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Choosing a dev laptop right now is very difficult. On one hand, you have Apple silicon MacBooks redefining efficiency. On the other hand, XPSs/Inspirons/Think

Choosing a dev laptop right now is very difficult. On one hand, you have Apple silicon MacBooks redefining efficiency. On the other hand, XPSs/Inspirons/Thinkpads have caught up a lot in what used to differentiate MacBooks: The linux emulation on Windows is suitable for unix-like development, desktop linux is better than it's ever been, AMD is selling laptop CPUs that have 8 physical cores (with hyperthreading), 4k displays are available on basically every model, large trackpads are everywhere, Lenovo has a model out with a haptic (read: mac-like) trackpad, it's all very competitive.

vladvasiliu 5y ago
I'm not really in the market for a laptop, but I do look a bit from time to time, and what I've found is that even though AMD starts showing up, sometimes even with current gen CPUs (I think? I've seen Ryzen 5500s), I haven't seen one yet with a 4k screen. The best I've seen was some gaming Lenovo at 2560x1440.
leucineleprec0n 5y ago
Honestly, I just spent about a year on MacOS because of the hardware. That time also includes an M1 Macbook. Frankly, now that there are so many high quality, thermally-suitable ultrabooks,I'm done, I don't care if the M1 blows everything out of the water as long as some Evo-class ultrabook can do the same to the older laptops I had - because MacOS and homebrew fucking suck. The file system organization sucks too, and not all programs ported to unix/MacOS with as well as standard linux. (or install as cleanly as with apt-get and an isolated environment in file explorer on WSL2). I understand buying a Macbook for the internal hardware prowess (there is no perfornance per watt competition for the M1), QC, screen resolution, but fuck, the important hardware shit is 80% as good [edit: not really but this is also use case dependent] if not better on Windows laptops by now, and arguably the most important variable - software - is miles ahead with WSL2/Ubuntu/bash/apt-get/GNU tools vs MacOS/zsh/brew etc. I'd grant IO and some web development on MacOS is still going to be more productive, but from where I'm standing the platform choice is one without hesitation. Totally do agree on hardware writ large though, still haven't figured out what Windows system i'm going to grab, for that exact reason.
- keyboardsBro 5y ago
  Quality should be removed from your list, butterfly keyboards.
emptyparadise 5y ago
I really wish I could have Apple hardware without Apple software...
- leucineleprec0n 5y ago
  Mostly just chip/memory wise tho, their outer design is jewlrey I prefer plastic components much of the time in electronics. CNC aluminum - sorry, aluminium, and glass are really overutilized.

vladvasiliu 5y ago

I'm not really in the market for a laptop, but I do look a bit from time to time, and what I've found is that even though AMD starts showing up, sometimes even with current gen CPUs (I think? I've seen Ryzen 5500s), I haven't seen one yet with a 4k screen. The best I've seen was some gaming Lenovo at 2560x1440.

leucineleprec0n 5y ago

Honestly, I just spent about a year on MacOS because of the hardware. That time also includes an M1 Macbook. Frankly, now that there are so many high quality, thermally-suitable ultrabooks,I'm done, I don't care if the M1 blows everything out of the water as long as some Evo-class ultrabook can do the same to the older laptops I had - because MacOS and homebrew fucking suck. The file system organization sucks too, and not all programs ported to unix/MacOS with as well as standard linux. (or install as cleanly as with apt-get and an isolated environment in file explorer on WSL2). I understand buying a Macbook for the internal hardware prowess (there is no perfornance per watt competition for the M1), QC, screen resolution, but fuck, the important hardware shit is 80% as good [edit: not really but this is also use case dependent] if not better on Windows laptops by now, and arguably the most important variable - software - is miles ahead with WSL2/Ubuntu/bash/apt-get/GNU tools vs MacOS/zsh/brew etc. I'd grant IO and some web development on MacOS is still going to be more productive, but from where I'm standing the platform choice is one without hesitation. Totally do agree on hardware writ large though, still haven't figured out what Windows system i'm going to grab, for that exact reason.

keyboardsBro 5y ago
Quality should be removed from your list, butterfly keyboards.

emptyparadise 5y ago

I really wish I could have Apple hardware without Apple software...

leucineleprec0n 5y ago
Mostly just chip/memory wise tho, their outer design is jewlrey I prefer plastic components much of the time in electronics. CNC aluminum - sorry, aluminium, and glass are really overutilized.