Originally posted by arran yeah - just to back up gster - my laptop has a 17" screen - the bigger the screen the better, especially when you're nudging vertices around. Well yeah, obviously, but I find a 15" just right. Enough screen estate for using maya, but not too big to use as a portable. In my view 17" is overkill when it comes to a laptop. It probably comes down to this, how many times will you be using your laptop outside of your house for maya? If a lot, go with a 17", a bigger screen would be better. But if you mostly use maya indoors, get a 15" and a cheapish 19-24" tft. It's also a financial question, you could save about $700, but honestly, if I had the cash I'd buy a 17", just because they're sexy.