1. What's A 17" Notebook Good For, Anyway?

We confess that we were initially skeptical about notebooks with 17" TFT displays, for what you might call philosophical reasons. In most cases, these devices weigh in somewhere between 6.5 and 12 lbs (3 - 5.5 kg). Their weight means they don't really justify being labeled as portable - rather, it makes more sense to use terms such as "transportable" - or just "luggable."

One advantage of 17" laptops is that the larger display diagonal boosts the viewable area on screen by more than 20%, as compared to a 15.4" notebook. This extra space is not only a plus for big, complex spreadsheets or jumping from one application to another when multiple windows are open, but the space also enhances you DVD or TV watching experience.