This weighs almost 20 pounds!
Who says smaller is better in the on-the-go world of laptop computing?
Clearly not some of the world’s top PC makers, who are testing the waters for super-sized laptop computers that look more like briefcases than notebooks.
The trend is being driven as much by technology as demand, fueled by 19- and 20-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors now starting to enter the market, upping the ante on the previous biggest models at 17 inches.
The new super-sized laptops are most likely to find an audience with high-performance buffs like gamers, as well as people who want large screens and limited mobility allowing them, for example, to move computers around the office or home…
Acer was displaying its 20-inch mega-model this week in Taipei at Computex, the world’s second largest computer show. The model, Acer’s biggest laptop ever, is meant to function less as an on-the-go device and more for use within the home as a portable entertainment center in conjunction with other devices like game consoles and TVs, said Trisha Pan of Acer’s product marketing division.
“We’re building this as a desktop alternative,” she said, adding that the model retails for about $2,700.
Dell was also targeting high-performance aficionados when it announced the release of its 20-inch laptop model last week.
In keeping with its high-end target audience, the model — which starts at $3,500 — comes with a slew of bells and whistles, including eight speakers plus subwoofer, detachable wireless keyboard and a gyroscope-enabled remote.
Samsung’s model, which sells for more than $5,000, is also targeted at the high-end, and comes with a detachable screen so that users can hook it up to their desktop monitors.
Does size matter?
I think many laptops are hardly ever moved once you set them up.Ours is in the kitchen on the counter.There is a market for this because setting up and moving a P.C. is such a pain.
Very good ideia indeed, and about time IMHO.
This is exactly why I’ve been lifting weights all these years. Though I’m curious how well it’s balanced. They must have added some weight to the base to get it less top heavy…
20 LBS!!! They wont be able to give these away! $3,500-$5,000, I’m coughing as I type!!
If it had a decent video card, gamers wouldn’t have to lug their desktop machines to LAN parties…
No, wait… no dual video cards, no interior lighting… no sale.
Well…the concept makes a lot off sense you don’t constantly move the computer. Occasionally moving a desktop from a bedroom to the living room to the kitchen can be a pain. At 20 lbs, it’s not a big deal, as this computer can act as the media center system that’s portable throughout the house. There would be no need to have multiple computers in different rooms. Only thing it needs is the ability to receive TV broadcasts and it would be a perfect fit for that niche market.
If only there was an alt.fan.warlord for laptops.
I lugged a laptop for over a year, then I got a permanent desk and a desktop and now the laptop is used only at home, but it still moves around from room to room.
Seems to me it’s like everything else, form follows function and if you don’t need the light weight and mobility of a small laptop then get a big one.
And why do they call them laptops? The damned things breathe from the bottom, and mine warned me against setting it on a soft surface, like a bed, or pants, as it would restrict air flow to the fan.
WHAT!? 20 lbs. is not that heavy….. I don’t see the problem here. The design looks extremely sexy but maybe thats just me. hehehe 🙂
Evan the midrange laptops today are as powerful as the desktops a few years ago. most people like the idia of being able to close it up and put it away when not in use. I am talking about home users not road wariors. My widescreen laptop wieghs about 7lb but it has a great prossor 1gig of memory and 128mg vidio card. It will run any program I throw at it. All for about 800 bucks. plus when I am done I close it up put in my desk drawer all neat and tidy. they are the new home desktops for average users. This is there market if they get the price right.
I have an idea!! Since the only reason one would want a laptop is for the portability, why not market it as a “light-weight all-in-one desktop with flat-panel display” instead???
#12 You’re kidding! I have a Dell desktop with 3Ghz Pentium chip, 1 gig of RAM, and 160 gig hard disk, and it cost $1600!! That included a 3-yr warrenty, but it was having trouble running out of the box. Dell “Tech Support” was of no help, so it cost an additional $100 to fix at the local repair shop.
Oh, and the whole family only uses 30 of the 160 gigs of storage, that’s with Microsoft Office 12, Firefox, Incredimail Xe, a downloaded HTML document of the Constitution of the United States, hundreds of Emails, countless programs, scanned photos, and podcasts. And to think you can a 30-gig iPod for $299!
Bottom line: Never get an extended “warrenty”; never get a $$$$ when a $$$ will do; spend as little on the “box” (processor, hard drive, memory, etc.) as you can get away with; spend as much outside the box (digital camera, printer, scanner, MP3 player, high-speed connection) as you can afford; build your own system, if you can; and never buy a Dell.