dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Trying to focus in on a laptop. I am now considering either of two Dells the XPS 13 9360 or XPS 15 9560. Both with the touch screen, a 512G SSD and 16G RAM. The up side of the 13 inch is portability for the 15 it is visibility. I am 63 (64 in November) so both are issues.

Which do you find more important, small and portable or a nice big screen. This will be my primary computer for photography and I will run Adobe CC on it.

Any input is appreciated.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

I think for the most functional and satisfying Adobe experience, I’d opt for the bigger screen.

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

I agree, If this is your primary computer, then go for the biggest screen you can get.

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

I bought a new Dell Alienware earlier this year. I bought one with the bigger screen since I don't really carry it around all that often and being able to see larger images was most important to me. Once I no longer have my work computer on my desk I'll buy a larger screen for my personal laptop, which I keep on the dining room table for the time being. I'll be retiring in another year so I don't mind having computers in two places for the next year. I work remotely from home full time.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

I have the best of both worlds. Large screen is great for us seniors and laptops are superb for portability.
I went with Apple and whatever programs I have on my laptop, I can see via a cable on my large screen. A phone call to Apple paired my laptop to my IMac. 16G Ram is important to me for Adobe LR and PS.

BebuLamar

Unless you have 4K screen I would opt for the smaller screen.

Bill_de Loc: US

I've been using '17 inch laptops since HP came out with their first one. Since I don't carry it around all day long, although it may be in my car, the larger screen is worth the extra weight and bulk. Between the two you are looking at, go with the larger of the two. I'm a few years older than you are.

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Photocraig

If you carry the laptop a lot, and want to keep your bag size reasonable, go with the smaller screen. If you just do a small amount of post processing on the laptop away from home, go with the smaller screen. If you do the bulk of your heavy PP at home, go with the smaller screen and buy a larger ips monitor and plug it in when you're at your desk.

If, on the other hand, you are using the laptop away from home/office, and intend to do moderate to heavy PP on it, or use it to tether of show final results to others, then the larger screen would be useful. I'm looking for a laptop, too and I'm confining myself to a smaller package for portability. My objective is to attend workshops where they are needed. I'll endure the PP issues for those days, try to shoot better, and rely on projection if we're presenting to the group.

After at least 10 laptops between my wife and I over the years, I would NEVER rely solely on a laptop for my ONLY computer. I just had my camera stolen from my car. I would have had a laptop in that bag, too, if I had one. Boo Hoo. Insurance replaced the camera and would have replaced the laptop, but the data and photos would have been lost. And the data breach could have been costly! BUT, they ARE a theft magnet and the bigger, the more obvious.

In addition, the design trade offs make the laptops inherently less reliable. And the portability invites mechanical failure due to vibration, harsh treatment, harsh environments and dropping.

Good luck, and let us know what you purchased,
C

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

The question is how much if any do you fly? Bigger is better UNLESS you have to continuously schlep it through an airport (then a MacBook Air starts to look pretty good, even to a dyed-in-the-wool PC user)

PhotoKurtz Loc: Carterville, IL

I use a HP with 15" screen from BestBuy about 2 years ago for under $300. We travel a lot and it's been easy to haul on my motorcycle, camper, car or on a plane. With the zoom capability in PS I can get into as much detail as I want for PS editing. at 69 y.o. I'm not wearing glasses and this has been fine. In a prior thread I commented about adding a 250GB SSD. The computer + hard drive came to about $600. There's probably something cheaper right out of a box, but this was done in steps as budget permitted. I don't store anything in the computer. Pics go from my camera, through the computer to an external HD. Between stepping on them and dropping them, computers only last me about three years anyway. With this setup I can pull the HD and start over for a couple bucks.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Depends how you are going to use it 13" isn't that small and there is the option of using a larger screen if you set up an editing desk.

Touch screen tends to lead to finger prints too.

If its going to be your primary editing screen bigger tends to be better, but whats the image quality like on the screen, does it give accurate color?

What do Dell recommend you use it for?

The only problem with bigger tends to be additional weight to carry this can be a negative, how fit do you feel?

whwiden

If it has the 3200 x 1800 screen, I think the smaller computer would work well for photo editing. You could use a larger screen at home but still have the more portable one for travel. If I were in the market for a high end laptop, I would pick the Dell XPS series. For travel, I recently got a budget Lenovo Yoga 710 for $350 and it is decent for photo editing (running Linux). For Adobe, I imagine you will use Windows. With the XPS power it should work fine. I wear glasses, and am turning 60. If you travel, I would go with the smaller machine.

whwiden

I should have added that my Yoga 710 has an 11 inch screen--and I find it adequate--not great but adequate. Thus, for me, I think a 13 inch screen with high resolution could work very well.

stevesf

I am looking for the same as the OP, and I'm headed for 13-14 inch with 250-500 gb solid state drive and 1-2 Thunderbolt USB 3.0 ports (Not the older plain USB 3.0 ports) for transfer of images and video to outboard backup/storage and also to a larger stationary 4k screen for editing. I do a lot of typing, have been spoiled by outboard backlit mechanical keyboards, so a better keyboard on the device is important. The Lenovo Thinkpad meets most of these criteria, are built like brick outhouses, and cost roughly $US 1000. There are other's that cost and weigh less from HP and a few other reputable brands, too.
That's just my $0.02 for an ideal, but I could make almost anything work, as long as I had the good quality external keyboard, monitor and storage.
Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Bigger screen. Those glimmers ain't going to get any better!