XPS 13 is a brilliant work of art. It looks good, is fully compatible out of the box with Linux and has many many more posts than the macbook.
It is also USB type c chargeable.
XPS 13 + fedora beats the crap out of a macbook.
Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
71–80 of 502 posts
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#72I suggest looking into the Dell XPS line (both 13 or 15 models, depending on your screen size tastes). I own a 2015 Dell XPS 13 and Linux support is amazing (long battery life, the laptop does not overheat and everything works out of the box on Ubuntu). The only weak spot is the webcam location in the lower part of the screen. Another good alternative could be the Thinkpad Carbon X line, but I don't have any direct e…
Did they fix the coil whine on the Dell machines?
As someone who has had one for a year, it never affected me. It always seemed like FUD to me, but maybe it affected someone.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#73I suggest looking into the Dell XPS line (both 13 or 15 models, depending on your screen size tastes). I own a 2015 Dell XPS 13 and Linux support is amazing (long battery life, the laptop does not overheat and everything works out of the box on Ubuntu). The only weak spot is the webcam location in the lower part of the screen. Another good alternative could be the Thinkpad Carbon X line, but I don't have any direct e…
One problem with the 13" XPS is that 16GB configuration without a 4K+touchscreen display is only available in some countries (Europe, Hong Kong, ...?) I've been looking to get one (new macbook pro keyoard keeps breaking), but the buying experience has been pretty bad where I am. I'll be in Japan later this month, and I'll probably buy an HP Envy. The XPS doesn't come in the aforementioned configuration and the Carbon…
I was able to custom-configure the XPS 13 with a non-touch display and 16GB here: http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/xps-13/spd/xps-1... (US link)
I run repair shops for a living, and I'd certainly recommend the XPS 13 over a HP. The build quality of the HP Envy laptops we get in are terrible. The XPS 13 is just a better laptop.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#74I suggest looking into the Dell XPS line (both 13 or 15 models, depending on your screen size tastes). I own a 2015 Dell XPS 13 and Linux support is amazing (long battery life, the laptop does not overheat and everything works out of the box on Ubuntu). The only weak spot is the webcam location in the lower part of the screen. Another good alternative could be the Thinkpad Carbon X line, but I don't have any direct e…
At the moment I think there are a few bugs with Linux support on the XPS 15 but they shouldn't last long. A friend of mine was having quite a lot of trackpad issues that don't appear to affect the 13" model.
I had no issues with Linux support, just follow the guides and you can install stock Ubuntu with no problems with GPU switching and docking station support and everything else.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#75I forgot to mention, <2000$ with 23% VAT :(
If you're using it mostly for development work, can't you register as a single-person business and deduct the VAT?
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#76Hey! Web dev/writer here that can relate — I've been writing about this after having gone through the same experience. In the last year, I've written about the Razer Blade, Eve V and about to ship a review of the Dell XPS 15 today or tomorrow (will post in this comment), which I ultimately settled on. It's a killer machine! I use Windows and WSL to do my work, and it's just as good as my MacBook setup ever was — exce…
Apparently I can't edit comments, but here's my review of the XPS 15: https://char.gd/blog/2018/ive-finally-found-a-macbook-replac...
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#77How about the touch pad? Is there any non Apple laptop where the touch pad works as well in Linux as the mbpro's in OS X? I'm spoiled and use my mbpro without a mouse ... because I can. I'd like to switch away from Apple when I need a new laptop because of the emoji keyboard. But I'd also like to keep using the laptop without a mouse. Is that possible these days?
Recent versions of libinput are good enough to where I find myself frustrated very rarely these days.
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#78I wrote a bit about this [0] in terms of exploring Dell and Lenovo as options with a focus on Linux. I also quite like using LTE with my development machine, I'm doing so with the T470s and Fi [1]. I feel like for Linux the primary advantage that Lenovo has is the historical RedHat/IBM partnership where many RedHat developers are issued/choose Thinkpad as their primary machines to hack on. This typically leads to the…
This is awesome, thanks! The biggest problem I had with even considering Linux on any of these machines is that the High DPI support is... non-existent, which just kills it for me :(
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#79MacBook Pros haven't changed much since 2012, at least not in ways that would affect your work, in particular. You might upgrade the storage, but unless (or until) Apple replaces the Intel processor with one of their own (rumored), you're golden. Rumor has it Apple might switch to an internally-developed processor at some point, and that might mean a significant memory upgrade, but that's at least a year away, near a…
>MacBook Pros haven't changed much since 2012
I use the pre-usb-c one at home and the post-usb-c one at work.
They feel like completely different machines by different companies. I’d by my home machine again in a heartbeat. But I’d never spend my own money on one of those usb-c butterfly keyboard MacBook pros...
Re: Ask HN: Are there any reasonable alternatives to MacBook Pro for developer?
#80I'd either go with a Dell XPS or a System76.