What laptop do you use?
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
I use an ASUS ROG G751JL laptop. Intel Core i7 (4th Gen) 4720HQ / 2.6 GHz 17in Screen 500g ssd 1TB HDD 16g ram NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M - 2 GB GDDR5 SDRAM I run VS2015 & SQL Server and some VM's with no problems and can still play a game!
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
I use a Dell M3800 for my everyday development. But to be precise, I don't do all my development on it. A lot of my work is done on virtual servers on the network. It's got all that I need and in a great format. Aircraft aluminum case and light as hell. So whether it's doing design on the run or sitting down at the office it gets the job done. My only issue with it is that it gets hot when running a heavy graphics load.
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
I have a Surface pro 2. With the power cover keyboard battery detachable battery thingy. 20 hours give or take on a full charge. I do like it alot. I can edit videos on the thing if I need to. Yes the screen is small but with the docking station I connect to a full size keyboard and monitors. Yes I do 90% of my work in one of two locations at work or at home office. and yes a desktop at one of those places would be easier. But having two primary locations the tablet/laptop form factor is sooo much better. Also, if I am on the road for some reason(last week) I can do all my work including reviewing code, designing web sites, SQL command edits etc..... you name it from the surface all by itself. is it as nice as being at home? NO, but it does get the job done. Each person works differently. I am seriously thinking that next computer will be the lenovo yoga. Mainly because it supports linux completely and I think that is where I might be in the near future so I need that flexibility.
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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I resisted buying a new laptop for years as I have a great desktop setup -- Core i7 with 24 GB of memory, dual video cards and four monitors, plus my own virtual server farm on the network. I still do most of my development on that. But a few years ago I had to go on-site with the current development project, and be able to make changes in the code. At that point my portable technology was a little 10-inch netbook, so I had no choice but to get something decent that could handle Visual Studio and a database client. After some searching I found an Asus N56V -- Core i7, 8GB (which I upgraded to 16GB), a 750GB drive, Blu-Ray reader, and a 1920*1080 15.6 screen. It has an aluminum chassis, came with little in the way of crapware, and has performed flawlessly now for over 3 years. I have a virtual network running on it with a Windows Server and a database server, so I can do full Web development within its own few pounds of weight anywhere that I want. The biggest drawback with it was Windows 10. It came with Win 8, and I let it get upgraded. Now, every time Windows decides to upgrade, it kills the touchpad drivers and screws up the backlit keyboard, all because MS thinks it has better drivers (it doesn't, most assuredly). From a hardware standpoint, its 6-cell battery didn't give it much life, but I found a good 9-cell on eBay that not only fixes the longevity issue, but props up the base to a nice angle for typing. Highly recommended, and I won't part with it until it dies.
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
I've got so used to a natural keyboard that I literally can't hit correct keys and slow to a craw in a normal keyboard, let alone a compact keyboard like all laptops provided with tiny screen real estate. I carry my own keyboard (30+ year old Microsoft PS2 Natural Keyboard) to all companies I work for. I have 4 32" monitors setup too. Please, anything but don't make me code in laptop.
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
I've been using Thinkpads since the mid-90s. I've tried a Toshiba once and learned my lesson to never leave the Thinkpad. I've worked on Dells before and they're a step better than Toshiba. But Thinkpads by far are the best I've ever seen. They're built very well. Right now, I have a Thinkpad W540 (the workstation version). I've been eyeing the new P70s that Lenovo just introduced. They're "nasty" powerful. My current W540 has 1TB of SSD and 32GBytes of RAM set up with three monitors (I tried four, but that pushed the video card too hard). I work on various VMWare instances for coding as I still have to support legacy software (I, unfortunately, need Windows XP). I also develop iOS mobile apps, so I have a VMWare VM for Maverick OS. I've upgraded to Windows 10 and actually like it. Especially, since I purchased the $5.00 Stardock Start10 app that converts Windows 10 into a Windows 7 look and feel. This allowed for a non-existent transition. I do have a Surface Pro which I set up with a development environment (Visual Studio 2015 and all the bells) so that whenever I travel, I have something lightweight to fix any problems that come up and people are in a panic. I can at least make fixes on the Surface and keep things going. It isn't something I would code with on a daily basis. I like the fact I'm mobile with a laptop. I can take it when I go see my customers and demo my latest software for their feedback. It's really the way to go. Enjoy!
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The purpose of this thread is to discuss your favorite laptop and why, especially for uses of software development. While I know this is a highly subjective topic and one that depends on user preference... That's fine, I'm looking for opinions here. I currently run a Toshiba Satellite on Windows 7 and I'm happy with it but in case it were to die or something happened to it... Or I just want to upgrade, what should I get next and why? My dad and I have been Toshiba users for a long time but I saw some of the newer Toshibas in Staples the other day and I was not impressed. The specs were great for the price but the build-quality has gone downhill big time. Talk about cheap plastic... It wasn't even finished! That got me thinking... Does anyone use a Surface for coding? What about a MacBook Air? Personally, I value larger screens because I use my laptop as a desktop replacement (I know it really doesn't matter with external monitors, but still, I like to go to coffee shops a lot). While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine? Last but not least, what is your opinion on video cards and coding? Do you do development which requires some serious graphics power or do you code on a pretty basic machine?
Hi RealTodd, Why waste your money on a MAC???? Acer makes nice cheap laptops for less than 1/4 the price of a MacBook. Upgrade HD to a SSD and away you go. Buy two so you have a backup and you are still way cheaper than the MAC. I models are updated so often why spend a fortune? That's my 2 cents worth from 28 years of experience with computer hardware. mike
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Hi RealTodd, Why waste your money on a MAC???? Acer makes nice cheap laptops for less than 1/4 the price of a MacBook. Upgrade HD to a SSD and away you go. Buy two so you have a backup and you are still way cheaper than the MAC. I models are updated so often why spend a fortune? That's my 2 cents worth from 28 years of experience with computer hardware. mike
After 37 years of dealing with hardware, I would say, though cliche, that you get what you pay for. Apple quality is quite superb: good screen, well machined, nice battery life. It *IS* a little overpriced, but not as much as most believe. A person can "get by" with a cheap chunk of plastic; however, better hardware improves one's sense of self worth. My experience is that developers that feel better about themselves will produce better code; those "on the cheap" create code that is "adequate".
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After 37 years of dealing with hardware, I would say, though cliche, that you get what you pay for. Apple quality is quite superb: good screen, well machined, nice battery life. It *IS* a little overpriced, but not as much as most believe. A person can "get by" with a cheap chunk of plastic; however, better hardware improves one's sense of self worth. My experience is that developers that feel better about themselves will produce better code; those "on the cheap" create code that is "adequate".
I believe I understand what you are saying but I think it is illusion. Not really much difference inside in this day and age. All mass produced. From what I've seen inside you are mainly paying for perceived prestige and marketing. I haven't found Apple products any more reliable. Sometimes even less - power supplies, video chips, etc. giving up the ghost. If the specs are what you need go for it but brands and price alone mean nothing. As in smoke and mirrors. I remember in the old days when people went on about reliable hard drives and I looked at my large stack of crashed drives...pretty much equal numbers of all brands. Much more like slot machines at the casino. I've done a lot of data recovery over the years. Kept some drives going while blowing a fan over ice to cool it. My $395 on sale Acer laptop is chugging along fine after 15 months. If you are happy with what you have that's good. My sense of worth does not depend upon some piece of hardware but rather on what I have done. Best to all, Mike
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For .NET development I use a Lenovo Thinkpad E550 with 16GB RAM. It came with a hybrid drive, but I replaced it with a 500GB SSD so it runs fast enough now. The screen is a HiDPI one so it can sometimes have funny moments with legacy software and it doesn't have great contrast but it's usable. The trackpad is near useless though. I'd had a few Dell machines and to be honest, they were even worse. The best laptop I owned (two of them in fact) we the old Sony Vaio's but they're long gone.
TheOnlyRealTodd wrote:
While on the subject, those of you who do use Mac; Can you get it to run Windows and perform as if it were a PC by partitioning the drive and booting off of it or do you actually code on a virtual machine?
When I first got a Mac, I installed Parallels so the I could run Windows in a VM. It was okay, did everything I needed, but it wasn't long before I dumped it. The good thing about using a Mac is that it's encouraged me to look elsewhere, so .NET Core/ASP.NET 5, Java, NodeJS, Swift and Docker.. computing feels more exciting again like it did when I was a kid :) The quality of everything on my Mac is top-notch - build quality, screen, SSD (1TB), trackpad.. expensive but well worth the money in my opinion.
I came into this game for the action, the excitement. Go anywhere, travel light, get in, get out, wherever there's trouble, a man alone. Now they got the whole country sectioned off, you can't make a move without a form.
You have my respect, you're the first respondent to actually answer the OP's questions. Thanks for being a reasonable and thoughtful mind.
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You have my respect, you're the first respondent to actually answer the OP's questions. Thanks for being a reasonable and thoughtful mind.