You’re not happy with your old laptop, so you want a new one. But everyone is telling you that 13 inch laptops are too small to get the job done and they don’t provide enough screen real estate. So what’s the best option? Well, there are different options like a 15-inch or 17-inch laptop which come in much more choices but these larger sizes may be too large for most people’s needs. The only way to know if a 13-inch laptop is too small for you is to try it out. This article will help you determine what’s the best size of a laptop that suits your needs and budget. Let’s get started!
Is 13-Inch Laptop Too Small?
A 13-inch laptop may be too small for some people. If you are looking for a laptop to do official work with MS Word or MS Excel, then a 13-inch screen size is generally the smallest size you will want. If you want to work in more than one window simultaneously, then you need a larger size. On the other hand, if you are a software engineer, you might find that a 13-inch laptop is too small for your needs. You will likely need a larger size to accommodate all of the multitasking software you need to use.
13-inch laptops are a common size and can be found in a variety of form factors. Their screen size may depend on their intended use. If you need a lightweight laptop, then 13-inch laptops are a good choice. However, if you want or need a larger screen, then you may want to consider a 15-inch laptop. Additionally, there are some great graphics capabilities available in 13-inch and 15-inch laptops. So, if that is important to you, then those sizes should be considered as well.
Why A 13-Inch Laptop Screen may not be bad after all
Specifications
Laptops with a smaller screen size have a smaller size footprint overall, which generally makes them lighter and more portable. With the small size of a laptop, there won’t be the size for powerful processors and large battery size. Thus, you might need to compromise with battery size and a robust system with a small screen.
Laptops with larger screens take up more space, are usually more solemn, and may have higher spaced hardware. However, this again has a drawback, to increase the battery power, its size will also increase, which will introduce even more weight. It is not possible to find a laptop available at a balanced size, price, and features. The fact is that screen size is only part of the overall puzzle, but it’s one of the essential elements of a laptop as it defines the overall size and, to some degree, the laptop’s total weight.
Resolution
Resolution is one of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a laptop. Laptops with higher resolutions offer better viewing quality but are usually more expensive.
A 1080p resolution (1,920 x 1,080) is usually adequate for most people on a 13-inch laptop. Laptops with taller screens have higher resolution options, but maybe more difficult to use due to the narrower screen aspect ratio.
13-Inch Vs. 15-Inch Laptop: Which should you choose?
It all depends on what you are looking for in a laptop. Both types of laptops have their own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the individual user. When deciding which laptop to choose, consider your needs and preferences.
While there are 13-inch laptops with adequate graphical performance, this is one area where size does matter historically. A bigger laptop provides additional space for a GPU and, more critically, additional space for GPU cooling. As a result, you won’t find a 13-inch Ultrabook equipped with a GTX 1060 GPU. We have not yet reached that enchanted stage.
Smaller laptops, as well as ultrathin Ultrabook-style notebooks such as the ZenBook Pro, typically include last-generation mobile GPUs or lower-end current generation GPUs. If you’re searching for a serious GPU, you’ll need a 15-inch laptop, most likely a gaming laptop.
However, there are laptops available, such as the Dell XPS 15, that incorporate a 15-inch display inside a 14-inch chassis. Dell is not the only manufacturer of thin and light 15-inch laptops. While the XPS 15 is undoubtedly the greatest example, others like as the HP Spectre x360 15 and ASUS ZenBook Pro aren’t quite bricks despite their bigger screens.
Additionally, consider how you want to use it. If you’re a video editor, having a bigger screen will assist you. If you’re mostly writing, perusing the web, or even enjoying media, a 13-inch will suffice.
3 Best 13-Inch Laptop to Buy
The finest 13-inch laptops strike an optimal blend of mobility and performance. Students can carry 13-inch computers smoothly about school, while business people may fit them into briefcases while traveling (or you can easily move them from your home office to the couch). Despite their little size, a 13-inch laptop equipped with an Intel U-series, AMD Ryzen, or Apple M1 processor may deliver sufficient performance for the majority of users.
1. MacBook Air
The Apple MacBook Air is the latest in a long line of ultrathin laptops from the Cupertino-based company. The new M1 chip promises the best performance and battery life yet, making it a great choice for students or business users on the go. While there are some excellent Windows 10 laptops on the market, they can’t compete with the head-to-head performance of the MacBook Air.
MacBook Air is a budget laptop that is perfect for people who are looking for something portable. It has no fan and is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro. The downside is that it does not have as good of sustained performance. Apple’s least expensive 13-inch model is the most portable, coming in at only 0.6 inches thick and 2.8 pounds
2. Apple MacBook Pro
Apple’s new MacBook Pro (M1, 2020) is powered by the company’s first-ever custom SoC for laptops, the M1 chip. This chip is responsible for delivering the best power-per-watt performance yet and allows the laptop to run for up to 16 hours and 32 minutes on our battery test.
One of the most important changes is that it can now run iOS games, as Apple has released an update to macOS called Big Sur. Additionally, FaceTime camera quality has been improved with the newest updates to both MacBook Pro and OS X. Although the MacBook Pro is a great machine, it may not be the best value when compared to the MacBook Air.
3. HP Envy 13
The HP Envy 13 is a great choice for a 13-inch laptop. It has an 11th Gen Intel Core CPU and a bright and vivid screen. It also has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It is currently available for under $1,000. The HP Envy 13 is a great laptop with a lot of features to offer. Some people might wonder if it’s too small, but in general, the 13-inch laptops are just the right size. This particular model doesn’t have an IR camera, though some other models in the HP Envy line do. It has a sleek black aluminum design with gold accents that makes it stand out from the competition.
How to Make the Most of a 13-Inch Laptop Screen
Laptops with 13-inch screens are the most popular and have a wide variety of uses. It is important to choose the right laptop size for your needs, based on factors such as screen size and portability. Here are some tips to enjoy your 13-inch laptop screen with limited space.
Reduce Pixel Scaling
Numerous current laptops include high-resolution displays to enhance visual appeal—but they do not utilize all of those pixels out of the box. Rather than that, the laptop makes advantage of scaling, boosting the size of your icons and text for improved readability and utilizing the increased resolution to maintain a crisp appearance. Depending on your monitor, you may be able to reclaim some of those pixels by reducing the scaling factor (or off).
Right-click the desktop in Windows and select Display Options. Ascertain that the right monitor is selected in the top image (if you have several monitors), and scroll down to Scale and Layout. By default, your display is set to a maximum of 125 percent. Reduce it by one notch or all the way to 100% to utilize your display’s native resolution. Experiment to see what works best for you—you may even need to choose Advanced Scaling Settings and provide a custom scaling number (such as 110 percent) to strike a balance.
On a Mac, you may disable scaling by navigating to System Preferences > Displays, selecting Scaled, and then selecting a setting that provides additional room. On a Chromebook, navigate to Settings > Device > Displays and adjust the Display Size slider to a suitable setting.
Always zoom out in your browser
If you’re using an older or budget-conscious laptop, you may not have a high-resolution display capable of scaling down sufficiently. In that scenario, you might be able to get a similar effect simply zooming out on your browser—after all, you’re presumably already doing a lot of work in Chrome.
You can zoom in or out of a webpage in most browsers by holding Ctrl and hitting the + or – keys. This will not lower the browser’s toolbar, but it will allow you to see more of the webpage at a time—which is important if you wish to open two windows side by side. You can even scale down the operating system and zoom in on the web browser to get everything exactly perfect.
Toggle the taskbar and toolbars
Speaking of toolbars, they’ve grown in size over the years—enough that they may be consuming valuable pixels that could be utilized for other purposes. As a result, it may benefit you to temporarily conceal various toolbars while you work.
For instance, you may hide the bookmarks bar in Chrome by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B. (after which pressing the same shortcut will bring it back). Numerous office suites, from Microsoft Office to Google Docs, include large toolbars that may be hidden by hitting the arrow icon in the upper-right corner. Additionally, if your program includes a side panel—again, Google Docs has some sharing buttons pinned to the right—you can frequently conceal those as well. Look for little arrow icons in the panels you wish to conceal or sift through menus such as Tools and Window in the programs you’re using to discover what you may remove.
Finally, you may conceal the Windows taskbar by right-clicking it, selecting Settings, and checking the box labelled Automatically Hide the Taskbar in Desktop Mode. (Alternatively, you may enable Use Small Taskbar Buttons to reduce it slightly.) The same is true for the macOS dock, which can be customized via System Preferences > Dock, and Chrome OS, where you can right-click on the taskbar and select Autohide Shelf to push it below your bezels.
Effectively Snap Your Windows
If you’re having difficulty organizing numerous windows in a way that allows you to view them all simultaneously, there are a few keyboard shortcuts that can assist. Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks all provide built-in “window-snapping” features: Simply drag a window to the right or left border of the screen, and it will automatically resize to take up precisely half of the available display space. If you drag to the corners, it will take up a fourth of the screen, allowing you to group together four three or four windows. (On Windows, you can also snap without using the mouse by pressing Win+Right Arrow or Win+Left Arrow.)
If you want even more power, third-party software like AquaSnap and DisplayFusion may provide you with a plethora of more layouts than those included with Windows, as well as thousands of configurable shortcuts and other window management options. Both provide limited-featured free versions, but the premium ones are definitely worth the additional money.
FAQ
Is a 13-inch screen too small for programming?
A 13-inch screen is not too small for programming. Laptops with a smaller screen might be easier to carry around, but they are not necessary for programming.
Is a 13-inch laptop too small for graphic design?
A 13-inch laptop has the standard screen size that will work perfectly for music production, graphic design and other creative fields. If you are a school or college student and the laptop is used for light activities like browsing through the net for information, creating and storing your regular lessons and exercises, then you can do it with a 13-inch laptop. However, if you are doing programming or you are into developing graphic designs and such activities, then you may find the 13-inch laptop too small.
Is a 13-inch laptop too small for engineering?
Yes, a 13-inch laptop is too small for most engineering design programs like Solidworks, CAD, etc. However, It’s a good choice only if you know what you’re doing and has very specific needs. The biggest problem with a 13-inch laptop is the size of its display. It’s just not big enough to be comfortable
Laptops are available in a variety of sizes and qualities, so it is important to choose the one that will fit your needs. Laptop screens can vary in size, so it is important to find one that is appropriate for your intended use. Some laptops have limited storage capacity, so it is important to research what features are necessary for your work before making a purchase. Many laptop brands offer warranties that cover hardware and software failures, so make sure to read the terms and conditions carefully before buying a laptop.