Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help • Hacker News Board

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#21

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:35 AM UTC

tower10 wrote: post #8

alnayyir wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much did you pay, and where did you get it from? What do you develop in/on?

I bought mine new a while back (~$3000 AUD) from Apple. Just looking at eBay, they seem to go for a touch over $1000 USD at the moment. I figure they're a bit of a bargain at the moment since they're perfectly capable and have just been replaced by the shiny new model. I mainly develop Ruby Rails/Merb apps with TextMate.

Egads, I love textmate. Another reason I want a mac. That and darkroom and a multitude of other apps. :|

I'll poke around ebay and see if I find anything worthwhile.

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#22

Post by ihartley » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:38 AM UTC

I highly recommend the last gen macbooks. I have a second to last gen one and it's a great computer besides the fact that it can only address 3gb of ram. I've recently upgraded to the new unibody macbook which is an amazing machine, but a little beyond your price point of $1000

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#23

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:38 AM UTC

jonknee wrote: post #20

alnayyir wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For extra money (last gen ones). The $949 model I mentioned that is refurb has a DVD-Burner.

The last-gen $999 model for sale at the Apple Store right now contains a DVD burner. But I couldn't see getting the last-gen. $300 more and you get a big upgrade. If you keep it a while, you'll never go back and wish you had the $300.

Which makes this none the easier. :P

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#24

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:39 AM UTC

ihartley wrote: post #22

I highly recommend the last gen macbooks. I have a second to last gen one and it's a great computer besides the fact that it can only address 3gb of ram. I've recently upgraded to the new unibody macbook which is an amazing machine, but a little beyond your price point of $1000

Most are recommending that I either get a lastgen mac or the current-gen. The current-gen is quite an upgrade, and it seems that I might just sell off some stuff to make up the difference and get a current-gen. There's just too much great software on OS X for me to pass up.

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#25

Post by vco » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:50 AM UTC

15.4" Lenovo Thinkpad with the WUXGA+ display really really provides valuable screen real estate for code

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#26

Post by niels_olson » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:56 AM UTC

nanexcool wrote: post #10

I'd get a XPS M1330. I dual boot Windows 7 Beta and OS X 10.5.6 with no problems. Got 4 GB of RAM, and both OS fly. I've installed Ubuntu on it as well and everything works. Only things that don't work in OS X are Ethernet, Card Reader, and you have to manually press the Power button for 5 seconds to power down. Other than that, it's great.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but what good is a laptop to a .NET developer if it doesn't have ethernet? Do you mean the wired card doesn't work, but wi-fi still works?

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#27

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 4:59 AM UTC

niels_olson wrote: post #26

nanexcool wrote: post #10

I'd get a XPS M1330. I dual boot Windows 7 Beta and OS X 10.5.6 with no problems. Got 4 GB of RAM, and both OS fly. I've installed Ubuntu on it as well and everything works. Only things that don't work in OS X are Ethernet, Card Reader, and you have to manually press the Power button for 5 seconds to power down. Other than that, it's great.

Maybe I'm wrong here, but what good is a laptop to a .NET developer if it doesn't have ethernet? Do you mean the wired card doesn't work, but wi-fi still works?

He does, which is highly bothersome to me.

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#28

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 5:06 AM UTC

vco wrote: post #25

15.4" Lenovo Thinkpad with the WUXGA+ display really really provides valuable screen real estate for code

Well over the mac price point. Nice machines, but not as well built as they used to be.

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#29

Post by alnayyir » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 5:14 AM UTC

astrec wrote: post #6

Sounds like you really want a MacBook - you'll find a way to amortize the couple of hundred bucks extra it'll cost. As for me, I use a 1st gen black MacBook w/Leopard, added a bigger HDD and aftermarket RAM to 2GB. I use a Logitech V470 bluetooth mouse which I carry everywhere, and I've got a couple of bluetooth apple keyboards (shorties without the num pad) - one for the office and one at home. For external monitors…

How's fusion?

Re: Laptop of choice for a Programmer, Need Help

#30

Post by TheNational22 » Wed, Jan 14, 2009, 5:19 AM UTC

This may not be popular, but, I use HP laptops almost exclusively, I'm a Python and PHP mostly programmer (I have been learning Java for about a year), and I have three HP laptops. A dv2300 pavilion, an HDX 16, and an older one, can't remember series, that still works. They all dual boot windows and linux (sorry, no OSX, just doesn't appeal to me). As long as you can easily add ram and HDD's (one of the reasons apple doesn't appeal to me), almost any mainstream laptop will suit your needs