HN Explorer

Ask HN: Please recommend a 13-15“ programmers laptop to replace 15” MacBook Pro

7 points by skynetv2 ↗ HN
Regular office use (email, word processing, messenger)

Lots of terminals (SSH)

Lots of browser windows / tabs (gmail, outlook web, YC, Stackoverflow, etc)

1 Ubuntu VM running 25% of the time (1 core, 2 GB)

Needs to be <5 lbs

good screen & resolution (1920 X 1080 is enough for me, higher is ok)

good keyboard & trackpad

8 GB minimum RAM

decent battery life

OS doesnt matter

discrete graphics plus

need to survive 5 years of sustained use

SSD not mandatory, prefer higher disk capacity

2K or less

29 comments

[ 2.4 ms ] story [ 76.8 ms ] thread
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
mattkrea
13" MacBook Pro Retina. I just moved to one and it is perfect.
skynetv2
those are only i5 and the usable resolution is really low on the 13. i can bump it up really high but that will be pretty useless. i have one on hand that i used for a couple of days and didnt find it comfortable
PhantomGremlin
The i5 shouldn't be an issue. You can always custom order. Even the entry model can be bought with an i7. You can have a custom Macbook shipped to a nearby Apple store for pickup, so ordering custom is no big deal.

Of course if the resolution isn't acceptable to you, that's an entirely different issue.

skynetv2
thanks, didnt realize i7 was an option. you just complicated my life! :)
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
camhenlin
Sounds like that would get you into a new entry level 15" retina MacBook pro or a high end 13" retina MacBook pro, both fantastic machines. I'd probably do the 13" one since they just got updated, 15s probably won't be until June.
skynetv2
trying to avoid the macs. dont really NEED OS X. wondering if there are viable alternatives
rifung
I think you'll find Windows based alternatives to be comparatively priced to be honest. And you really can't do better than the Macbooks trackpad.

But I'll second the XPS13 dev edition, or at least waiting to see how it'll do.

skynetv2
you are right. the windows laptops are competitively priced but seem to lack a lot in terms of battery life and overall longevity, which is sad. razr blade seems good but is as expensive as mbp, if not more.

guess i will have to either wait to see if xps 13 dev ed comes out or the broadwell 15" mbp refresh.

camhenlin
Seconding the trackpad part of this. If you're going to be using the computer anywhere other than a desk, Apple has by far the most usable trackpads. Not sure why no other manufacturer has figured this out yet since it's been the state of the industry for years now
gesman
Sony Z or high end Lenovo's.

These will be joyful but at the higher end of price tag. Sony Z will be made in Japan (not China like the rest of the flock)

memonkey
Why not wait for the XPS 13 Dev Edition?
skynetv2
is it going to be refreshed? i see the old dev edn is no longer available.

EDIT: nvm, i found the blog for the project manager

senjindarashiva
I definitely agree at least with the xps13 part however Id recommend against the Dev edition, or at least depending on where you are buying it. When I bought mine (the old one) the "regular" same hardware version cost the same as the Dev edition, but you got a windows licenses as well. And even if you don't use windows regularly it's always nice to have an extra license.

Hardware wise I am extremely pleased with the old version and can't really see any indication that the new one should be worse in any way.

skynetv2
license is not an issue for me. we have bulk license at work. so i would prefer not to pay for the license. but in reality, doesnt really matter. but i do get your point
japhyr
I know Lenovo lost some respect recently, but I love my T420s. I anticipate using it another 3-5 years.
skynetv2
I have a t420 from 2007 still kicking strong. but its slow, unusably slow even with a fresh win7 install. maybe disk is too full.

not worried about the certs, will be installing a fresh non-lenovo copy right away

I like the new t450s and w550s

sbahra
Ubuntu works just fine on the 2015 Thinkpad Carbon X1. We use them as our company laptops, and we're on Ubuntu.
skynetv2
i am strongly leaning towards that system. question is will it last 5 yrs minimum? esp., the ssd. also, it tops at 8GB, which is not a deal breaker
auganov
A friend has the original x1 carbon. 2-3 years had the charging port break, a key fall off and now the fan seems to be broken. You could look into T-series for something more sturdy. Also T550 has a geforce 940M option.
geldedus
I have a orange Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro (i7 proc, 8Gb RAM, 512G SSD). I use it with Ubunu 14 LTS
skynetv2
ornage - wow!

looks like they are dumping stock to make room for a refresh

jimkri
I have the Lenovo X240 and it has been awesome. Super light weight and amazing battery life, I can use it almost 2 days at school without having to charge it.
skynetv2
I had an X201 in ~2010 and I loved it. It was very portable. But the screen may be too small for me now
woutervegter
two weeks ago I received the new Lenovo x1 carbon 3rd gen, I expected a high end machine. But I got: low brightness screen, bad colour range + build flaws: the screen cover was not glued well. These flaws also appeared with other customers (search the forums).

After three days I sent it back, and today got the new macbook 13", although I don't like the brand Apple, you can't deny its quality over all the other brands.