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

#261

Post by treffer »

weberer wrote: post #189
NorwegianDude wrote: post #174

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.

As far as I understand that's an Intel thing. They deprecated it and it is not allowed for high security devices.... (I thibk HS3 profiles?)

I have one of those DELLs for work. Don't.

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

#262

Post by weberer »

lerela wrote: post #203
NorwegianDude wrote: post #174

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…

Latest models have suspend issues with Linux though, so keep that in mind if you do not plan to use Windows.

The same issues exist in Windows as well. They actually exist BECAUSE Windows no longer supports real sleep mode. Microsoft does this to push "modern standby" so they can phone home 24/7.

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

#264

Post by nunb »

madsbuch wrote: post #173

I am happy with my Lenovo X1 extreme running pop os. It has been running for 4 years, just changed battery and hard-drive, which I could easily do myself. It is of high build quality. I terribly want to try out a system76 computer, but haven't had the chance yet.

PopOS is awesome. It's what I use on my XY Thinkpad (repurposed Intel/hexa-core/12-HyperThreads/64GB/matte-screen/2TB(SSD+HDD)+256GbNVME/VGA/Trackpoint/USBC/laptop)! Nothing better imo, unless he[1] adds an E-Ink option!

[1] https://www.xyte.ch/mods/x210-x2100/ [2] https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/196448/...

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

#265

Post by kramerger »

carlsborg wrote: post #89

ASUS OLED Zenbook Ryzen 5900 + Manjaro. Perf benchmarks compare to an M1 at half the price. The Wifi network card driver doesn't handle hibernates too well, so you need to disable your network manually before (Or replace the network adapter card as some have done).

> you need to disable your network manually before (Or replace the network adapter card as some have done)

Really annoying that it doesn't work out of the box. but can't your solution be automated with systemd?

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

#266

Post by rickstanley »

epage wrote: post #240
geraldwhen wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I have a ROG Strix (12th gen intel) and no whine. Been using WSL so far but need to try again to see how well Linux runs on it. Overall, its been a solid machine so far and had sufficient battery life for me to program on flights half-way across the US without concern. My only regrets are I wish the thunderbolt port used the integrated gpu (never need discrete and sometimes windows gets stuck switching) and no webcam…

How long do you think you can get out of the battery life? IIRC they advertise 7-8 hours

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

#267

Post by klik99 »

tchaffee wrote: post #216
NorwegianDude wrote: post #174

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…

My last Dell XPS sucked and the support sucked. I bought a top of the line XPS and within less than a year the battery was swollen. Same exact battery model they were still replacing for free on the previous laptop model, but when I called support I was out of luck. So I bought a new battery. And then within a few more months I started getting common the sticky key problem with several keys on my keyboard requiring a…

Was your last Dell recent? I remember having horrible experiences with Dell support so I wouldn't buy them. But about 1.5 years ago I saw a great deal on a refurbished beefy machine I needed - and found their support was amazing when it needed some parts replaced. My guess is they did a 180 on support because they had a bad reputation. YMMV because I still hear bad experiences - they partner with local support so it may depend on the quality of folks in your area.

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

#268

Post by rickstanley »

mmusc wrote: post #180
ur-whale wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For 2022 I decided to buy a "gaming" laptop and switch to 100% Linux. I researched this option before opting for an LG gram. I might research it again soon. Would you care to share exactly what gaming laptop you picked?

Some of the lenovo legion laptops don't look very "gamey". You still get the excellent cooling and performance. Only complaint is the battery life but I use it mostly on my desks so its not really an issue.

Legion 7i Slim looks pretty slick, but unfortunately it doesn't have Ethernet port, and I haven't heard good things about the wireless card in terms of performance, but it also depends on your router (if it supports WF 6)

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

#269

Post by ajvs »

toberoni wrote: post #226
RL_Quine wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see why people idealistically want the device but mine is really not up to being a usable production device. The wonky design of the “modules” means they’re practically useless, the hardware has almost endlessly has stability and issues with bricking, it has never once given me confidence in almost any respect. I want to love the thing and there’s nice features about the product, but I’d hesitate to suggest any…

I'm writing this with buyer's remorse on my Framework. It's a huge step down from my previous Thinkpads. The battery life is atrocious - a night in modern standby drains the battery from 80% to 35%. Outside the office battery life is a constant worry, I mostly use it docked these days. The display hinge is wobbly - when I lift my Framework from my lap on a table it often folds back 180 degrees. Very annoying. In gene…

This is because modern Intel processors don't support S3 sleep[1], they instead only have Microsoft's Deep Sleep (s0ix). The only alternative is laptops with ARM or AMD(?) processors, but I haven't got a good recommendation for one.

[1] https://community.frame.work/t/linux-deep-sleep/2491/5

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

#270

Post by rickstanley »

sofixa wrote: post #156
ur-whale wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For 2022 I decided to buy a "gaming" laptop and switch to 100% Linux. I researched this option before opting for an LG gram. I might research it again soon. Would you care to share exactly what gaming laptop you picked?

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.

Which model do plan buying? I'm trying to get my hands on G15 2022, doesn't have the "gamey" look, has a good battery life (9 hours or so) and just powerful enough with a 3060
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