air's seats.
That might work if the seats in "cattle class" actually reclined more than 2 inches.
If you're lucky, you might tip that heavy screen just enough so it closes on his fingers.
"No fair, you changed the outcome by measuring it!" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth
That might work if the seats in "cattle class" actually reclined more than 2 inches.
They recline quite a bit on Air France and British Airlines.
Why? Don't you ever go anywhere interesting?
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
I take my 17' powerbook to class everyday - its all i can handle. I enjoy my monsterous screen, but the main reason i bought it, is because i needed a laptop that would act as a desktop as well. I only have acceess to one mac (in other words im a poor art student) so its not an option for me to have a desktop and a laptop. My living space is tiny as well, so the laptop works great. all though i do miss my 8 bay slackware box back @ my parents house..........
Speaking as someone who weighs far more than he should:
Actually, fat people do not necessarily have very big laps. Their gut covers what would be lap area in someone thinner.
In addition, I at least have a problem sitting comfortably with my legs directly in front of me; they're usually forming a 90 to 120 degree angle. Not the best thing to try to set a computer (or just about anything else) on. There's a reason kids usually sit on one of Santa's legs, not his actual lap.
R David Francis
Any Sys Admin that has to lug desktops around the office for various reasons might just love these things. They'll be much lighter and easier to carry than a full desktop and monitor.
There is nothing inherently safe about liberty. That's why so many people died protecting it.
Heh. I just completed ripping Sonic Youth's complete discography to ogg today.
especially from Dell, home of the overhot laptop ...
is to provide heat in your cold dark apartment because you didn't fly to the Caribbean.
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The main reason some people have desktop PCs at the office is to have a larger screen.
But I suspect everyone here is overcompensating for something by demanding all this "bigness".
>>"ad space available -- low rates!!!"
..can palm a basketball too. Takes me two palms, but hey, it's a work around and got me any number of won bar bets for pitchers of beer...
want an elegant and compact design (none of those plastic mod cases with ugly neon all over)
Remember, this is Dell coming out with this beast. It's going to be a bland black slab of plastic. Like IBM except with more things to break off.
Well if Sony or Apple made it. Dell is crap. :-)
;-), and still be able to close the lid and go in a flash.
But yeah I'd love it. I'm a big monitor whore. I cannot function with a monitor less than 19". My main machine is a Linux box with a 21" CRT (old, ready to be retired) and a 19" flat panel. Whenever I buy a computer I 1) max out the RAM 2) max out the screen size.
I *finally* broke down and bought a 17" powerbook. Although the tiny screen is barely big enough for 3 side-by-side windows, I like the overall design and the portability. I'm thinking of getting the apple 23" as a secondary monitor so I can get some work done.
I'd buy a 19" (or even a 23" for that matter) "portable laptop-like computer" in a heartbeat. My powerbook sits on my desk most of the day, unless I'm working outside, then I put it on a little $10 folding table I got that has a similar footprint. I'm not concerned about weight or heat output. And I'm a big guy with big hands so size is not a problem either.
But it's really nice to have a big screen (or in the case of 19", a "medium" screen
So c'mon Apple, let's see that 20-incher!
Coming soon to an Apple Store near you... The Apple 30" PowerCinemaBook.
A 30" CInema display with the guts of an Apple PowerBokk mounted on the back.
I've got 19 inches that could hold it!
Are you the "Soviet Russia" that we've heard so much about? Could I have an autograph... or, better yet, imagine an Beowulf cluster of said autographs...
Is this a sigs-optional kind of place? 'Cause I am totally down with that if you know what I mean.
The laptop vs. notebook thing doesn't really mean much of anything... everyone seems to use the terms interchangably depending on the connotation a marketing department wants for a particular model.
I think notebooks are not really the word you want; I agree with others that it appears to be a more worldwide, generic synonym for laptop.
It think it just means a fold-up PC... to differentiate it from other portables (like "handhelds" or "tablet PCs")
But there _is_ an industry term that describes _your_ definition of notebook.
It's DTR, or "desktop replacement".
Meaning you use it as your desktop, but you can also carry it around.
But DTR isn't a marketing friendly acronym I guess...
THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
The entire point of referencing a fat person's lap (and I'm 50 lbs overweight, so I can say this) is that they DON'T have room for anything to be put in their lap. STUFF SLIDES OFF, MORONS!
Editors up to their usual
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
I own a 17" widescreen laptop, and the thing is a monstrosity. Being in the military, I use it mostly as my desktop PC wherever I am in one place long enough. The carrying bag for my 17" laptop is just barely big enough to fit it, and the bag is huge. Adding another 2" may not seem like much, but it really adds a huge effect.
I was going to watch the movie, but now for the next five hours, you're my bitch!
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
The only good thing about these ridiculously huge laptops is that they keep meetings down to about an hour, max. The managers' laptops run out of battery, hey, the meeting is over, back to work!
The 12" iBook G4 I picked up last fall to replace my ancient 15.1" Dell Inspiron 7000 is so much more convenient (much lighter, much smaller, over 4 hours battery life) I can't believe I ever put up with the Dell.
- chrish
hawk
Ahh, yes. The heat machines.
.
I added 10M to the 4M that came with my powerbook 180 (yes, I know I'm dating myself).
The size was just fine for a lap, but it couldn't be worn without heavy pants due to the heat put out by that memory. Not merely uncomfortable, but just plain too hot.
And then there's the original MacPortable. Decked out in its carrying case, it came to 26 pounds. I hurt my shoulder lugging it through an airport . .
hawk
I forgot about the option to go out and buy a shiny new part.
HULK SMASH!!
No. I'm American, we get hardly any vacation time to go somewhere interesting.
"No fair, you changed the outcome by measuring it!" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth