[staunch]

Resolution is the big differentiator. A Dell 24" LCD does 1920x1200. So does a 15.4" WUXGA laptop. I worship at the resolution shrine.

I've carried both 15" and 17" 1920x1200 laptops everywhere for years, including quite a bit of international travel. Even with a spare battery the weight never bothered me. I swear by 1920x1200 and prefer 15" to 17".

The other major consideration is virtual desktops. They're the resolution multiplier and help to make up for the lack of multiple physical screens. I use Linux with WindowMaker and half a dozen "Workspaces" dedicated to different tasks.

[jamesbritt]

> I worship at the resolution shrine.

Same here, and opted fr a Dell D830 with a WUXGA screen to get the 15.4 1920x1200.

Smaller would have been to annoying.

 However, for a few years I did use a Toshiba Portege with  smaller screen (and lower res) and it had two big advantages: battery life was really quite good (I used an additional battery) and you could use it on a plane without special yoga techniques, even if the seat in front was reclined.

For my most recent purchase I weighed the value of various features under the most common operating environments.