17 inches is 43.18 centimeters
which I'm going to round down to 43,
and part of what's important here depends on other features
like whether it's TFT or CRT
so I can only speak approximately.

In length, that's like carrying a
monkey brain, babboon brain and 2 human brains
end-to-end diagonally,
OR a camel brain, 2 kangaroo, 1 cat, 1 rabbit and a squirrel brain
end-to-end diagonally.

If you'd get just a 12" instead
then you could free yourself (lengthwise) of a head
or three, so give it a whirl
(like two kitties and a squirrel).
End-to-end diagonally.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall
into your backpack.
The wider they are, the more power they need,
and they will ransack it
until the charge is expended,
and you wish you would've fended
for something less extreme
like a 12 or 14 inch screen.