Why thin and light notebooks are rare?

Why don't we see that many thin and light notebooks in the market? The only sub 4 pound notebooks that do not sacrifice too much size or performance are Sony SZ and Dell M1330.

No other manufacturers make thin and light notebooks anymore. It seems that over the years, notebooks have became bulkier and heavier. The average weight of notebooks these days are 6 pounds and they are very bulky. Isn't the purpose of having a notebook is to have a computer that you can carry around without breaking your neck? Having a thick bulky 6 pounds notebook defeat the purpose of having a notebook in my opinion.

 

my notebook weighs around 5.2lbs. its thin but not light enough. what makes the laptops heavy imo are the casing and the battery. but the thickness is only 1.4 at the back and 1.2 in the front.

not too light or its easily dropped i kinda like above 4lbs coz it makes the laptop feel solid and gives you a workout

if your back is aching and stuff your not carrying your bag right or properly. or you just need the work out lol

 

Because not everyone needs a light ultraportable all the time. Some people would rather save a whole lot of money in exchange for a little bulkyness.

So given that a majority of the market is not into extreme light notebook, but rather into savings, most of the notebooks will be around the same size.

And like mentioned, if you're "breaking your neck" carrying around a 6lb notebook, then either your a midget or need to hit the gym/get yourself a better backpack to carry it.

 

the problem is that ALL "thin and light" notebooks are mandated by the International Consumer Electronics Trade Act (Brussels, 1997) to have at least an 85% Unobtainium (Ub 143) content rating. This is to ensure that all "thin and light" notebooks are able to withstand normal CPU/RAM/GPU processes. the problem is that Ub 143 is only found in Northeast China. Obviously, China's gov't uses to their advantage in the world market. As well, because most of the ODMs are in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, it's obvious why China is hording. Many speculate China's strategy is to enhance their leverage in both political and economic circles.

engineers in Taiwan are attempting to create synthetic Ub 143, but their attempts over the last 4 years have been disappointing. it's still possible that someone will be able to manufacture synthetic Ub 143, but most of the trade magazines indicate that this option may be too costly and the actual solution is to use diplomacy with China to open up the Ub 143 supply.

if you want more thin and light notebooks, you should absolutely contact your local congressional representatives via email, snail mail, or phone and complaining about this fact. once enough political pressure is placed on China, they may open up the supply.

i would suggest using google to locate your local reps and simply email them telling them that, as a constituent, you are concerned that China's restrictive policies regarding Ub 143 and the very harsh requirements of the ICET Act of '97 combine to harm U.S. consumers as well as artificially constrain research and development. be professional and make sure to check for spelling mistakes. maybe if enough of us complain (i already have and know of many people who have already written their reps) we can actually enact positive change in the world market.

 

Or you can always get a UMPC.
I like the Fujitsu u810 and the HTC Advantage or W/E it's called.

But you also have to start considering what you consider thin and light as well. There are quite a few 12" touch screen laptops that are "thin" and "light" compared to the Dell xps 1330. Even the Macbook is thin and light compared to it.

 

Don't forget the X61 for the thin and light category with a nice processor that isn't gimped!

 

I think the main reason is that manufacturers have to juggle way too many things in order to make a small, and light notebook. First there are thermal constraints, for a certain CPU+GPU you NEED a minimum size heat sink, fan, as well as a certain ammount of air flow, as the package becomes smaller, it's harder to fit all that in there and provide the required air flow. Also, the smaller a laptop is, the harder it is to make it sturdy. If you want to make it lighter, you have to use more, and thinner plastics, that also makes it weaker. When the designers eventually find the right mix of all of these, the price shoots up because manufacturing has probably become alot more complex.

Therefore, there are a FEW small, light notebooks, but they tend to be more expensive. Most people don't need the smallest, thinnest laptop so you don't see alot of them. Mind you, if you do want it, you can get it.

 

Also most people just don't like the size of a 12.1" The reason why 15.4" are the most popular size is cost and the fact that most laptops rarely if ever leave the desktop.

 

Yes, I was going to mention that as well, can't blame most people for wanting to be able to see what they are doing on their screen. Especially since most people, especially as they get older don't have 20/20 eyesight, a 12 inch monitor would be extremely hard to use at anything over 1024 resolution.

 

14" outsell the 15", or at least it's what the managaer at my local dell store has been telling me.

 

I have to agree with thejinxor, I think 13-14" is the best selling size. More and more consumers are drawn to the portability & power in a single package and unfortunately the 15.4" notebooks are still too large (except for maybe the Macbook Pro).

 

When are we going to see a 15.4" notebook with built in optical drive and weighs less than 4 pounds ? Am I asking too much?

 

When the VAIO X505 came out I was going to buy it, but the lack of everything just doesn't work out for me.