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Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

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Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#731

Post by DresdenNick »

bullen wrote: post #308
fy20 wrote: post #51

A few years ago I would have said ThinkPads but I think there are better options available now. At the end of last year I wanted to replace my T470, and wanted to upgrade to something with a more powerful (not U-series) CPU. The ThinkPad option that fitted my requirements was on back order for months, so I looked around... The ASUS ROG line of gaming laptops had exactly what I wanted, although they look a bit garish,…

I'm still using my Thinkpad X61s. Nothing today even comes close, and never will.

No post body was provided.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#732

Post by fauigerzigerk »

okasaki wrote: post #653
gzer0 wrote: post #499

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Doubting your expensive purchase Except, there is not a single Windows/Intel based laptop that can offer the same performance as say, for example, an M1 Macbook air ($750). There really is no comparison and there is nothing that comes close on the Windows side at that price point. If there is, please link me because I would love to know. M1 has made Macbooks not only superior in performance, but also more economica…

M1 Macbook air comes with 8gb soldered memory. In the UK that's 899gbp. If you want 16gb memory you're paying at least 1700gbp. If you want 32gb, it's 2999gbp. Most Windows laptops have upgradable memory and you can buy yourself 32gb ram for ~100gbp.

>M1 Macbook air comes with 8gb soldered memory. In the UK that's 899gbp. If you want 16gb memory you're paying at least 1700gbp

A Macbook Air with 16GB memory and 256GB SSD is £1,199 including 20% VAT in the UK.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#733

Post by mvanbaak »

yackback wrote: post #513
mvanbaak wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This only works if both the desktop and the notebook are always online and on a good connection. For the desktop, this is doable (although not everywhere, first world is pretty good connected but besides that it can be really hard). For the notebook, it all depends.

Why does the notebook need to be in good connection? Use mosh.

if all you need is shell/tui, sure. what about app development, web development etc?

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#734

Post by mvanbaak »

noduerme wrote: post #251
mvanbaak wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This only works if both the desktop and the notebook are always online and on a good connection. For the desktop, this is doable (although not everywhere, first world is pretty good connected but besides that it can be really hard). For the notebook, it all depends.

Fair. I locked in an good price for fiber at my house. I only have to worry about the quality of my connection away from home. That's just cost of doing business though.

I'm a lot on boats and before covid also in planes. I would not be able to do my coding on my desktop at home (which, like yours, has a good fiber connection)

Even if I wanted to, I cannot get a stable and fast enough connection there to work on a dump remote terminal.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#735

Post by marcosdumay »

bccdee wrote: post #667
rootusrootus wrote: post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why Mac seems to attract so fanatic behavior? That is a good question. But ... > They seem to want to push everyone to use Mac, like religious fanatics try to push everyone to their "truth". As soon as you can adequately explain why there are people that are vehemently anti-Apple, you will have the answer to this question. You make it sound like it's only pro-Apple people that are fanatics.

> people that are vehemently anti-Apple This is just it though! You're not describing "Apple fanatics versus Windows fanatics," you're describing "Apple fanatics versus people with an irrational and excessive hatred of Apple fanaticism." Why does this culture exist specifically around Apple?

> Why does this culture exist specifically around Apple?

It doesn't. It also exists around Linux, in general and around each distro. It exists around Windows. It exists around FreeBSD (but you may not have heard from them recently)... It basically exists everywhere.

If you look at a thread about ARM, you will see it there, and the corresponding x86 one too. (And if you are lucky, you will catch some actual x86, not amd64, fans and anti-fans too). Haskell, Rust, Javascript, and PHP threads have those groups too.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#736

Post by gspr »

indiv0 wrote: post #706
gspr wrote: post #561

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just run Linux in a VM! It's my preferred workflow nowadays. Or just run it on real hardware! It's my preferred workflow. These two comments of ours are equally pointless.

Alright, then allow me to explain. Before, there were a multitude of reasons not to develop in a VM: Poor support for accelerated instructions on laptops; Slow CPUs; limited RAM; slow file-sharing between the host and guest. The M1 architecture solves most of the issues. Modern laptops almost universally support accelerated instructions now. This means less overhead, so doing everything entirely in the VM is worth it…

> Less pointless now?

Yeah! Now you added substance. Great!

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#737

Post by adra »

dayvid wrote: post #700
rmbyrro wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why Mac seems to attract so fanatic behavior? They seem to want to push everyone to use Mac, like religious fanatics try to push everyone to their "truth". I think this is a result of some marketing tactics Apple employed for decades, and it only pushes me away from this brand.

Mac hardware just works. PCs are usually cheaper and can pull better benchmark numbers, but most Windows laptops have weird little issues and quirks that add up. I find myself a lot more productive on a Mac than a Windows laptop, which more than makes up for any price difference. I can add hacks to make Windows work, but even those aren't as intuitive as Mac productivity software.

Nope, they may just work for you tm, but not for all. As mentioned before, my work enforced 2019 macbook crashes minimum 3 times a week and my run of the mill windows PC hasn't "crashed" at all, like in the 3 years I've owned it, zero OS crashes. So I'm happy that you're content with your choice, but know yours is a decision paid with subjectivity wrapped very tightly. I'd love to see actual enterprises with large fleets of various real world used computers post metrics on failure rates, etc. I'd love to see it.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#738

Post by adra »

kayodelycaon wrote: post #374
rmbyrro wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why Mac seems to attract so fanatic behavior? They seem to want to push everyone to use Mac, like religious fanatics try to push everyone to their "truth". I think this is a result of some marketing tactics Apple employed for decades, and it only pushes me away from this brand.

> result of some marketing tactics Apple employed for decades Or perhaps people really like macOS and their value system is different. I don't think a lot of developers are buying macs due to marketing. Also, Linux attracts the same fanatic behavior. If you like linux, you don't notice see how many people are pushing it. If you like macOS, you're more likely to notice the people pushing linux because you disagree wit…

I'd say that's just wrong. Linux is great and certainly my favorite OS to do real work, but few would consider the IS above reproach. There's always something that could be better. The dogma in Linux is usually around how free something is, not the smug sense of "our thing is the best and dismiss the rest", which seems rife with apple fans as a category.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#739

Post by sfhdfhsdsdfh »

aunty_helen wrote: post #682
emptyfile wrote: post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I don't think a lot of developers are buying macs due to marketing. I've never seen a developer with a macbook in my country. The idea sounds absurd. Unless you need Final Cut or whatever, Apple is considered a status brand in many parts of the world.

Server side dev here, I use mac. I picked up using mac when I was working in a company making hf forex systems where everyone used a mac. Why? Because Linux desktop is garbage (I daily one now too) and gets in the way. Mac you can do anything you need to do in Linux, open terminal nooo problems buddy. brew install whatever you want then switch to a nice interface with a good touchpad that you don't have to half compi…

> Therefore, if my linux laptop was to die (like one of my dev's linux laptops did on Monday night) and then I was to miss a day of work, I could afford the difference between a linux craptop and a mac in lost productivity.

As a Linux laptop user with an overbearing asshat of a boss, I fucking love this misconception. Getting my working environment set back up after a fresh install is a git clone and 2 minute Ansible run (the majority of the time is spent on packages downloading).

Fortunately, however, if I want to ditch my boss for the day, I can blame Linux. Don't wanna be on video for that call? Sorry, Linux. Don't wanna attend the call at all? Sorry, Linux must have $(bofh excuse).

I'd have absolutely zero motivation to do this if it weren't for my boss blaming everything on Linux out of the gate, but hey, if that's what he wants to do, I'm gonna lean the fuck into it.

Re: Ask HN: What’s a good laptop for software development at around $2k?

#740

Post by matwood »

princevegeta89 wrote: post #641
swozey wrote: post #628

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use a 49" Samsung monitor that does 4k and like you mentioned my Intel work macbook pro is constantly spinning fans/hot. The M1 I honestly haven't noticed it making any noise while plugged into it. It also runs a lot better, less graphic glitches and weirdness. I don't like having to use my work mbp at all anymore.

To the commenter above this, is the M1 able to handle a 4k resolution on well its own ground?

I had an M1 MBA and it ran my 4k monitor fine. I would use it and the laptop screen at the same time. Great machine. I ended up giving it to my wife and getting an M1 MBP because I needed more than 16gb RAM for my workflows.
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