So why are people still buying clunky 15-inch notebooks, and whose fault is it? Both VGP-BPS9/S notebook vendors and the panel manufacturers they buy their displays from certainly deserve some of the blame, because they’ve been pricing 15-inch systems so aggressively while building them only with the same native resolution as smaller models.

“It’s more about bang for your buck, Studio 17 Battery and if you look at price trends . . . you’ll see that on Black Friday, the $499 and $399 boxes are all 15-wide boxes. They’re not in the 14-inch class,” Jacobs said. He also noted that panel makers have a lot of influence over the cost of systems because they manufacture more 15-inch panels and price them aggressively.

Consumers are the real force behind the popularity of 15-inch notebooks. Many users don’t even think they need portability. We know Studio 1737 Battery that 60-percent of netbooks never leave the home, so we can only imagine how rarely consumer notebooks make it out. And because the family computer is now a notebook that travels around the house more than the globe, many consumers wrongly assume that they don’t need long battery life or light weight. They just don’t understand that, even on the couch, it’s inconvenient to be chained to an outlet or to use a system that’s too bulky to prop on your lap.

Still others take the brain-dead position that bigger is always better. As both consumers VGP-BPS9/B and businesses replace desktops with notebooks, they opt for 15-inch screens because the larger panel and chassis seem more similar to the experience they’re used to. Unfortunately, many of them don’t realize that they aren’t gaining any screen real estate by purchasing this class of notebook. If you want a large screen system, either get a 17- or 18-inch notebook that has full HD resolution or, better yet, spend $150 on an external monitor you can use when your notebook is on your desk.

While 14-inch notebooks have the same CPUs VGP-BPS9A/B as their 15-inch counterparts, 11 to 13-inch ultraportables present another challenge because they usually have low-voltage processors. Buyers see a less-sexy CPU on a smaller system’s spec sheet and run the other way. However, many low-voltage systems pack a lot of punch (see the MacBook Pro 13, the ASUS U33Jc, or the Alienware M11x), and even those with slower processors are more than adequate for the average of consumer or business user.

Because they see 15-inch notebooks on sale, users also assume that smaller systems are too expensive, but that just isn’t true. Today, you can get a high quality VGP-BPS9 consumer ultraportable like the 13-inch Toshiba Satellite T235 for under $600, which lasts more than 6 hours on a charge.

The Consequences
Unfortunately, MSI is just the latest vendor that is pulling away from the ultraporable market. We’ve talked to Dell Latitude 131L Battery other vendors off the record who told us that they too are moving away from systems smaller than 14 inches. Lenovo also recently confirmed that it’s pulling the plug on the 13-inch ThinkPad X300 series (my favorite ultraportable of all-time), which leaves only one 13-inch ThinkPad: the low-powered Edge 13.

The power to end the tyranny of clunky, low-res 15-inch notebooks good battery rests in your wallet. If more consumers and businesses purchase ultraportables or lightweight 14-inchers and demand higher-res screens, notebook vendors will step up their game as well