Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#1

Post by whitepaint » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 8:56 AM UTC

I am planning to buy Dell XPS 13 (9305) and run Ubuntu on it. It's mostly for coding. Is it good? Would you recommend it? Is screen big enough?

I've been using Dell Inspiron 7559 for the last 4 years and I've loved it.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#2

Post by russianator » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 9:21 AM UTC

I've had one of these and it runs Ubuntu really well.

Personally I actually prefer the IBM X1 Carbons, they have the nicest keyboard I've ever seen and a good keyboard is IMHO a must for a coder hacking keyboard.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#3

Post by whitepaint » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 9:54 AM UTC

russianator wrote: post #2

I've had one of these and it runs Ubuntu really well. Personally I actually prefer the IBM X1 Carbons, they have the nicest keyboard I've ever seen and a good keyboard is IMHO a must for a coder hacking keyboard.

Yeah, I absolutely need a good keyboard.

Thinkpads X1s look really nice. Why is it better than XPS?

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#4

Post by pestatije » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 9:57 AM UTC

Going from 15 to 13 is noticeable. You should definitely try it before committing

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#5

Post by whitepaint » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:02 AM UTC

pestatije wrote: post #4

Going from 15 to 13 is noticeable. You should definitely try it before committing

I tried HP EliteBook 840 which is 14' and which is big enough for me, so I assume 13.3 shouldn't be much worse.

I really want to have something super light now.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#6

Post by dodecaphonic » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:22 AM UTC

I've purchased one two months ago, and it's great. Ubuntu worked out of the box (the only exception being the fingerprint reader), and it runs smoothly. The screen is sharp, and it's super light. I'm happy with mine.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#7

Post by whitepaint » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:24 AM UTC

dodecaphonic wrote: post #6

I've purchased one two months ago, and it's great. Ubuntu worked out of the box (the only exception being the fingerprint reader), and it runs smoothly. The screen is sharp, and it's super light. I'm happy with mine.

That's nice to hear. Is the screen enough for writing code? I'm used to 15 but I guess I'd get used to 13.4.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#8

Post by xupybd » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:25 AM UTC

I struggle to see on a 15" but if small screens work for you great.

My boss just purchased a Razor 15, it's amazing.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#9

Post by gkbrk » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:26 AM UTC

I used to use a Dell Inspiron for a long time, I was very happy with the Linux support and reliable hardware.

I switched to a Thinkpad, specifically the T495. There are no problems with running Linux on it, the performance is really good, the battery life is great and the keyboard is superb. It has the added benefit of a Ryzen processor instead of an Intel one as well.

Re: Ask HN: I am a coder and I am thinking of buying Dell XPS 13. What do you think?

#10

Post by SirChainsaw » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:27 AM UTC

I've been using XPS13's for a good few years now. No major complaints.

Video camera is in a poor location. Otherwise totally solid. Great battery life. Amazing screen. Great build.

Consistently rated one of the best laptops on the market.