How the heck do people carry around 15.4", 17", and 20.1"?

I mean those laptops are around 5lbs/close to 3kg. Whether I put it in a
backpack or a briefcase, they feel really heavy. But the majority of people
carry around 15.4" laptops and I just want to ask how you guys carry that
stuff around everyday.

 

You carry your arm don't you? that weighs well over 10 lbs.

 

u put it in a comfortable backpack and use both stripes... easy as that... is not like u r gonna carry it with ur tongue...

 

15.4" aren't so bad, but 17" and 20" I would be scared of dropping it and watching it smash, even if I had a Backpack and it dropped from any heigh I'd be ****ting them!

 

weight says nothing... try to drop an iphone...

 

town2020, you might want to start a workout class and build some muscle
I can carry my M1330 and M1530 around "town" or an hour or two just fine, provided I have a supportive backpack.

 

if his arm weighs only 10 lbs. its no wonder he's complaining about a 5+ lb. notebook.

 

It is possible to carry around a 15', it's just not very comfy. It also depends how much you need to actually carry it on your back. I think many people use 15' laptops because they don't estimate their need for portability correctly when buying a first laptop. At least that is what I see very often amongst students.

Students who need to take notes on a laptop and who buy a 15' because they "need the power" (not true in many cases) or "think a 13' screen is too small to work with" (more a question of habit solvable by an external monitor) often display much remorse about their choice due to the annoyance of carrying a 15' laptop all day.

If you are only taking it from the car to the office, it's really not a big deal. especially if you are a gamer or someone who actually needs the screen size and power. If you are someone who needs constant movement - you might not buy a second 15' laptop....

 

5lbs is the lower end of 2KG, 2.5 KG is 5.5lbs. I carrying a 5.6bls notebook with me and its fine, now I have a 6.1lbs and I am happy with it. You just need a comfy bag! I would never carry a 17'' over long distance myself, and i won't even walk out of the door with a 20''. :laugh:

 

you're kidding right? 3kg is not heavy! surely if you're going to school or what not, the book or your school equipment is heavier.

the size of notebook doesnt dictate the weight. i can carry 17" notebook like the MBP very fine. though i dont use it for that coz its big and im afraid of knocking it about... thats why if you want to travel the best compromise for me is 15" notebook. size is about right, not too heavy at all, i consider them light.

the current consumer 14" 13" laptop is heavy by their size, coz its because the manufacturer are cheating. usually that size 13" and below are reserved for sub notebook, with very light component and casing (think VAIO TZ 1.2kg). but now, they make the screen size small, and the casing big (with equally big screen bezel) and thats how they tell you that their computer is small.

just get a good carry case or backpack and you will forget that you're even carrying it.

i dont think anyone in their right mind would frequently travel (over medium to long distances) with a 20" "notebook".

 

I carry my 16" just fine, backpack or just in my arm. It's only 7.3 lbs.

 

Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with the size, not just the weight. A 17' is huge!

 

Someone needs to start doing pushups.

 

Guess your right there lol

I myself have a weak back, bothered me all my life so I wouldn't try to carry a 17" around for long!

 

Carrying the laptop is generally not a problem, stuff it in the backpack and you dont even notice.

The issues of portability only comes into play when you sit on a small desk, picking it up to show people things on the screen, using it on your lap, moving it briefly around the office/house etc. I really find 15.4" on the limit of uncomfortable for those scenarios.

 

its time to grow some muscles man, my laptop weighs 26lbs after its modifications, and I usually carry my 5lbs of power brick, and my other laptop, headphones, mouse, keyboard, and whatever books and things I need to class.
I am an architecture student, so that may be scissors, dremel, glue, cuting mats, hot glue gun, paper rolls, you name it.
I am smart though, i dont use a standard backpack. I use a heavy military backpack which is made out of rubber backed heavy canvas material, which keeps everything waterproof. The bag is made in the usa and is considered a day pack from the army, and man is it comfortable, they have very padded shoulder straps, so the 60+ pounds I carry every day doesnt hurt so much.
I made a steel frame for my backpack to protect my expensive laptop. It is made out of 3/8" thick stainless diamondplate. The sleeve for my laptop, is made out of this material, and it weighs about 25lbs or so.
I need the protection because if i fall, or get hit by a car, i know my laptop and whatever is in my pack is well protected. Not much can break a tig welded diamondplate box, it is rated to around 24 tons of force before breaking, so i think i am good there.

i dont complain about the weight, and I have no problem with it. after a while, your shoulder and back muscles build, and you become very intimidating

K-TRON

 

I have no problem with weight. But 15.4" is really trouble when you have to use it a lot on airlines or trains. The perfect size for me would be 13.3" widescreen, but until recently there were few reasonable choices.

 

15.4'' widescreen is ok. I tried using standard screen 15.4'' on a plane... = FAIL. But yes 13.3'' would be the best option for planes and trains.

 

13.3" would be the best compromise between portability and power

14.1" is best for compromise between portability and screen size

Well IMO anyway.

 

My dell inspiron 6000 is a chunky beast. I carry the thing and its brick like nothing. Doesnt bother me. But then again I am 6'4" 205LBS.

 

How old are you, OP? I would agree with K-tron... but whether 6 pounds is too much for you would depend on your age.

 

I also agree with K Tron, i have a 17inch, and its probably close to 10 pounds with everything i have, and that is nothing at all...

 

im 5'8" 140lbs ish and im 16(but imma guy)
im just worried cuz im going to college in fall 2009 and
I would have to carry this thing around just about everywhere.
i think 2kgs is about limit, but i guess i gotta work out more and
take gym nxt year or somethin

 

this doesnt make any sense

 

LOL... I carry my 1720 around everywhere. BTW I'm 5'9" and I only weigh 125 pounds.

 

My dell is a huge bulky heavy SOB, but as soon as I put it in my bag its just like any other laptop just a few pounds heavier then my 12in (3-5 punds difference really arent noticable with me). Plus carrying a laptop bag pales in comparison to web gear and a ruck sack any day, but thats just my .02cents.

 

Logic=0
That was completely irrelevant my friend. You carry yourself everyday don't you? So why wouldn't you mind to carry another 150lbs (75kg) with you?

Logic=0
PE = mgh

In my personal opinion I find anything over 14inch very uncomfortable and I'll tell you why. I don't have a car so I don't just put my laptop in my backpack/case and cruise around; I use public transportation and I walk. Anytime I have to carry my 15.4inch Pavilion with the 6cell and the charger (with lets say my physics book) I can feel my back almost crashing after walking and changing buses all day. This is just me and please don't try to say that I am not as strong as some of 'our' members here who have a 17incher (I'm referring to the notebook size here) and feel that they are carrying feathers in their backpacks.

The notebook size is just a matter of taste and situation. If you think that you won't be commuting a lot sure go even over 20inch, heck get a desktop. If you think you can deal with the weight sure why not. But for me smaller laptop equals better comfort and I can put it on any desk and still have room for where to put my lunch and books.

This is like discussing which color is better: blue or yellow.
Case closed.

 

just get a 14 inch lappy

 

I have a Dell 1420 with a 9 cell. Personally i find it a bit big. But the screen is big enough to do gaming with out the preformance (Renegade at full setting woot!) but just a little to big to be a true portable. So something in the middle is not always the best choice. There is alway a comprimise. You have 3 choices.
1.) Small light not so fast with good battery life <13
2.) The one I have where it is not really good at anything in particular (gameing or portability) 14-15 (most 15 produced are not that fast)
3.) And lastly big where it has preformance and screen size but not much else >15

 

well, my dell xps m1330 weighs 4 lbs, ~2kg, 13.3", though it is of the not-expensive end($1300+) of ultraportable notebooks($2000+)

that's the point... with books and all, a light laptop is much better than a heavy laptop.... was between the m1530 and m1330 (15" vs 13"), and thought 13" might be too small, but i like the portability....might be getting a 19/22" LCD for my dorm room

my sister's laptop is 7 Lbs..... its too heavy to be carried around with books and such

 

Join the army, keeps you in practice for carrying heavy loads over long distances.

If that isn't your cup of tea, well, consider this. Most users won't actually be walking around much with their laptops. They might walk around campus, from classroom to classroom, or be seated during transportation. There's certainly no guarantee, but I would warrant they spend more time with their laptops off their body than they do carrying it. I carry about 20 lbs or so on a daily basis walking around and I'm very used to it. Backpacks are much better for it. Carrying heavier weights in a sling bag tends to be a lot less comfortable.

Incidentally, most 15" are closer to 6 lbs, rather than 5.

 

I can understand if you have a back pain or other physical issues, but come on people the difference is only a couple of pounds. Has the world gotten so lazy that 3-5 pounds is too much? Granted the bulkiness of a 17in can be a pain for some, but the weight is negligible at most.

 

K-TRON- Im glad to hear that even if you get hit by a car, your laptop will still be okay.
I carry my Dell 1520 to classes about 3x a week its about a 15min walk and i just put it in a Swiss army backpack and adjust the straps so the pack is in the small of your back... don't leave your straps all the way out so the bag sags.

 

^^ Yeah, the well-being of the laptop is much more important than K-tron!

 

well considering how much he paid for that i would throw myself infront of a bus for it too!

 

So you'd throw yourself in front of a bus for his laptop?

 

you sassy pants! you know what i meant

 

In a heart beat... after all we are each others keepers

As to how i carry my laptop.

I use an aluminum Vaultz breif case. Its aluminum so quite protected, its also padded and fits the laptop very securyly inside. I strap in the battery and powerblock so they dont move around and i just carry it by hand. The whole set up probably weights 15lbs and its really nothing. My 30-50lbs of gear weights ALOT more and after awhile you just get used to it.

But i only have to typically go about a mile or so before i reach most of my destinations. I might notice the weight alot more if i had to force march 20 miles with it

 

Not really, after a while, it all feels the same, one foot at a time.

 

i use my bag... my big red bag

 

I have a hefty 17" Sager NP5790, but I use it as a desktop. I only carried it 4 times total. Now I wish that I spent the $3,000.00 on a nice desktop.

 

Think of it this way, if you need to go mobile you can. I love having a sweet desktop to destroy games with and all, but I find I do more work on my computers then play and a laptop can do that just as well and can easily do it on the go. Think of those 4 times as 4 times you couldnt have done that had you went with a desktop.

 

I put my 15.4" Z96J(6.8lbs) in a slip case and carry it under my arm wherever I go. After two years of walking around school campi with this and carrying around a backpack with your average school books and a few other small things(which actually weighs 20 to 30lbs) I have never once regretted buying a 15.4" laptop or even thought of complaining about weight. In fact, this is my third laptop of this size. I owned a 15" HP laptop four years ago, and a 15.4" Uniwill(in my sig, weighs 8 to 9 lbs) for the last three years.

As I said, weight wise I don't see the big deal about carrying a 4lb laptop versus a 7lb laptop. Size, however, may or may not make a big difference. It depends on the needs of the user. As people have already mentioned, some people use public transportation frequently or for some other reason require a physically small laptop. I certainly can't argue here; this is a valid, objective reason.

Weight on the other hand is clearly subjective; some people don't mind carrying 60lbs survival packs with them wherever they go, while others can't stand to carry a 6lb computer.

 

I have a Sager 5793 (17"), and I carry it every day. I use it at home and the office, and tote it around all points between. It fits nicely into a backpack for longer hauls, and a messenger bag for short runs. The weight is really not too noticable - and certainly not uncomfortable. I'd recommend the gym!

 

I hope you don't mean short runs literally?

 

I carry my 17" 9.2lb laptop back and forth to work, in and out of three different server rooms, 4 different meeting rooms, and sometimes stolen for presentations.

I have a bag for longer or wetter trips, but generally tuck it under my arm for shorter jaunts.
I have never thought of my laptop as heavy or even notice its weight at all.

I used to have a 6-7lb 15" and quite frankly I don't notice a difference save the physical size which sometimes keeps me from plopping it down on smaller surfaces.

One of the things not mentioned is that larger laptops usually have better heat management as well. Honestly, I'd rather have a 9.2lb laptop that doesn't cook my lap/hands off than a 6lb 15" which does.

Considering most of my college textbooks weighed as much or more than this laptop, I am going to mention that no matter what laptop you choose some strength and endurance training come highly recommended if 10lbs is heavy for you.
(unless you have a disability which prevents it)

 

it's all about back training. I'll be carrying my T61p to my uni almost everyday to train my back muscles, and to use during my horrendously long 3 hour breaks. It's about 2.2Kg, I think. My old Dell was 4kg. *shiver*

 

I've got a 17" m570ru-u (re: sager 5792) an I've no trouble at all putting it into a messenger bag and carrying it, it's power brick, my bluetooth mouse, bluetooth headset, an assortment of "Just In Case" cables (DVI, DVI>HDMI adapter, ethernet, crossover ethernet, etc) and a few USB toys. The notebook itself is 8.8lb, add another 2-3 for the brick, then everything ese.. Prolly 12-13 lb or so.

But, I'm a really big guy(6'5" 280lb), too, so it's sorta like a 15.4" for a normal sized guy.

I would like a backback for longer trips to evenly distribute the weight rather than pulling down on one shoulder. Long trips on foot require switching shoulders from time to time lest I risk a sore back. Tough to find a good backpack that's physically large enough, offers the right combination of compartments, without being some huge military backpack.

 

simple... were not pussies

 

i carry my 17" m6300 to and from work/school daily.. after a while you just get used to it.. gotta sacrifice for performance. It's not too bad. Man up!