Ask HN: What is your preferred notebook screen size and why?

With the new MacBooks around the corner, I'm torn between the 13" and 15" (or more likely, 14" and 16") versions. All things besides size and weight equal, what notebook screen size do you prefer and why? Doesn't have to be MacBooks of course, I'm interested in all thoughts on this topic, especially from people who tried both.

I can't decide whether being on the move often is an argument for the smaller version (lighter), or the bigger one (more comfortable to work without an external monitor).

I’m going to go with 12” here as my preferred size.

And yes, I miss the original MacBook “one”. 13” is the absolute maximum for portability if you have to carry your machine around on a daily/hourly basis, and smaller is better for me, so I really hope the 14” has the same effective footprint as the 13” model…

I’m pretty firmly in the camp of the 15”-16” camp. Everything smaller both the screen and keyboard seem cramped to me (for the keyboard at least, the fact that I’m 6’4” with proportional hand size is probably a factor, to be sure), and I haven’t really experienced any portability issues with modern (well, even nearly 5-year-old) 15”-16” machines even when I was carrying one around all the time (haven’t been doing that much since the pandemic); they aren’t too heavy, bags/backpacks with laptop compartments that are sized right for them are readily available and not inconvenient to carry, etc.

14 inch 3:2 ratio would be ideal. Wish there was an apple notebook with this form factor

THIS! Yes, I very much would like 14" 3:2 or even een 16:10 would be sufficient.

A lenovo T series, AMD, 16:10/3:2 14" laptop. Wow.