No mentioned yet, https://system76.com/laptops/galago might not be the smallest of the bunch, but well worth it if you need the performance to compile and test while on the go. I run several VMs and QUME instances with your fave VIM scripts. :) For size vs perf, Air 13” is hard to beat... I had a Pro X (arm) for about a week and I tried to get Linux on it ASAP after all the issues, even then it was flaky at best, running VIM on Windows is usually a hard sell even if you are running the Windows Subsystem for Linux and you spend the hours of getting to where you like it, only to find glitches after glitches... only if the thinkpad came in 16:9 :) I have an older one and it’s horrid only after an hour... I tend to leave it...
Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
71–80 of 166 posts
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#72Most important for me is a descent keyboard. I always bring my k800.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#73Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#74Looking for the same thing made me actually jealous of my tiny friend. She's maybe 5"1 90lbs. Her small hands comfortably handle smaller keyboards and phones while my fat meat sticks constantly mash the wrong letters. Same with laptops. We got these little Chromebooks for data entry at a co-op job and it was just hell for me. Before then I really hadn't thought about the inadequacy of "one size fits all" technology.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#75I spent a number of hours coding in and around Berlin parks with my trusty Acer 1810TZ (11.2", ca. 2010). It was portable, and compact, but it wasn't too convenient with the 1366x768 resolution and the tight keyboard does cause an extra typo or two here and then, but it got the job done.
Because that was a tad too small, I then went for a 17" workstation, which turned out to be a little bit too big.
So now I've settled on a 15.6" Asus FX-505. Love the design and hardware, hate having to use Windows 10. Not quite ready to make the jump to Linux, yet.
Overall, I settled for one device compromising size, comfort and portability. I think I could go for a 13-14" device, if I wanted more portability, but 11" is just about the limit for comfortable coding, IMHO.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#76I was using an ancient Acer Aspire One for years. The thing was gutless, so I had to customize the linux installation heavily to be able to do things like run my app's build script and chrome at the same time.
These days I'd probably use it as a terminal for an AWS workspace instead.
These new touch-screen tablet/PCs with a detachable keyboard, plus a virtual remote server, may be the future for this kind of thing.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#77While we're brainstorming and day dreaming about ideal tiny rigs, has anybody ever heard of a good paperwhite/e-ink screen for programming? Imagine an e-ink tablet that only had a terminal emulator. Plug a keyboard into it, ssh to your workstation, save your eyes the strain of a bright screen. I've seen e-inks with an additional red color, but imagine if you could get just a handful of colors. I would read my code in light-themes for the first time ever.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#78MacOS: check out the latest MacBook Air 13", the one just released - it has a new keyboard, better base disk configuration and it's cheaper than before. Windows: Dell XPS 13 has been the go-to laptop for years, they keep refreshing it, so make sure to get at least the 2019 model (which has a camera on the top of the screen, not the bottom), or ideally the 2020 model, which features a new keyboard and even smaller bez…
This is a great list but if they want something smaller than a 13 inch, I would add the surface go too. Seems like what they are asking for.
The Surface Go is an amazing device for work on the... go, but the ergonomics of the display and cramped keyboard make it suboptimal for any longer period of time (be it a coffee shop, your bed or anything like that).
If you plan to work only at your desk, where you connect it to an external display (USB-C, ideally, to get both power and video) and external keyboard and only use it as a tablet otherwise, then sure, it would work well. But using it as a standalone machine would be rather inconvenient.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#79Maybe the Cosmo Commnicator?
The Gemini might be better for dedicated programming. It's cheaper, and the Cosmo Communicator has terrible stand-by battery life (although usage doesn't significantly affect life). You would miss out on the light-up keyboard, though.
Re: Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding?
#80Smallest? Notebook sized? Consider the 7" (seven) inch GPD Pocket: https://uk.gearbest.com/tablet-pcs/pp_613003.html I believe there's an updated version too.
I own a GPD Pocket and I love it for traveling, but I wouldn't want to use it for any serious coding. The keyboard layout is just way too cramped and awkward.