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Ask HN: What laptop/tablet to use while commuting on train?

3 points by jklein11 ↗ HN
I may need to commute to NYC from NJ and am looking for a tablet or possibly chromebook to use while on the train. Does anyone have any recommendations? Bonus points for having a real OS and LTE support.

8 comments

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rmoon1022
I am an iPhone user but iPad mini is expensive for commuting about 60mins so I'm thinking to buy YOGA Table. I'm not sure how long does it take to go NYC from NJ, because I'm living in Japan.
tluyben2
No real OS but I use an iPad pro 11, mostly because it never fails to work (including it’s excellent battery life and fast charging). For a real OS; I am still looking; I found the surface pro annoying after a while (and the one I had had miserable battery life). For now only intentionally hampered devices work for me in commute; either too small (Pocket or Pandora) or limited OS (Android/iOS). All other I tried are either too big or crap battery life; even the big winners like Lenovo X* or T* or macbook pro really do not have more than a few hour battery for my workflow.
moajday
iPad always worked for me. I usually read books and read other software developers' code while using "moving machines". It should suffice for you too. Happy commuting!
Kastakin
Second hand T450, I'm really in love with this machine!
[dead] throwaway2021
I use a T450 and love it too, which OS are you running on it?
HuShifang
A 2-in-1 Chromebook (folding form factor) with a stylus and Crostini support for Linux apps may serve you well.

I've been fairly happy with my Samsung Chromebook Pro on BART in the SF Bay Area -- in tablet mode I watch lectures using VLC, read PDFs using Xodo, and take handwritten notes (often while splitting a screen with one of the former apps) using Squid. And I can always flip it into laptop mode and run Linux via Crouton for Vim, Octave, REPLs, and QOwnNotes. (I use my Android phone to create a WiFi hotspot when needed for email etc.) Everything syncs up over Dropbox using Dropsync. The aforementioned Android apps all run quite well for me.

(I probably wouldn't recommend the Samsung CBP right now - it's a bit old, and Crostini support has been rumored for a while now, but never materialized. Especially if you want LTE. But Chromebooks are at this point pretty good as Linux and Android machines, and the styluses work well for note taking.)

saluki
Get a last gen macbook air 13", they should be on sale/clearance.