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Ask HN: Which laptop model you use for coding?

1 points by AI4Ric ↗ HN
I currently have an asus TUF but honestly I dont like it, its heavy, poor battery life and always have problems with wifi connection. After talk with some more senior friends in terms of coding, realize most use macbook, so now thinking if I should get a mac but feel that are very expensive

13 comments

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meristohm
The Dell Outlet was where I bought my refurbished laptop. I'm not weighing in about relative merits of specific models, just that refurbished is a good way to go because it's cheaper and reduces demand for rip-the-stickers-off-myself new models.
AI4Ric
Which Dell model did you get? An XPS? I've used Dell laptops throughout my student life and can’t complain about their performance and portability. However, I remember constantly needing to plug in my laptop. How has your experience been with the battery life of your refurbished laptop?
axiologist
You can't go wrong with a wisely chosen Thinkpad. Especially if the preferred work environment is Linux.
AI4Ric
In terms of battery life and performance, would you say it's similar to or better than the MacBook Pro?
axiologist
Since i hardly ever use a Thinkpad off from the electric grid, being rarely on the road or similar circumstances, there is nothing to contribute about this from my side.

But judging by the general hearsay in this matter, nothing beats those ARM Macs in regard to performance per Watt and battery live. If this angle is considered the most important view point, than there probably is no suitable Thinkpad replacement for such a Mac.

But if anything else is more important than this particular perspective, than Thinkpads are the better option regarding Linux & Windows support, upgradability & repairability, keyboard (Trackpoint!) and I/O options. And they are way cheaper, too.

Try one and compare yourself.

marssaxman
Currently, a Thinkpad T14. Before that, a Thinkpad T480. Before that, a T460. Before that... etc. Solid hardware that runs Linux well - that's what I want.

I would like to try a Framework laptop, but given the long wait and high price, my next machine will likely end up being another Thinkpad.

AI4Ric
I have read and heard really good reviews about ThinkPad and what its your experience with regards to battery life of your T14? how many hours you will say can be working on it without charge it?
marssaxman
I'm afraid I have no good answer; I rarely use battery power for more than about an hour at a time, during meetings.
matrix87
Can't do much better than a MBP imo

Feels bad to not use Linux but the trackpad, gestures, and overall UX on mb are hard to beat

One downside is virtualization support seems to be better on x86 but that's a rather niche use case

AI4Ric
I've noticed that MacBook users rarely complain about their devices, but would you say they are worth the price? MacBook Pros are quite pricey, especially since the base model comes with just 8GB of RAM, which I believe is not enough. A good model could be close to $3,000, right?
Engineering-MD
I do, I went from a MacBook to a dell XPS and I just didn’t enjoy using it nearly as much. The hardware is great, and the benefit of the silence of operation is hard to overstate. The software may not gel with you which is the biggest barrier but I like it.
matrix87
The 8GB thing is annoying but you can get a good one for under 2k. also if you have a .edu email you can get 10% off

the new chips are good enough I could only see someone getting a 3k one if they're doing a bunch of video editing or something

AI4Ric
Thank you all for the valuable feedback.

After analysing a lot and reading different opinions from various forums where I posted this question, I believe that the best option is indeed to try a MacBook Pro.

Now that I live abroad, I have a need for really good battery performance in a laptop because I'm constantly moving and working while traveling. It seems that in terms of battery life/performance, nothing can match the efficiency of Macs.

However, I will probably wait until they launch the M4 chip in Macs, which I hope happens this year.

Again, thank you all for such valuable comments.