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Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

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251–260 of 538 posts

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#252
post #106

I love my super heavy and bulky Lenovo P53. Love it for horsepower, also because Arch runs on it n without problem, and finally because tech support exceeded my expectations, doing cleaning after 2 years for free (part of cleaning was to recover from little coffe spill...). I would prefer if it was not so plasticky, but I can't have everything :)

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a non-stop parade of weirdness. Fixes from recent BIOS release notes include things like “Fix battery not charging when system is off.” https://knowledgebase.frame.work/en_us/framework-laptop-bios ... Again, part of me is glad I supported them. I just wish I wasn’t reminded of it several times a week when I’m dealing with one random issue or another with it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I regret it…

To be fair, the widely praised 16" Macbook Pro had a very similar issue. The battery did not charge via USB-C when computer is off and lid is closed, if I recall correctly. I don't know if they fixed it, in practise my computer is almost never off. There is also an issue where the built-in webcam stops working and you need to restart the computer to get it to work again. Considering how much I spent on the machine I…

That issue was fixed last year (2 months after the MacBook was released).

https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/07/macos-monterey-12-1-bug...

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For my next laptop, I'm waiting for Framework Can the Framework laptop be powered via USB-C or are they still using power jacks like in the 20th century?

Actually I strongly hate the laptops that can be powered only via USB-C, blocking thus a very useful I/O port, unless you also carry with you a docking station. Powering via USB-C would be OK only on laptops with at least 4 or 5 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, but such laptops are non-existent. Laptops with only 2 USB-C ports, where 1 is blocked by the charger, are useless for me. When I have access to a power plug, I usual…

I love it. I plug it into my 5k screen, and it stays charged. When I’m not at my desk, I’m not generally using my ports.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#255

It's still a Mac. But the i love the MacBook pro series from 2016-17. With ssd. Before they took away all the plugs. If my m1 would break I would probably just buy one of those from a reputable refurbished company. They are affordable, often between 500-800 (mostly dependent on hard drive size), and great specs. My new m1 theoretically is better, but I experience much more issues. And if any issues I can deal with th…

I have both and the cheapest air replaced the pro instantly. The pro is heavy and loud and hot and less performant. But i didnt run into any issues so i guess lucky me.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#258
post #181

You don't say where you are located, but unless you are in one of the few places where Dell doesn't offer on-site next business day support then XPS 13 is a great laptop. Their support is amazing: "We're not sure what is causing it, but we'll send someone to replace the whole motherboard tomorrow." "OH, your currently halfway across the world on a island? No problem, we'll be there tomorrow" I really don't understand…

I've had a couple XPS laptops over the years, one XPS 13 and one XPS 15. Both have had issues with their trackpads getting wonky. They would just increasingly ignore inputs and react incorrectly to my finger. The XPS 15 (the 2-in-1 model) would also sometimes just not go to sleep and cook itself in my bag, and its keyboard has keys which just break over time under normal use, and that's not covered under warranty. Yo…

That’s due to swelling batteries, which is apparently common in the xps line

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#259

You don't say where you are located, but unless you are in one of the few places where Dell doesn't offer on-site next business day support then XPS 13 is a great laptop. Their support is amazing: "We're not sure what is causing it, but we'll send someone to replace the whole motherboard tomorrow." "OH, your currently halfway across the world on a island? No problem, we'll be there tomorrow" I really don't understand…

Just make sure the model you're getting supports S3 sleep mode (AKA real sleep mode) before hand. A lot of the newer Dells don't. Its something the OEM needs to support in the BIOS, so you can't just fix it by installing a new distro.

Since at least the 2019 model Dell XPS 13s no longer have S3 sleep mode and instead uses Microsoft's "Modern Standby" (s0ix)[1], which consumes tons of power whilst in "sleep" in order to have slightly quicker wake times.

[1] https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/XPS-15-9570-BIOS-1-3-0-sl...

Re: Ask HN: Is there a developer laptop that does not suck and is not a Mac in 2022?

#260
post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not OP, but I've heard great things about the Asus ROG Zephyrus line, and that's what I'll probably get when i refresh my current Asus laptop which id approaching 8 years.

Asus rog laptops have high pitched, loud fans that run while idle. The trackpad is also terrible.

It depends on the model, for instance, G15 2021 doesn't have this problem.
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