TheWeatherman

I tried the search function and nothing really recent came up. And I couldn't find a section where this topic really fit, so I apologize in advance if this is the wrong place. But I am about to start training as a Regional pilot so this is where I am going to post.

My old laptop is almost 7 years old, heavy as heck, and slow as s#@!. I am about to start training so I am looking to get a new one. I am looking for a good windows laptop that is easy to travel with, will fit in our bags, but yet has a big enough screen to make watching movies enjoyable sitting in your hotel room for hours on the road.

I want to get the biggest screen possible, and the one I have right now is 17", but I have no idea if that is practical to travel with as an Regional pilot.

What kind of laptops do you travel with and what size? I know everybody is going to tablets now, and I do have an Ipad, but I still prefer to watch movies and tap into my slingbox on the road with my laptop.

WesternSkies

17 would be fine if your bag situation allows.

Cannonball

I have a 14 inch older Thinkpad, and it fits perfectly in the Luggageworks 22 inch bag outer pocket. I wouldn't recommend much larger


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TOMM

I would be more worried about weight than the size. I travel with the 15 inch Macbook Pro and hasn't been an issue. Having the retina screen real estate is what really mattered to me. Jumpseating in economy can pose a few problems even at 15 inches to fully open the screen for TV/Movie watching, I would assume 17 would just be more of a problem.

ACEssXfer

I have an 11" macbook air. Fits into my EFB bag along with my IPad. Absolutely perfect for travelling. The GF has the 13" air, it would probably work as well. 17" is a lot to carry around, especially if you commute.

I have no issues watching netflix etc on my screen.

TheWeatherman

I think I am going to nettle on a dell xps 15 inch. You guys are right, 17 inch may be a little too much.

BlueMoon

Used to carry 13 inch MacBook Air. 17 inch is way to big, my fiancé has a dell 17" and it would be a hassle to travel with.

I Stopped carrying a laptop a few years ago. My phone and iPad suffice for my needs.

RawHide

Lose the laptop use the iPad

trip

Very few airline types travel with a laptop anymore, just to much weight and hassle.

deltajuliet

Sometimes you want to get a lot done and be productive on long overnights or reserve sits; a laptop can be a hassle but also really nice in those situations.

The issue I encounter is protection. If you stick it in that Luggageworks 22" outer pouch, there's not much armor if your bag gets bumped a lot. Or worse: what if you need to gate check it? We see how bags get tossed around on the ramp, or my favorite, falling 9 feet off the bag loader.

There aren't a lot of flight bags that have a dedicated, cushioned compartment I've seen. If anyone has one or knows of one, please chime in. Maybe just put a hard case on the outside of the laptop and take your chances stuffing it into the flight bag?