Help choosing between K or N series

I've narrowed my search down to 2 laptops, the N61JV-X2 from amazon.ca or the K72JR-X1 from newegg.ca and I can't decide which would be better. They are both $980 CAN. I've bolded the differences between the 2 below:

N61
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 16-inch HD LED-backlit Widescreen ( 1366 x 768)
CPU: Intel Core i5-430M processor 2.26 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.53 GHz
Graphics: NVIDIA Optimus-Enabled: NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M with 1GB DDR3 VRAM + Intel GMA HD
Wireless Data Network: 802.11 b/g/n (@ 2.4GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (up to 8GB)
Storage: 500GB 7,200RPM hard drive
Input/Output: USB 3.0 port

K72
CPU Type Intel Core i5 430M 2.26GHz
Screen 17.3" 1600x900 LCD Features LED backlight
Memory Size 4GB DDR3 1066
Hard Disk 500GB 7200rpm
Optical Drive DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470 1GB Dedicated Memory

I would be leaner more towards the N but the screen resolution really concerns me.

I would love to hear anyone's opinions on which one they would choose and why - keeping in mind that I will not be gaming on this laptop but doing graphic/web design and watching tv.

thanks!

 

Good question. I am asking the same thing as I look at any laptop. So many laptops have the mainstream 1366 x 768. I am trying to compare at big box stores such as Futureshop, Best Buy etc. Maybe stop at some even if they are not Asus laptops just to try and compare resolutions? If you have a DVD movie, maybe ask to try it or see if there's any demo videos installed on the store laptop's OS?

Any other ideas?

 

Both are sufficient enough for TV and 720p HD video, and have a 16:9 aspect ratio so it'll fill the whole screen (no black bars) for typical widescreen movies/TV.

As for web design and graphics, you might find convenience in having the extra 132 vertical pixels in seeing what webpages look like at 1152x800 or 1280x800. Personally I found 1366x768 painful on a 15.6" display and switched my screen to a 1680x1050 15.4" one. 1600x900 is about perfect for 16-17", and maybe one size too small for 18". More pixels basically means slightly comfier multitasking/design since you have more pixels to put things.

Finally you might consider battery life. I don't know benchmarks off the top of my head but some guessing tells me the N series will get better battery life and adapt to required performance better than the K series. I'll guess perhaps 30-60 minutes more battery life than the K series based on the integrated graphics and screen size for the same size battery. If the batteries have a different number of cells this paragraph is moot.

/Just my 2c

 

If you're not gaming, and you're used to working on a HD+ screen, then I'd get the n61. It's a really nice machine. I've never cared for the K series.

On the other hand, extra pixels are always nice, but I don't think you'll really notice any difference in dots per inch, since the screen size is different on both as well - sure, you've got more space, but also more screen.

I bought a netbook, thinking the low resolution wouldn't bother me. I was wrong. You need a minimum amount of space.
I bought a laptop with 1920x1080, thinking the extra pixels would be nice. And they are... but not nearly as nice as I thought they'd be.

So, if you find HD+ adequate, then you probably won't mind the extra space of a higher screen ... but it probably won't be a huge difference (it'll feel huge for a few days .. then you'll be back to "Meh, whatever").

 

Having said all that ...

If you're really concerned about the HD+ screen ... get the higher resolution. You're worrying about it now, and since price is an issue, I bet you want to hold onto this for awhile.

Also, Optimus technology isn't anything special, especially since you're not gaming. The ATI cards tend to run hotter (and use more battery) when under load, but if you're not gaming, you'll never see the difference.

It's not rocket science to upgrade later, but it is more expensive and ASUS notebooks have crazy awesome warranties that you wouldn't want to jeopardize.

 

Well for web design can of work, like dtd00d said, more work space = better.
If you don't mind the size and weight of K72, it's a better machine for your needs. If you want to wait for even a bigger resolution (perhaps) like me, wait for N63JN with full HD.

 

Thanks for all the great advice! To be honest I'm not really sure what I'm used to working on (HD+ or not). My current laptop (an hp dv9500) has a 17" 1440x900 screen - so not 16:9. I'm assuming either the N or K would be a step up from that?

I'm not too concerned about battery life, or weight. I'm basically moving it from one room to another in the house and that's it. Also, I need this fairly soon since I can't do anything on my current one except access the internet through chrome (not ie or firefox for some reason) so when would some of those other models in the mar/apr magazine be available?

Can anyone tell me what this "video magic" technology is that the N61 has that they say enhances dvd quality to 1080p?

 

it just allows the video card to output 1920x1080 video to an external display, I believe

 

I'm also using a 1440x900 on 14.1" laptop. Frankly speaking N61 is a downgrade, while K72 is slight upgrade for expensive cost of size and weight.
But hey..., it's just an opinion, don't take it so much as advice.

Unlike N82 and UL30JT, there is no big news N63JN aside mentioned a couple on CeBit 2010 report (and there is some contradiction mentioned the screen res is 1366x768 instead of full HD). Even so, UL30JT and N82 has yet to make an appearance.

not sure about this... maybe just some pixel-level manipulation technology. I wouldn't be bought so much with the technology, but it's a plus nonetheless.

 

Thanks for everyone's input - I've been waffling for weeks on which laptop to get and I've finally decided to take the plunge and get the K72 - I'm used to the larger screen size and I think the resolution will be fine for what I need.

I feel like I always want to get the highest-end specs I can afford even if I don't really need them for what I want to do and it's been a struggle in my head to settle for something lesser b/c it's what I can really afford!

So thanks again!