In his latest ZDNet column, David Coursey ponders “who really needs” big-screen laptops. Noting that 17-inch portables, such as Apple’s gigantic PowerBook, are all the rage, he writes that they’re overkill for most on-the-road tasks (such as writing and checking e-mail), but that they’re good for people who need to do serious graphic design, digital photography, and/or video editing while en route.
“If you can couple that [17-inch] screen with an overall thin and relatively light portable system, a 17-inch laptop is a big win for creative people on the go,” Coursey writes. “And given Apple’s overall friendliness with/dependence on creative professionals, the 17-inch PowerBook is probably the right big-screen portable for them.”
While laptops of this size are too big for use while flying coach, they make great desktop replacements, he adds. And pricing will come down, Coursey predicts. In fact, he forecasts that as costs decrease, we’ll see 20-inch portables.
” … if your notebook never lands on anything smaller than an office desk or your lap — comfortably seated in a giant Barcalounger at home — bigger is almost always better,” Coursey concludes.