
Ask HN: Smallest laptop that is decent for coding? - krm01
I&#x27;m looking for something as small as possible but can still be used in a decent way for coding. The goal isn&#x27;t to code super complex things but use it more as a tool to quickly write tiny JS&#x2F;PHP&#x2F;Html programs. The small form factor is important so I can keep it with me like you would keep a physical paper notebook with you
======
drej
MacOS: check out the _latest_ MacBook Air 13", the one just released - it has
a new keyboard, better base disk configuration and it's cheaper than before.

Windows: Dell XPS 13 has been the go-to laptop for years, they keep refreshing
it, so make sure to get at least the 2019 model (which has a camera on the top
of the screen, not the bottom), or ideally the 2020 model, which features a
new keyboard and even smaller bezels (and a new, 16:10 screen).

Windows runner up: look at Surface Pro 7 (x86) and Pro X (ARM), if the form
factor, performance and ergonomics fit your needs, they might be preferable to
the XPS 13. The Pro X is quite a wild card, since the compatibility is not
quite there yet, but it's closer to a paper notebook than laptops or even the
Pro 7.

I would advise against anything smaller than 13", because it will be fairly
suboptimal to type on.

~~~
flanbiscuit
I am currently typing this on my mid-2013 11" Macbook Air and it's still going
strong. It's too bad that Apple is not making anymore 11" laptops anymore
because I think it's exactly what OP wants. I had the same exact criteria when
looking for a laptop and I work with similar technologies, but I've also done
Android/Kotlin (using Android Studio) and C#/.NET (using full Visual Studio)
with this laptop without any problems. I also play games via Steam (mostly
indie games, not big AAA ones) on it. I have a bag¹ (side bag/satchel) that it
fits perfectly into and makes it easy to carry around. It's been great taking
this on vacation with me, super light.

I am looking to upgrade though and the new 2020 Air does look good but with
the modifications I want brings the price close to $1699 and I'm not ready to
spend that yet

¹ [https://www.scaramangashop.co.uk/mini-leather-
satchel-11-inc...](https://www.scaramangashop.co.uk/mini-leather-
satchel-11-inch.html) <\-- bought it from this company but they don't make my
exact bag anymore, but this is the closest except mine is the "portrait mode"
of this

edit: Forgot to add that I've also used Xcode on this in the past but I am not
on Catalina yet so I have not touched Xcode in a while.

~~~
tbrock
Dell makes garbage compared to Lenovo. Why not get an x390/x13 with that
delicious keyboard?

~~~
leetcrew
bezels? it's not just aesthetics; thin bezels is a pretty important feature on
an ultraportable imo, maximizes screen real estate for the space it takes up
in your bag.

~~~
tbrock
What? No.

They are already ultraportables. Once they are that small as a class of
computer reliability and quality becomes important.

God help you with support and returns if something goes wrong with your dell.
I’ve been there before and it’s hell on earth.

------
qpiox
Nearly all comments are completely missing the most important point in the OP
question: "The small form factor is important so I can keep it with me like
you would keep a physical paper notebook with you".

When one says a physical paper notebook, it means something that is small and
portable and you can put it in your pocket or a small bag, not a 13" laptop
that weighs 2 kilos that you need a special and when you open it takes up huge
space so you need to clear the table. Even a 10-11" laptop is not really
something you would keep with you all day long.

I recommend a mini laptop that is at most 8" in size. I don't have spare cash
for a second laptop at this moment and I use a 14" Latitude for all coding,
but I would love to have something with the following form size:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L7DVDL3](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L7DVDL3)

~~~
undecisive
As someone who has bought a OneMix 2s specifically for coding, I'd recommend
against it - there are difficulties using it for typing, much less
programming. I use it in an emergency for SSH'ing onto a server to fix
something, or debug a live issue, as it fits in an inside coat pocket and I
can set up an encrypted linux partition on it (with some difficulty, but it is
doable) but unless you have excellent eyes and tiny tiny fingers, you'll never
be as productive as you would be with an 11 inch laptop.

(also, the Q key is where I would want the tab key to be. It's a little thing,
but one I use a lot.)

That said, it does have uses. 10 years ago, when I used to travel on the train
a lot, it would have been ideal. The model I have is also impressively
performant.

~~~
qpiox
I do not recommend extensive work (full-time job) on such a small device. In
fact I do not recommend doing a full-time job on anything smaller than 14".
One can really ruin the finger joints, risk RSI even more on smaller
keyboards, ruin the neck, ruin the spine and really ruin the eyes even at 11".
In fact you need a proper chair and proper desk and proper keyboard and proper
monitor at eye level, to do a full-time job and not ruin your health.

But, I understood the OP question as not about being productive but being
capable of doing some small work if needed when on the move, a the device is
small enough to be with you everywhere you go and not consider it a brick load
in your bag after 10 hours of carrying it with you, but still performant
enough to be able to make a patches and shorter coding session on the move.

~~~
sixothree
I can't imagine being productive on such a small machine. I feel like I need
three screens to keep things moving smoothly.

------
kall
If you REALLY value compactness, the smallest nice computer you can get is
probably the discontinued 12-inch macbook. It really is amazingly small. It is
underpowered but "quickly write tiny JS/PHP/Html programs" is about the least
demanding thing you can do, work wise, so I think it would be fine.

It's a sacrifice for compactness though. It also has the "bad" keyboard,
though some people don't mind.

The just released macbook air is probably an all around good choice though.

~~~
Nextgrid
I’m using one as my daily driver for years now and I can definitely recommend
it. It’s been more than enough to work on sane projects like a web app with a
DB server running. Of course don’t expect to run Kubernetes with dozens of
microservices on it. Mobile development can be a challenge though - Xcode is
very resource-hungry.

------
cameroncooper
Really surprised not more people are mentioning the X1 Carbon. It is extremely
lightweight, thin, loaded with ports, has great battery life and has tons of
ports.

I use one plugged into a thunderbolt 3 dock so I can have a great desktop
setup with a single wire, and quickly unplug when I need to move.

~~~
theluketaylor
It's thin and light, but even with small bezels it's not that small due to the
14 inch screen. It's nearly a full inch wider than both macbook air and
macbook pro 13 and it's a little deeper.

It's a shame lenovo stopped updating the 12 inch X series as it would be the
obvious answer to this question.

~~~
basch
X1 Carbon - 12.72 x 8.54 x 0.59 in

X280 - 12.11 x 8.26 x 0.7 in

X13 - 12.2 x 8.6 x 0.7 in

The X13 is the old X 12in size.

I would still take the Carbon probably. One thing I like about it that is
underrated in reviews is its flexibility. People think they want a rigid,
aluminum milled laptop, but I actually quite appreciate how the entire
computer can bend slightly, as an alternative way to make it more durable.

------
shireboy
I do something a bit different: I have a Surface Pro, which is OK in its own
right. But I don’t develop straight on it. Instead, I spin up a VM on Azure
with all my dev tools. I use RDCMan as a RDP client to connect to that, and
code there. When at home or office, I dock the surface and have 2 big screens
and a nice keyboard. When at a coffee shop, I just use the Surface as-is. If I
upgrade my laptop or decide to use my MacBook etc, I just use that to remote
into the dev VM instead. My dev environment is agnostic to the screen I use to
connect to it. I’ve been doing this 5+ years and wouldn’t go back. I will say
I’m more productive with 2 screens, but I routinely worked from coffee shop
just fine.

~~~
juusto
That sounds like a great idea, could you please elaborate further?

Which instance and pricing are you using?

My use case is media work when abroad. So 16Gb RAM, as much disk space as
possible, around 8h a day.

~~~
shireboy
I have an MSDN subscription which gets me ~200/mo Azure Credit, I think. I use
the F4 instance which is 4 core/8GB. I set it in azure to shut down around
10pm, and get an email asking me if I want to extend it. Doing this, I have a
few bucks to spare on my credit each month for Azure App Service, etc. I use
mRemoteNG to connect to it. I keep all code, databases, etc. in source control
and on a separate disk. This way, if I want a new dev VM, I just spin it up,
install dev tools (I have a chocolatey script for that;) and attach the disk.

It really is enabling to have my machine be separate from my dev environment.
I used get so annoyed with all the cruft dev tools, SDKs, etc. add to a
system, hog disk, and bog it down. Now I just have outlook, mremoteng, and
office on the local machine.

May not be appropriate for heavy media work as 1) you need more RAM and 2)
audio/video may be choppy through RDP. If you can afford it, though, I highly
recommend this approach.

------
jclardy
The 12" Macbook is probably your best bet size and weight-wise, but it is now
a bit outdated and definitely overpriced within Apple's lineup itself (Given
the MBA has a 10th gen processor, better keyboard and is $300 cheaper than the
macbook now)

------
agloeregrets
Take a look into a few chromebooks. The models with crostini have a full built
in Linux dev environment complete with a terminal and the ability to run
standard Linux apps like vscode. The pixelbook go had my favorite keyboard and
is a nice size. You might like that! The discontinued slate is really nice
too.

~~~
atrilumen
I'm using a Pixelbook, and I like it, but it does feel large and heavy coming
from a 12" Macbook.

------
app4soft
> _I 'm looking for something as small as possible_

ASUS Eee PC.[0]

FTR, The smallest laptop — Ben NanoNote.[1]

BTW, I would recommend instead just use any _Android device_ \+ _Termux app_
\+ _compact Bluetooth /WiFi/USB-keyboard_.

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_Eee_PC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_Eee_PC)

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_NanoNote](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_NanoNote)

~~~
_Donny
I used to have an ASUS EEE PC from about 2010 (I think it was 1215P). It was
an incredible machine -- it was cheap for a student, fairly powerful for
internet browsing, text editing, and a bit of coding. The battery easily
lasted over 6 hours, so forgetting the small charger at home was not even a
concern. Lastly, the keyboard was actually decent as well.

I have never really seen many as well-executed machine since (although I have
not been looking too hard).

~~~
app4soft
> _I have never really seen many as well-executed machine since (although I
> have not been looking too hard)._

To be honest, there was some small _Sony VAIO_ laptops (in same scale as _ASUS
Eee PC_ ), but its _price is too high_.

------
pjc50
Smallest? Notebook sized? Consider the 7" (seven) inch GPD Pocket:
[https://uk.gearbest.com/tablet-
pcs/pp_613003.html](https://uk.gearbest.com/tablet-pcs/pp_613003.html)

I believe there's an updated version too.

~~~
ginko
I own a GPD Pocket and I love it for traveling, but I wouldn't want to use it
for any serious coding. The keyboard layout is just way too cramped and
awkward.

------
pojntfx
Thinkpad X2xx - 12", very reliable, coreboot-able, excellent keyboard.

~~~
solnyshok
second that, though now they converted to 13" and last model became x390
(x270, x280, x390). pay attention to ram amount. it is soldered in the last
model, and, not upgradable)

------
megadrive
OpenPandora, the Pyra would be better but not readily available immediately.
Fit in pocket easily, keys might be a tad too small for you? Another pocket
sized device is GPD Win, which I believe you can install Linux onto the first
version. Just some options, leaning more on the small form factor side/.

------
gru
I love my ASUS ZenBook 13!

    
    
      * The best laptop keyboard I've ever typed on!
      * Great screen
      * Weights 1 kg
      * Solid 8 hours of work on battery

~~~
elcomet
Do you use windows or linux ? If so, which distribution ?

~~~
Shared404
I use popOS on the UX330UN, not the exact same model, but fairly similar. I
haven't had very many major issues with pop, but it is the only distro that
hasn't given me any.

------
captn3m0
GPD Pocket 2?

[https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket2](https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket2)

It should be okay for note taking and basic coding.

~~~
ykevinator
Does it run linux?

------
sgt
Two words: MacBook Air.

You can't go wrong with that little workhorse. The new one (high spec) will
even do Java development just fine and run two 4K screens.

~~~
bergie
Not small or light any longer, since they killed the 11" model.

~~~
glormph
Actually, while indeed heavier, I was surprised that my 2018 13" fit in the
sleeve of my older 11" MBA. A bit snug, but the screen width seems to have
expanded inside the frame. And yes, while the widths are fairly similar, the
depths are not.

------
LordN00b
I have a Surface go, and I use to write scratch ideas in F#/C# Typescript in
visual stuidio code. I then punt them via git to my main dev box later. It's a
really nice way of keeping ideas flowing with out letting them go flat, or
forgetting about them. You will need to purchase a keyboard (Doesn't have to
be a microsoft one), but not a stylus. Battery life is about 6 hours for me.
It's small, fits under myarm, in my bag. I can code on it, look up recipies on
it, messaging, Spotify etc.

I like compact devices, I miss 11" form factor netbooks Samsung NP netbooks,
great for sticking in my bag and just using/code with.

------
dbartholomae
I have written small js/html tools on my iPhone with help of a Bluetooth
keyboard. No PHP though as iOS doesn't allow code execution environments
except for the browser. In my experience the biggest drawback on these kinds
of setups is the small screensize (I strongly prefer coding with three giant
displays), and this limitation cannot easily be overcome while keeping the
device tiny. I'm looking forward to the Lenovo X1 Fold though to see if this
reduces the pain a bit. And I love my Asus ZenScreen as a second-screen
solution that easily fits in my backpack.

------
pachico
I have tried many, believe me. First thing, if it has glossy screen I would
quickly discard it - your vision health is worth much more than a pretty
picture in Facebook. Having said this, I would go for dell XPS family. They
are not cheap but they are very robust. In addition, screen border is almost
nonexistent so all it's size is for your screen. Very good Linux support
(there is a a version that ships with Ubuntu). Keyboard is fantastic and the
combination of carbon fiber with aluminium works great, in my opinion. Give it
a try.

~~~
cerberusss
Recently I ordered a matte screen protector for my MacBook Pro, and it works
really well. I would not immediately write off all laptops with glossy
screens.

(Note I don't have a recommendation for a particular screen protector, I used
a local supplier in my tiny little European country).

~~~
pachico
Glad to know people can now work with glossy screens. It still seems a
workaround to emulate what I consider a must, though.

------
abude
Anything with SSD and 8-16GB RAM should do the work. Personally i would buy a
13" macbook pro.

~~~
kall
Do not buy a 13 inch MBP! The keyboard still hasn't been upgraded to the
"good" version on that. The 16-inch macbook pro and the macbook air it.

~~~
sgt
I have a 15 inch MBP with the dodgy keyboard, but it's bearable and 95% of the
time I use an external Apple keyboard and a 4K screen.

------
ksec
iPad Pro 11"?

I mean there aren't that many "small" laptop, just reading between the line of
your needs.

Today most laptop starts at 13". I am not sure if that fit your definition of
Small. But the new MacBook Air is pretty decently priced for an Apple product.

~~~
leblancfg
I own two iPads, and I really don't think it is there yet in terms of writing
any serious code.

~~~
b3b0p
I have a MacBook Pro 15", which is too big and actually pretty much resent and
hate.

an iPad Pro 11" which I absolutely love, but is abysmal and no where near any
good for coding on.

And currently eyeing that MacBook Air with a massive 2TB, 16GB, and i7 option
for still less than the lowest end 16" MacBook Pro and just barely more than
the stock 13" high end MacBook Pro.

------
nchelluri
I've used a fully loaded MacBook and it works well. It's quite slow compared
to a desktop but it's fast enough and has the Retina screen. This laptop is
basically a tablet in laptop form factor; it is ultra tiny and very nice to
use from a physicality standpoint.

I'm currently using an X1 Carbon ThinkPad Gen 4 with a 4K screen and it is
pretty nice too. It's a step up both performance wise and size wise from the
MacBook.

------
greaterscope
Great timing on this post as I'm looking for something to replace my aging
Dell Inspiron 1420n from 2008. Thanks for asking! It sounds like you just need
something to run an editor (maybe VIM?), PHP and a browser... Like others have
mentioned, if you need to run docker it will require something quite modern.

What's your budget?

Can anyone chime in about the Asus Eee PCs, or the Dell Inspiron Mini series?
Or anything else near the 10 to 11-inch form factor? Would they be hard to
type on for someone under 6ft tall?

I'm personally looking for something that can run Linux (perhaps even as
slimmed down as Puppy Linux), Vim (or maybe VSCode) can run a browser
(preferably Firefox but Pale Moon or other might be fine). Just bought an Asus
VivoBook X202E on Ebay, but that's an 11.6" display, so I'll see how it goes.

What I'd really love is to find a blog post of the "Best Linux-compatible
Netbooks Through the Ages". Has anyone come across anything like this? Would
help me search Ebay for successively older machines until I get to the price
point I'm looking for.

------
spaintech
No mentioned yet,
[https://system76.com/laptops/galago](https://system76.com/laptops/galago)
might not be the smallest of the bunch, but well worth it if you need the
performance to compile and test while on the go. I run several VMs and QUME
instances with your fave VIM scripts. :) For size vs perf, Air 13” is hard to
beat... I had a Pro X (arm) for about a week and I tried to get Linux on it
ASAP after all the issues, even then it was flaky at best, running VIM on
Windows is usually a hard sell even if you are running the Windows Subsystem
for Linux and you spend the hours of getting to where you like it, only to
find glitches after glitches... only if the thinkpad came in 16:9 :) I have an
older one and it’s horrid only after an hour... I tend to leave it...

~~~
manifoldgeo
Galago Pro owner here: I do not recommend this laptop. It's my daily driver at
home, and I mostly love it. However, it's only usable because I have an
external mouse and keyboard. The built-in keyboard has keys that are hard to
press, the trackpad is almost unusable, and the speakers are also laughably
bad and quiet. The laptop's build is thicker and heavier than it looks. If you
removed the System76 labeling from the laptop and asked me what brand I
thought it was, I would guess Acer, and that is not a compliment.

I traded in my MacBook Pro for this one because this has native Linux support,
and the cost was the same at $1,600. The hardware qualities are night-and-day
different. Granted, a small company like System76 doesn't have the economy of
scale that Apple does, but this knowledge doesn't make me feel much better
about my purchase.

System76 just came out with a new version of their Lemur laptop, which is
slimmer and more portable. It may be worth a look. See here:
[https://system76.com/laptops/lemur](https://system76.com/laptops/lemur)

------
brtkdotse
I managed to get my hands on a Lenovo X280 before they were discontinued. I
think it's fantastic and really hits the sweet spot between weight and
performance - it's my main driver and weightwise I have a hard time telling it
apart from my iPad Pro 11 with a keyboard case.

------
klingonopera
I spent a number of hours coding in and around Berlin parks with my trusty
Acer 1810TZ (11.2", ca. 2010). It was portable, and compact, but it wasn't too
convenient with the 1366x768 resolution and the tight keyboard does cause an
extra typo or two here and then, but it got the job done.

Because that was a tad too small, I then went for a 17" workstation, which
turned out to be a little bit too big.

So now I've settled on a 15.6" Asus FX-505. Love the design and hardware, hate
having to use Windows 10. Not quite ready to make the jump to Linux, yet.

Overall, I settled for one device compromising size, comfort and portability.
I think I could go for a 13-14" device, if I wanted more portability, but 11"
is just about the limit for comfortable coding, IMHO.

------
a-saleh
How large is the paper notebook? :D

I.e. fit into messenger bag? Maybe even Macbook Air would fit. You actually
have some selection of smallish notebooks around ~10 inch, or x86 based
tablets. Old EeePC line might be a good fit, if you don't need much power. You
might even opt for iPad and keyboard-cover.

Personally, I have bought myself an underpowered arm-based 10' lenovo
chromebook. Has decent enough keyboard for touch-typing, and I can run most of
my dev-setup with the linux support.

Do you need to go smaller? You are then entering a niche teritory, where you
might want to try Gemini PDA (a Psion 5MX clone running android or linux with
surprisingly good keyboard that can fit your pocket), but every time I
considered it, I figured it is too expensive for what it would give me.

------
znpy
Dell Latitude 7390: it's basically a better XPS13.

Same size, same small bazel, weighs meaybe 100g more, but has all of the ports
you could need and ram, disk and battery are easily replaceable. Probably has
better thermals too, since less compromises were done in head dissipation.

I can't really understand why people are buying the XPS13 when the Latitude
7390 is available (probably for less money).

<edit> the size is 13", basically the size of an A4 sheet of paper. My 7390
from work is equipped with an 8th gen i7 (4c8t) and 16gb ram and an nvme add,
more than enough to do most things. Lower end models exist too of course.
</edit>

If youre looking for something on the cheap, probably an used thinkpad will
do: X or T series, 40-50-60 series (X2[456]0, T4[456]0)

------
notacoward
As others have pointed out, 8" is probably a bit _too_ small, and you'll have
to make a painful tradeoff between performance vs. battery life as well. I'd
go with something in the 10-11" range. There are plenty of tablets that you
can get keyboard covers for, but those are IMO poor choices due to lack of a
real OS supporting real apps (though they can be great as "terminals" for real
systems elsewhere).

The two I'd consider would be the Microsoft Surface Go or the Asus Chromebook
Flip C101. One is Intel (but Windows). The other is real Linux underneath (but
ARM). Both are pretty cheap and seem to do well on most measures considering
their size.

------
sandGorgon
[https://www.asus.com/Laptops/ASUS-
Laptop-14-M409DA/](https://www.asus.com/Laptops/ASUS-Laptop-14-M409DA/) \-
Ryzen 5 (better than i5), NVME SSD, thin-and-light.

RAM upgradable to 16gb

Good enough for android dev.

------
rock_artist
JS/PHP can pretty much run on everything from 2018+. When adding Docker or NPM
and some non-interpreted compilation involved that's where machine's power
shines.

Pretty much any 8th gen / 10th gen ulta-low-voltage quad core would be more
than sufficient.

As suggest, If you'd like the lockdown. the 2020 MacBook Air is finally an
Apple machine balancing it all for developers.

The Lenovo Carbon X1 is also a power machine.

Main advantage choosing non-Mac machine is ability to replace key components.
Most PCs even the slimmest, allow replacing at least the NVMe so you could get
even 2TB for ~200$.

Smallest size you could go imho is 12". but keyboard is the 2nd key factor for
a dev I guess.

------
tdsamardzhiev
I used to write some code on a 11.6" chromebook years ago. Nowadays the
smallest laptop my eyes are comfortable with is 14". Preferably a Thinkpad for
the way superior keyboard.

~~~
soco
I love my pumped-up T495, can only recommend. And it's 1.5 Kg - not the
lightest compared to HP Spectre and the likes but much more computing power.

------
amerkhalid
Been using 2016 13" MBP. No issues with web or app development.

Also been using iPad 10.5" with keyboard as a thin client to do dev work on
Linux VPS. With Blink shell and Working Copy, it is quite enjoyable. Also I
got Shadow PC for my game dev projects (my MBP is not powerful enough to do
that), I can use Shadow PC app on iPad and it is mostly usable.

I am definitely using iPad as a carry around notebook. I just wish it had real
local dev environment so I don't need to worry about wifi.

------
Timpy
While we're brainstorming and day dreaming about ideal tiny rigs, has anybody
ever heard of a good paperwhite/e-ink screen for programming? Imagine an e-ink
tablet that only had a terminal emulator. Plug a keyboard into it, ssh to your
workstation, save your eyes the strain of a bright screen. I've seen e-inks
with an additional red color, but imagine if you could get just a handful of
colors. I would read my code in light-themes for the first time ever.

~~~
cltsang
I would also love to code with a screen that doesn't emit light. However, I
don't know of any e-ink like display that has fast enough refresh rate to
enable the instant typing feedback that we are used to, especially now that we
have hot reload.

------
Waterluvian
Looking for the same thing made me actually jealous of my tiny friend. She's
maybe 5"1 90lbs. Her small hands comfortably handle smaller keyboards and
phones while my fat meat sticks constantly mash the wrong letters. Same with
laptops. We got these little Chromebooks for data entry at a co-op job and it
was just hell for me. Before then I really hadn't thought about the inadequacy
of "one size fits all" technology.

------
bdg
I was using an ancient Acer Aspire One for years. The thing was gutless, so I
had to customize the linux installation heavily to be able to do things like
run my app's build script and chrome at the same time.

These days I'd probably use it as a terminal for an AWS workspace instead.

These new touch-screen tablet/PCs with a detachable keyboard, plus a virtual
remote server, may be the future for this kind of thing.

------
e12e
I did some coding on my old aspire one - but in the end I find the keyboard
too cramped, not to mention the screen.

The surface pro typecover is surprisingly good - AFAIK it's the best keyboard
option for any new laptop these days. And the surface kinda-sorta can be
lugged about like a notebook.

Going smaller... A foldable/clamshell Bluetooth keyboard to pair with your
phone? Optionally a suitable size android tablet?

------
Nazzareno
I have a Lenovo X1 Yoga (7th), the new Dell XPS 13 and a X1 Carbon.

My preferred one is X1 Carbon with FHD display which saves battery, it's also
pretty lighter and thinner than the X1 Yoga. If you like touch screens and
embedded pen, I'd go with the Yoga, still better than XPS13 for me.

Reasons? Better ports (HDMI, USB3.0) and better keyboard (yes, you can switch
the Fn and the CTRL keys, it's a BIOS option).

~~~
hkiely
I had an X1 carbon, but I thought the screen was 14 inches. Regardless, it is
a solid machine.

------
mixedmath
I've used two things in the past that have worked very well for me. I used an
11 inch sub 100 dollar chromebook for a couple of years as my mobile
workhorse. For true transportability, I've used a tablet (with a terminal
emulator for some local capabilities, and with ssh for broader capabilities)
and a folding bluetooth keyboard. I keep these in my bag.

------
tasubotadas
With these requirements, there is not a lot to choose from. Basically, you are
looking for 11" sub-1kg laptops:

[https://geizhals.eu/?cat=nb&xf=10_1000%7E12128_11%7E12128_12...](https://geizhals.eu/?cat=nb&xf=10_1000%7E12128_11%7E12128_12%7E12128_7)

It would seem that a feasible option is HP EliteBook Folio G1 or Apple MacBook
12.

------
generalpass
I have used an iPad in a keyboard/case combo that was absolutely fantastic as
a form factor, but I'm not sure that would meet your needs based on the
application.

Maybe a different tablet device that can run Linux or an Android variant
capable of providing the tools you require.

A nice thing about tablets is instantaneous sleep to on even vs. modern
desktop OS.

------
rjsw
I have written software on a Toshiba Libretto 70CT [1], also have an original
ASUS EE Pc 701.

My Pinebook is probably a bit bigger that you are asking for but it is light
in weight.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_Libretto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshiba_Libretto)

------
mrusme
Used an Asus Zenbook 3 UX390UA-GS041T for a very long time for exactly that
purpose. Ran Linux on it, loved the keyboard, didn't like the trackpad so much
but since it was really only for writing (code) on-the-go it worked perfectly
fine. Not sure if there's an updated version of that.

------
bluedino
GPD P2 Max is 8.9", probably the smallest 'real' laptop out there

[https://liliputing.com/2019/06/first-look-
gpd-p2-max-8-9-inc...](https://liliputing.com/2019/06/first-look-
gpd-p2-max-8-9-inch-mini-laptop.html)

------
throwaway9d0291
I'm guessing since you said "laptop", you want something bag-sized rather than
pocket sized but for pocket, there are products like the GPD Pocket:
[http://gpd.hk/gpdpocket2](http://gpd.hk/gpdpocket2)

------
bananicorn
I really wish there was something modern like the ThinkPad 701c[0], which had
a really ingenuous folding keyboard:

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLj3aCfqzOM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLj3aCfqzOM)

------
andrey_utkin
Have you considered a wearable computer then? [https://github.com/andrey-
utkin/wearable-computer/wiki](https://github.com/andrey-utkin/wearable-
computer/wiki)

------
Legogris
Lenovo Yoga Book - 10.1"

------
gshdg
I have an old 11” MacBook Air that I sometimes use for development on the go.

It’s a bit weak on vertical screen resolution but perfectly capable of
building and running small web apps.

It weighs almost nothing and the keyboard is comfortable.

------
shimst3r
I'm still loving my 2013 MacBook Air 13" with an i7 and 8 GB RAM.

I mostly do Python development with Vim (web, DevOps, ML/NLP) and Dart/Flutter
stuff with VSCode. For bigger workloads I ssh into my iMac.

------
jsilence
Maybe the Cosmo Commnicator?

~~~
TapamN
The Gemini might be better for dedicated programming. It's cheaper, and the
Cosmo Communicator has terrible stand-by battery life (although usage doesn't
significantly affect life). You would miss out on the light-up keyboard,
though.

~~~
jsilence
I'd very much prefer the Cosmo because of the backlit keyboard. I guess
battery usae is going to improve with future firmware updates. Some progress
has already been there if I remember correctly.

------
jansan
25 ears ago i would have recommended the amazing IBM PC110 Palmtop.

~~~
tonyedgecombe
It's funny how these devices keep appearing but never gain a real foothold. My
first thought was the HP 95LX.

------
fredsted
12" MacBook with the i5 or i7 (it's rare now, though). I've made do with the
m3 version and while PHPStorm runs slow, it's bearable.

------
onion2k
I've written JS + HTML code on my phone using Termux in the past. If you use a
small bluetooth keyboard it works surprisingly well.

------
immnn
I‘d recommend buying a Surface Go. Using WSL you can tool up, like on any
other machine. However, remember to grab the 8GB model.

------
sairamkunala
if you are looking at Macs, mac book air.

Chromebook is a fantastic option in terms of price, though everything may have
to stay in the cloud.

~~~
abude
macbook air, is no good for programming. sketching and frontend things yes,
but when you start running environments within it like docker for example. it
will crash.

~~~
ben_w
The use-case is “quickly write tiny JS/PHP/Html programs”. I do that on my
Air. I have never used docker and don’t really know what docker is besides a
tech-de-jour.

~~~
antigirl
JS means using npm and node, ive heard my laptop fans go crazy at times. I'm
MBP 13 inch, i7, SSD, 16GB Ram

------
seddin
I own a Samsung Chromebook 3 with GalliumOS, it has 4Gb of RAM and it pretty
fast thanks to that lightweight Debian distro.

------
sys_64738
You can run Emacs on virtually any laptop.

------
skocznymroczny
12" Macbook would probably be optimal.

Surface Go is an option to consider, however it can't really be used on a lap.

------
jmakov
Any tablet + x2go or apache guacamole

~~~
pojntfx
Oh do I love x2go.

------
GrumpyNl
Most important for me is a descent keyboard. I always bring my k800.

------
rwmj
Has anyone tried the Dell XPS Ultrabook for coding?

------
baybal2
Panasonic RZ series

------
cplamper
iPad Mini (or an iPhone Pro Max) + external or foldable keyboard is a decent
compromise if you really value a small form factor.

------
nik736
The new Dell XPS 2020 or the MB Air.

------
sam_lowry_
Two words: Pinebook Pro.

------
nimchimpsky
get a secondhand or refurb macbook, the completely solid ones. Just plain ol
macbook, now discontinued. I love mine.

------
lproven
No no no. No!

Don't take it from me. Take it from Drew here:

[https://drewdevault.com/rants/2020/02/18/Fucking-
laptops.htm...](https://drewdevault.com/rants/2020/02/18/Fucking-laptops.html)

As he says: > The best laptop ever made is the ThinkPad X200

In these sad deprived days, coding means typing text. For text, you _need_ a
good keyboard.

And Lenovo made the best keyboards in laptops, later than anyone else... until
they went chiclet. As chiclets go, Lenovo's are good, but they're still
chiclets and chiclet keyboards are inferior.

Trackpads are large, hard to be very accurate, and you accidentally hit them
while typing. All you need is a Trackpoint.

And if you're some kind of current-kit fetishist, or some poor sucker working
in Javascript or worse still some Electron abomination, then you can stick a
new motherboard in it for your hideous bloatware to get the CPU cycles it
needs to pointlessly burn.

[https://hackaday.com/2018/03/12/new-guts-make-old-
thinkpads-...](https://hackaday.com/2018/03/12/new-guts-make-old-thinkpads-
new/)

