Looking at your notebook screen 4+ hours a day ...

[entatlrg]

If you're using your notebook not attached to an external monitor for 4 hours sometimes 8-12 hours a day how important would screen size weigh in your decision?

Would it make you want to go large as you can manage?

Perhaps not if you're globe trotting with your notebook but otherwise ....

Or, do you manage well using a 13" for loooooong hours of daily use?

 

[iBookG4user]

Well, when my MacBook Air isn't out for repairs for three weeks, 13" is fine. Although when it is out for repairs, I use a 15" screen.

 

[Queso]

15" is fine when used with Spaces. My MBP is my work machine so apart from e-mail it tends to only be used as a technical library (gigs and gigs of PDFs) and an SSH/XTerm client.

I have an iMac at home for media stuf.

 

[scottness]

If I had to spend 8-12 hours a day on it, I'd go larger. What are you doing with it?

I have a 13" MBA for work on the road, and an 20" iMac (+24" additional display) for most of my work.

 

[Cliff3]

In terms of comfortable use, dot pitch is more important to me than absolute screen size or resolution. Apple's 13" and 15" screens have a dot pitch that is similar in size to my 30" desktop monitor (0.223/0.23mm vs. 0.25mm), while the 17" screen has a significantly smaller dot pitch (0.191mm). The larger dot pitch is more comfortable for me to use for longer periods of time.

In terms of resolution, I have owned Apple laptops with 13" 1280x800 screens and 15" screens with resolutions of 1280x854 and 1440x900. The higher resolution of the current 15" MBP is easier for me to live with as a primary display.

 

[entatlrg]

In terms of comfortable use, dot pitch is more important to me than absolute screen size or resolution. Apple's 13" and 15" screens have a dot pitch that is similar in size to my 30" desktop monitor (0.223/0.23mm vs. 0.25mm), while the 17" screen has a significantly smaller dot pitch (0.191mm). The larger dot pitch is more comfortable for me to use for longer periods of time.

In terms of resolution, I have owned Apple laptops with 13" 1280x800 screens and 15" screens with resolutions of 1280x854 and 1440x900. The higher resolution of the current 15" MBP is easier for me to live with as a primary display.

Those are my findings exactly.... for long hours of staring at a notebook screen nothing seems more comfortable than my (mid '09) 15" MBP, thanks for pointing out why that is.

Combine the screen on my 15" MBP and the keyboard ... lot's of power it's a hell of a machine 🙂

 

[PMB]

Having a 17" and a 15", i much rather work on the 17" laptop (just taking into account screen size/resolution) becouse of all the extra screen real estate i can get. i usually use it about 6 hrs a day, if not more, too.
On long trips though, i like to take the 15" since i gain a bit more portability

 

[Davidkoh]

I got no problem using my 13" all day at all, unless I don't wear my contact lenses, because then I can't see 😉

 

[opinioncircle]

I am using my 13" screen, and have to admit that sometimes my eyes are getting a little tired.

As I am not at home, I cannot set it up the way I want to, but if I were, I would complement my MBP by a 20-22" external screen.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I use the 13" screen in my Air for all my portable uses. I've never bothered with hooking in a large, external monitor because, well, that's what I have my desktop for (an early 2009 mini with a 20" Cinema Display as its primary display and a 19" Samsung as secondary).

A 13" laptop is about the biggest I would ever want to carry around with me. Then again, I upgraded to the Air from a 12" PowerBook, so I may be a wee bit biased towards small laptops 😉

 

[entatlrg]

I have an Air too, best ever for traveling, great for couch surfing and banging off the last few emails at the end of the day too.

 

[entatlrg]

Suddenly the 13" MBP jumped up in the Poll, seemed like the 15" was in the lead most of the time up to too.

I'm surprised the 13" is that popular ... considering I posted for 'long hours of use' I expected the 15 and 17" to be the clear winners.

So far I guess this shows many people don't mind staring at a smaller for long hours.

15" MBP is the sweetspot for me.

 

[iBookG4user]

Suddenly the 13" MBP jumped up in the Poll, seemed like the 15" was in the lead most of the time up to too.

I'm surprised the 13" is that popular ... considering I posted for 'long hours of use' I expected the 15 and 17" to be the clear winners.

So far I guess this shows many people don't mind staring at a smaller for long hours.

15" MBP is the sweetspot for me.

I believe the reason is that typically people will only have one main laptop. Thus, those who only have the 13" MacBook (Air/Pro) will choose 13" on the poll.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I believe the reason is that typically people will only have one main laptop. Thus, those who only have the 13" MacBook (Air/Pro) will choose 13" on the poll.

Right-o. If I'm on my laptop, then I'll happily stare at its 13" screen for however long I'm using it. Would I rather be staring at the 20" screen on my mini? Totally. Do I want to stick the 20" screen in my bag to take with me? Ehhhhhhhhhhhh, not really 😛

 

[entatlrg]

More screen real estate generally means greater productivity. For long hours of use no doubt bigger is better - unless you're a frequent traveler.

 

[GGJstudios]

I spend 10-15 hours a day on my 15" matte MBP. Occasionally I use a 22" external display, but keep going back to the MBP screen. I wouldn't go smaller, as my old eyes wouldn't handle a 13" too well nowadays. (Too many decades of looking at computer screens!)

 

[tim100]

More screen real estate generally means greater productivity. For long hours of use no doubt bigger is better - unless you're a frequent traveler.

is bigger better? if yes, why is the 17 so unpopular?

 

[GGJstudios]

is bigger better? if yes, why is the 17 so unpopular?

It's a trade-off between real estate and portability. That's what makes the 15" so popular... a balance between the two.

 

[piixel]

Used to have a MacBook 13" and it was fine, but after a while I got tired of a 13" and upgrade to a MacBook Pro 15". I love my new 15" MacBook Pro.

 

[entatlrg]

Used to have a MacBook 13" and it was fine, but after a while I got tired of a 13" and upgrade to a MacBook Pro 15". I love my new 15" MacBook Pro.

That's understandable, the 15" display does seem quite a bit bigger than a 13".

With 13" notebooks I feel the need to hook up to an external display more often than 15". When you have 15" or larger it doesn't seem as necessary to hook up to an external display.

 

[Jaro65]

I definitely prefer my 17" MBP - which I basically use 12+ hours a day.

 

[djasterix]

Used to have a MacBook 13" and it was fine, but after a while I got tired of a 13" and upgrade to a MacBook Pro 15". I love my new 15" MacBook Pro.

+1, same here, now I think 15"is the perfect size, and I use mine 8 - 12 hours a day.

 

[entatlrg]

I definitely prefer my 17" MBP - which I basically use 12+ hours a day.

Interesting and you have a 15" too. How/where do you use your 17" always on a desk, or you lap. Do you move/travel with it often?

 

[Littlefields]

I'm currently using my 13" mbp as my main computer. I don't have any problems with it whatsoever. I have the option of switching to my 17" dell which has better specs, but I rarely do. A bigger screen size doesn't do much for me. That being said, I only use my mbp to do work and surf the net. But it certainly makes sense to have a bigger screen if you're gaming, photo editing, watching movies or anything like that.