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.

Comments

f(x) = wit / 2

[American AC in Paris]

If you must post fat jokes to the front page, could you at least make sure they're funny?

Re:f(x) = wit / 2

[bigman2003]

Hey- I thought it was funny.

Marlon Brando was one of the young, tough, sexy heros of American cinema in the middle of this past century.

The fact that he ballooned up like a huge, over-inflated (yet not too tight) beach ball gives hope to men all throughout America.

It also depresses the hell out of the women.

Re:f(x) = wit / 2

[Profane MuthaFucka]

The ratio of wallet thickness to waist size should remain constant, or preferably increase, to keep them happy.

Re:f(x) = wit / 2

[badasscat]

On a side not who the hell needs a 19" laptop. why not buy a seguay(spelling) and just pack a desktop around?

"Laptop" is a misnomer, and technically it's not even what Dell calls these things. It's a notebook. Notebooks and laptops are not the same thing and this is a perfect illustration of the distinction.

A laptop is a computer you put on your lap.

A notebook is a computer with a screen that folds down over the keyboard (with a form factor like a paper notebook, hence the name).

A laptop may or may not have a folding screen (the earliest models didn't). A notebook may or may not be "lappable" - i.e. it may or may not be small enough, cool enough or light enough to hold on your lap.

A 19" notebook is a portable PC, but I wouldn't call it a laptop. There's nothing wrong with this category of machine, IMO - I personally keep my notebook on my coffee table 99% of the time, and only carry it with me to a place (in other words, I don't have a need to bust it out in-transit on a train or a bus, I take it out on a corresponding desk or table somewhere else).

Laptops are perfectly fine if you want a real go-anywhere computer. But this is not a laptop, and not everybody needs that amount of portability. Some people just need a machine to act as a desktop most of the time, but that still doesn't take up a lot of space and can be moved around easily when needed.

Re:f(x) = wit / 2

[LurkerXXX]

'Notebook' suggests a small book you would jot notes in. This thing is friggin huge. I suggest instead that it be called a 'tome'.

Not a Laptop

[ackthpt]

It's not about being a laptop anymore, it's about having a portable workstation.

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.

Re:Not a Laptop

[Ford Prefect]

Imagine some cretin in the cattle-class seats on a jet trying to open one of these things up.

If you ever do have to put up with such behaviour, just be thankful that the aforementioned cretin will most likely get somewhat comprehensively sterilised thanks to the testicle-toasting heat pumped out by the 'laptop'...

Engadget misses the point

[winkydink]

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.

Weight

[Stibidor]

Oy. How much is that beast of a machine going to weigh? The article calls it a "backbreaking monster." No kidding!

Uses Intel's New Chipset

[WombatControl]

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.

Too big

[Leroy_Brown242]

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!

Heavy now was light way back when

[WillAdams]

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.)

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/ILUG GERBLK/

And there's even one for the Mac Mini:

http://www.tombihn.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Scre en=PROD&Product_Code=TB0351

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

Portable?

[raider_red]

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.

Laptops? Bah!

[GillBates0]

You young 'uns and your fancy schmancy "laptops". Us real men work good, old-fashioned desktops off our laps.

Nothing builds character like a heavy duty Sun workstation carefully balanced on one's lap. To say nothing of more resilient balls.

Re:19 inches?

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

They already have made cases which can hold 19" hardware - my pants!

I have a short wooden leg, you see. Being a pirate and all...

The problem with miniturazation...

[TripMaster Monkey]

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.

What's wrong with it?

[Txiasaeia]

I think that this is the greatest notebook to ever hit the market. Not only would you be able to get crystal-clear viewing of any movie you'd care to watch on the road, but your eyes wouldn't be damaged and you would get quite the workout! I, for one, am all for it.

Sincerely, the American Association of Chiropractors.

Dell ain't dumb. Wake up.

[the_mutha]

Its obvious these laptops would be intended as desktop replacements.

Think about it, in the PC world of today people:

• don't have much space
  
• want a computer they can move arround not just in their homes
  
• want a computer that doesn't have 1000 cables connected to it
  
• want an elegant and compact design (none of those plastic mod cases with ugly neon all over)
  
• want a large screen

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.

Re:Not a Laptop, but a status symbol for m0r0ns

[WillAffleckUW]

"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.

Stop complaining about the size

[howlinmonkey]

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.

Brando

[Junior J. Junior III]

That's not true. Orson Welles could also have supported Dell's 19incher.

I want a 19 inch in my laptop, running Debian Woody.