1720 - am i crazy?

Hello! I'm wanting to buy one of the new Inspirons, and am (gasp!) pondering a 1720. Am I mad? I love large screens, and I love the huuuuge hard drive option of the 1720, and don't need much portability, but...

I use a laptop on my lap (yes I know...) - does anyone with a 17" use it this way? Does it block out the sun! Does it just feel *too* big once you're used to it? I'd value first-hand comments...

Also, I'd like to use my Inspiron for some gaming, and want the best long-term likely option for this (but just can't take the big guns all-boys XPS 17" style - sorry ). So will the 8600M GT card be significantly slower on the 17" screen compared to the 15.4"? I don't quite understand how this works, if I play non full-screen - if I use the same number of pixels on a 17" screen for a game as on a 15.4" will the performance be the same? Or does that extra 1.6" mean that the performance will just always be lower?

I guess I'm trying to convince myself to buy the 17" but I'm scared I'll regret it. Looking at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEu9jy1LbS4

it DOES look kind of huuuuge....

 

LOL @ the video. Laptop models? I've never seen that before...

Anyways, I would never personally consider a 17" laptop unless it was going to actually be a desktop replacement and sit on my desk all the time. If you will be carrying it around anywhere I would say that it's a bad choice.

I would think that using a 17" laptop with good specs would be heavy, hot and uncomfortable to have on your lap. I've never tried this laptop out, but I wouldn't think it would be a good "lap" experience

As for the performance, the size of the screen doesn't dictate performance, it's the resolution you output at that does. If you're outputting games at a higher resolution, as you probably would on a larger screen, it will look a lot better but the performance won't be as good. You can lower the resolution in games, but if it's not set at the monitor's native resolution it won't look as good as if it was.

 

maybe you should take a look at the 1520? mostly all the same specs as the 1720 (same graphics etc) but in 15" form and a lil cheaper...

 

Thanks for the replies so far! I know it's a hard question to ask... really wondering if someone who bought a 17" regretted it because of how it felt on the lap...

I don't need portability - just moving around the house. Yes the 1520 looks good but!! I love the huge hard drive options in the 1720... 500GB vs 160GB...

Why would a 17" with the same graphics card be hotter? Wouldn't it actually be cooler (more airflow insider)?

 

Assuming the same cooling it would probably run hotter in intensive applications since you'd likely be running at a higher resolution. If there's better cooling in the 17" laptop then.. well it could be cooler. Not sure.

 

i have an inspiron 9300 right now and it's pretty massive. i've opted to go with the smaller e1405 instead....

 

Ok, so my experience writing this on a laptop (not mine im getting mine july) which is a 17" HP DV9000.

In terms of screen size the screen is great, for stuff like surfing the net and writing documents its wonderful. Now i perfer the laptop on my lap and this 17" covers my entire lap perfectly so it feels comfortable with both my hands well placed on the laptop and not clumped together. I lug it outside every now and then when i supervise my little brother and his freinds playing in the neighborhood. I wish it was a little lighter and smaller so that i could hold it in one hand but with a nice sized carrier bag something like this wouldn't be too bad. Heat is probably better in a 17" due to its size and a better cooling system.

If you want a 17" get it. In my opinion the screen alone is worth it for any laptop. If your going to be traveling alot you might want to get an ultra portable, but if your going to be using it at home then get the 17".

EDIT: If your worryed about the HD my sugestion is to get a smaller HD and then buy an external. a 500gig external right now goes for about $100 and in a few years probably cheaper (heck thier getting the 1 terra out to the market already.)

Also a higher end GFX card would end up being cooler due to the stress load being much lighter although it might get slightly hotter when running it at full capacity. So a 8400GS doing the same thing that the X3100 is doing would end up being cooler.

 

natarajv - thanks for the opinion. when you say massive, just too uncomfortable to sit with on your lap? or too bulky to travel with?

revoletion - thanks too! problem with an external hard drive is you have to plug it in - always a pain with a *lap*top! i do use them yes, but all that internal space is so attractive.

if i was rude i'd ask you "how big is your lap?". but that would be terrible nosey... but does it rest comfortably, or jut out at the edges.

all that screen space is really appealing... i just don't want to buy it and then think "oof" and realise i can't sit with it anywhere other than a desk...

 

If you have a Dell kiosk anywhere nearby, why don't you try going to take a look at them for yourself? They might not have them quite yet, but give them a few days and you should be able to judge for yourself.

 

Not sure they have them in the UK dajoip? Also, travel tricky...

 

Ya if you have the money go for it, its just a nice way to save some cash. Also what i found out is that if you realy want a bigger HD at a cheaper price you can buy your own and then pop it in. According to YoJr its just opening a back cover and unscrewing some screws.

I dont know how to measure my lap but i can tell you that my laptop is roughly 16 inches in width and completely covers my lap which i would guess would be close to 12 inches across (with my legs plastered together). Its not a rude question at all Its a matter of prefrence so its important to know that kind of information.

It all depends on prefrence but they usualy aren't that big unless your buying the Sager 9290 (or something) then it would be massive but HP and dell come from the same manufacture so it would be roughly the same.

 

yeah, when I saw my friends HP 9000 17" I was pretty amazed at how much more I liked 17". They're just a lot nicer to me, and it's not bad at all on your lap....and if someone can't handle making 7.7lbs portable then wow, I mean, put it in a backpack and it's like having a 1500 dollar book in there.....
......and they have a numpad, God's gift to laptop computers

 

how does the 1720 screen compare to m1330?

 

M1330 is an ultraportable. It's 13" vs the 1720's 17".

 

sorry, i meant, brightness, contrast ,light leakage

 

Oh, sorry. It's brand new so there isn't too much on it yet, but the LED screen is supposedly quite bright. We'll have to wait until one of us gets one or there is a review that talks about the screen more.

 

Nukey u ordered a m1330?

 

Hambone, if someone could tell me the graphics card could be upgraded in it, I'd be delirious with joy! My current (old) laptop's doing ok really aside from graphics which are reeeeally slow. But of course I assume graphics won't be upgradeable on this too.

I keep reading that the 8600M GT isn't actually THAT fast for a gaming laptop... compared to the 7 series right now... bit disappointing as I'm trying to buy something with good enough graphics for a couple of years from now. I'm hoping this card will be enough.

Thanks for the comments on 17" comfort level on a lap! I'd be very happy to hear more, positive or negative, while I try to decide 1720 or 1520...

 

LOL oops! i thought your was talking about the 1710 XPS 17". Get 17" it will be good for watching DVDs and other types of movies.

 

Yep, ordered one yesterday.

 

Nope GFX cards are not upgradable. It actualy ends up being more cost effective to buy a new laptop than to upgrade seprate parts. By the time the 8600GT will be useless The memory will need to be upgraded, and then The Prossesor will be too slow. its better to upgrade the laptop entirely.

 

I think once drivers get updated it would be on par with the 7 series

 

Really? Which 7...? 7900M G-something? I keep hearing the 8600M is disappointing...

Still looking for more 17" screen users in the "glad I bought it" or "wish I hadn't" categories..!

 

My modus operandi is to use the 17" laptops (currently the big guns all boys and not to put too fine a point on it, ultra-fugly XPS M1710) for doing real work on the move. ~5Kg travelling weight (incl PSU & spare battery) is heavy sure, but it's not impossible to carry and you have to consider that it is effectively a desktop. With that said, 5Kg doesn't sound bad. By real work, I mean in my case major documentation, spreadsheet work, graphics / 3D layout work. I chose the XPS in the end after going through the 17-inchers below as it really can do everything a desktop can.

I spent a year with the Apple Macbook Pros both 15" and 17", but the 17" in particular is not what I'd consider roadable without significant care. It is very pretty but it's ludicrously hot when you actually start putting it to serious use, unreliable, fragile and component / build quality isn't actually that high. Dell's achievable build quality is similar which is why they build with less critical fit & finish margins and it works better. The Apple is the lightest 17" on the market I believe at 3.2 or so kgs but I can't recommend it for anything beyond posing in coffee shops.

I also have a few 17" HP nw / nx notebooks lying around various places I work in and once again, the 17-incher's productivity is what lead me to choosing these in the first place.

For Citrix (web access remote control effectively speaking) connectivity for light documentation, scheduling and web stuff, I'm perfectly happy with the higher-res 13 - 14" laptops. I use the Dell D630 and the Sony SZ4 in the main, but these are not a substitute for the 17"ers... I do feel the need to turn to a desktop or the M1710 when doing more than light putering.

For notetaking and Citrix emailchecking only and as an 'all-day' machine when I'm travelling very often, I use the Sony G11. With a 1024 x 768 screen, this laptop severely cramps my style for anything beyond that... but it's astouding battery life and sheer portability make it a very good 'nearly full laptop' to travel with.

I also have a fourth option, a Sony UX390. This is even less useful for 'real work' than the above but it is handy for Citrixing into my server to access Outlook.

And finally, my very last layer in the 'Russian Stacking Doll' portable arsenal is the HTC Advantage. It's not a PC, but it pushes emails down to me and I can access the web. This last option is in somewhere of a limbo in comparison to the UX and I might abandon it soon but you get the idea.

Despite all that, if you gave me a limit of one laptop I'd pick a 17" with the highest-res screen. I would take that tradeoff in terms of portability for something noticeably more productive than anything smaller. If my limit was two, I'd pick the UX390 or the Advantage and the 17".

 

It appears that Inspirons now have decent build quality. Inspirons are no longer made of the cheapest parts held together by glue and tape. Dell has raised the bar and I am curious if other companies are going to follow in Dell's lead.

 

I heard the keyboard on 1720 is a little to the left since number pad is added. This might be unconfortable for typing when you put it on your lap.

 

Thanks Vogelbung for the long post! That actually makes me quite confident about a 17"... Serenity, I wondered about the full keyboard too - I can't see myself using the numeric keypad, so I'm wondering how off-centre the space bar etc are...

Homer_Jay_Thomson, have recent Inspirons been better built? Certainly when I last looked (few years ago), their reputation for solidity was poor compared to Latitudes - it's no longer the case? Does the plastic flex when moved? Comparing with a Thinkpad here which just never does, and I'd love to buy, but the graphics options just aren't good...I'm a bit afraid to step back in quality from a Thinkpad, so I really am hoping Dell's Inspirons aren't so bad now?

Are the touchpads good on Inspirons? Asking as someone who only *ever* uses a Thinkpad touchpad, not an external mouse...

 

I just got this picture from dell's site. Apparently, the typing area is off to the left by a quarter of the whole width. I cant imagine typing on it while its on my lap.

 

Hm. The position of the touchpad on that picture concerns me the most. Argh. I thought I'd decided. Any full-keyboard laptop uses here?

Edit - bigger image:



Am I right in thinking that touchpad position is crazy..?

 

Hmm...


I just went on Dell's site earlier today and configured both a 1520 and a 1720.


With both laptops as similar as I could configure them, why is it that the 1520 is like $300 more than the 1720, despite having a smaller screen?

 

Are you basing this on actual experience with a previous generation Inspiron? My 700M and my boyfriend's and dad's E1505s are all very solid machines. I would love to hear about the laptop you received that was held together with "glue and tape."

To make at least my post slightly on topic, don't just think about the heat/weight from the laptop. If you are planning on using it on your lap, think about how close you will be to the screen. Will you be comfortable being that close to such a large screen?

To me, though, it sounds like the larger screen is what you *really* want--so go for it!

 

IMHO I don't find 17" notebooks to be too big to sit on my lap easily, just to heavy. Id say the best way to tell is just to head to your local computer store and try a few out. They wont be the exact same of course, but you will get a good idea.

On your storage space problem, another way around this (assuming you will be hooked to your home wireless network constantly) is to purchase an external hard drive that has Ethernet support. These can be setup to work just like an external drive, but without having to move it with your laptop. It wont be quite as fast as an internal drive, but for most people it will still be fast enough.

 

if u're a big guy, lugging this around will not be aproblem. A friend of mine, who is skinny 5 feet 3. looks like a 13 years old boy... lug his 17" around pretty much alot. It's a dell 9300.


I have my Asus 17" also, I get used to the weight and size. Big screen is always better for viewing movies and pictures.

u're not crazy at all. I'm used to be E1705 owner as well. I lug it to school all the time.

However most of the time i leave my laptop on 24/7 on my desk to work.



PS: I like the dual HDD options it's one of the best solution for "heavy downloader " and high resolution photographs.

 

I am using a 17 inch gateway, from work. I hate large laptops. But it's perfectly comfortable to sit in my lap. The positioning of the trackpad is fine. The keyboard is fine too. I don't even notice that it's off center, though it looks weird. The trackpad is in a very similar place.

It's around 9 or 10 pounds, and, again, no trouble in my lap-- it doesn't even get warm, but then it has a 945

But yeah I totally hate 17 inch laptops I don't understand the point. If you're ever at a place that you're going to be immobile.. Plug a smaller laptop into an external monitor-- and make it an extended Desktop instead of just switching over.

On the other hand if you want pure MANLY COMPUTER POWER then I suppose 17 inch is the way to go.

On the other hand, many 15.4 inch laptops can carry as much power as a 17 inch, though they'll get a bit hotter...

Meh. For me it comes down to first what is on the inside, then what's on the outside. If having the best videocard available is what you want.. go 15.4 or 17 inch... Just, keep in mind.. If you think the laptop's big, think of the bag that has to carry it

 

Regarding the keyboard, the same asymmetric layout on the HP nx / nw laptops gave me the initial impression that it might be a problem. In use however it hasn't been an issue and I like having the numeric keypad.

If the next XPS 17" comes with the similar layout and goes for the more restrained looks of these new machines, I am dumping the M1710s faster than you can say "Hasta La Vista".

Being a bit of the @$%&-kicker here, if you're moving down noticeably in terms of price I think you have to be prepared to take a slight break on quality. Although I've never owned an Inspiron, the XPS is pretty similar to the 9400 and I've had no problems with it. I have seen a number of the 6000 and 9000 series Inspirons and while I've never been particularly enamoured of their styling, I don't think they are bad machines as such and their owners don't seem to have any major issues. Dell doesn't have access to very high levels of fit & finish quality like say Sony's Made in Japan models, but I think they engineer their laptops to take that into account. I would say hop up the warranty to guard against any issues.

 

Stella - thanks! I'm not sure having a big screen on my lap itself is a problem - I'd be getting the higher resolution one so...

Samus - yes I store lots over a wireless network now. The problem is that when you're talking about 10s or 100s GB, it's just not quick enough. Wireless-n may help...

Khan, FGLRX and Vogel - thanks for your comments! Relieved to hear the off-centre touchpad doesn't seem to be a problem to you... do you find you tend to shift the laptop on your lap to the right though? Or just stretch your right arm more (RSI)..?

No I emphatically don't want a "BIG MANLY LAPTOP"!! If I did I'd buy the XPS I'd just like a really expansive screen in front of me to do *lots of stuff*! If the 15.4" could take two internal drives, I think I'd go for that... as it is I'm still swaying wildly...

 

I suppose I understand your hunger for drive space. Its a reasonable desire...

I am sitting now to check about the stretching or the moving. It seems i do a mix of both.

my lap, as I'm sitting now, is pretty much exactly the width of the Laptop. I've shifted it about an inch and a half to the right. I use my thumb on my right hand to move the touch pad, and i seem to click the button with my left thumb.. I wish they put the buttons at the top of the touch pad instead of the bottom though.

After moving it half an inch to the right i dont seem to really need to stretch at all to use it.

also my arms are about umm..2.75 feet from the inside to the tip? Too much information i know :| but perhaps it'll give you a better idea, dimensions wise.

In the end, I think you should try to find a store that has, if not this laptop, one like it, so you can test dimensions wise if a 17 inch would be comfortable...

 

Firstly, find me a laptop that isnt held together by glue and tape. What else are you supposed to use? Nails?

And Stella Makes a really good point about how comfortable are you with the screen that size that close to your face. Personaly i the 17" i have isnt terrible for my lap but the screen ends up being kinda big. I end up using the windows side bar thing to shrink it down to a ~15.5" screen. I watched a movie on it an besides the fact that the Go 6150 in it sucks and was realy choppy the screen felt a little to big for me to be that close to it (i was on my bed, my eyes 9" from the screen). If your going to be watching movies at least a foot away then its probably wonderful but i like to be upclose and personal so i tend to have it closer to me. Bigger screens are great if you want to have some more viewing room for movies, photos but it ends up kinda big for the office,internet, IM kinda things.

Personaly being a graphics artist i prefer more pixels over a biger screen because i can end up fitting more into it while maintaining the "big picture" and i dont have to stretch my eyes to see everything.

OMG i just realised that the Insprirons have a FULL RIGHT SHIFT KEY!!! I was getting SO annoyed at the little half sizeds shift key on the HP DV9000.

Who the hell put the mousepad there???

 

I am a harsh critic, especially with laptop durability. I do not like consumer line laptops because of the flexibility in the lid, which tends to be the most vulnerable part of a laptop. The newer Inspirons might have a nicer lid that will protect it from damage.

 

Thanks all for being SO helpful in this thread. I agonised, cut out cardboard of the same dimensions, gulped, held my nose, jumped and ordered a 1720... eek!

 

Actually I prefer screws .

I just wanted to hear about your personal experience with Inspirons being poorly built. It bothers me when people bash a product they have never used. And I'm not sure what you mean about lid flexibility--I've never known an Inspiron to have unusual screen flex (which is, again, why I asked about the Inspirons YOU have owned).

 

Why doesn't the 1720 line come with 7200 RPM hard drives? That would pull me over from the 1520 to the 1720 if they offered 7200 RPM on the 1720.

 

My brother's last Inspiron was crushed by luggage while it was closed. The Inspiron was even in a padded case. I think the lid should have more protection so this does not happen. I think many other laptops suffer from the same problem, which is why I bought a studier business class laptop.

 

I believe because the faster 7200 rpm drive runs hotter and is a greater battery drain

 

I read several threads that denounce this myth. Give me a second to post it.

EDIT:

 

I'm assuming you're talking about airport luggage...there is a reason NO laptop should ever go through luggage like that.

As far as quality goes...I've owned my fair share of Dell systems, and I think it is hit and miss. My first (and only) desktop was an 8300 that burnt out in a month cause the cooling system stopped working...the first replacement was DOA, the next replacement was so underspec'd it was stupid (I even called them before the replacement shipped). Half the RAM, no audio card (literally a missing part and an open PCI slot exposes), wrong CPU...

My grandmother's desktop (I bought it for her) hasn't had a single problem in two years...talk about a complete turn-around from my 8300 experience.

Laptops, again hit-and-miss. My 700m died a week into ownership (bad mobo and faulty CD drive) and I opted to return it 'cause any repair would have taken it past the return period. I sold my M140 to a friend of the family, and even a year after the warranty ended there have been NO problems with the machine.

 

Yes, if the laptop was checked, there is NO way you can blame any damage on the manufacturer ! My heavy duty suitcases are missing zippers and things after being checked for about a dozen flights--airlines are really rough on baggage.

Even if he just dropped heavy suitcases on it, not many mainstream laptops would survive through that .

 

i dont think you will regret it.it looks awesome and the heat is extremely low.read this review to find out more http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=156372

 

with a 17" laptop on your lap you never need worry about heating your house again.

I usually use the XPS on my lap and its fine and much more comfortable than sitting at a desk. I use a computer at a desk at work so i dont really want to sit at another desk at home. So i just lie on the couch with my lappy