
Ask HN: What laptop do you use? - KerryJones
Every time I go looking for a new development machine it&#x27;s a huge research project.<p>What&#x27;s your laptop&#x2F;hardware of choice and why?
======
cillian64
13 inch Macbook Air.

* It's powerful enough for my development work.

* It's small/light enough to take with me.

* For my work the battery goes for 14 hours.

* It's not so expensive as "premium" laptops go.

* OSX with homebrew has all the things I like about Linux, but wifi and power management work flawlessly out of the box.

~~~
ambivalence
I use two 13" Macbook Airs. One is an 1.3 GHz i5 from 2013 which is admittedly
slowish at times with heavy Atom and browser use. The other is an 2.2 GHz i7
from 2015 and that one is pretty awesome.

The batteries on those machines are amazing. They really last for 7-9 hours
depending on use. The 2013 one is starting to show the "Service battery"
warning every now and then but no performance degradation is noticeable yet.
It's been through 380 cycles so far.

If you use a non-Retina Macbook like those, I suggest using a bitmap font for
programming (I'm using Terminus myself). It's totally sharp and easy on the
eyes. Crank up the contrast in your editor's color theme and you're all set.

~~~
Humphrey
I've got the min-2012 i7 Air -- love the machine, and it still runs fast and
great. The battery is pretty terrible though. I'm probably due for a new one.
When I took it to my local Apple reseller, they told me that they didn't think
the battery needed replacing -- but they are wrong, and I should just pay them
to do it anyway :-p

------
franciscop
This depends a lot of your needs. I use the Asus Zenbook UX305CA with Ubuntu
16.04 and I really love it. When it breaks I will probably get the same one
again (or a modern version of it).

Now on the pros/cons:

\+ Super lightweight and thin, can carry it anywhere.

\+ Quite solid. Not the same as Macs, but a lot more than most laptops.

\+ Silent. It uses an m3/m5 so it doesn't _need_ fans.

\+ Battery. It lasts 4h with max brightness and around 6 with low one. It's a
lot more than I tried before and few laptops with Linux last this long (in my
experience). Totally a letdown for Mac users (;

\+ Price. I bought it for $650 + ~$130 for importing it, which still makes it
really cheap.

\+ 1080p 13.3" mate display. It's exactly just what I want. No glaring, no
dirty touchscreen, not too small nor too big, good resolution but maintains
the battery.

\- No keyboard backlight. However you _should not_ be programming with the
lights off.

\- No computing power. From time to time I like experimenting with something
for which I'd need more power like 3D or video edition.

\- No USB Type-C. Of course the laptop is _old_ for this standard, so I'm
hoping for the next refresh they add it (and not USB-C + a proprietary
charging method like they did in the UX303).

~~~
dpc_pw
Same here. I'm very happy with it. I picked it because of the price and good
Linux users reviews.

I do most of my work remotely on my powerful desktop anyway (ssh + tmux +
vim).

The mate screen is the sweet bonus, as it's hard to come by in the word full
of glaring screens.

------
passivepinetree
2015 Macbook Pro/16GB RAM/512 GB SSD.

I use Parallels for .NET development and the Mac side for web browsing, iOS
development, and the terminal.

If I didn't depend on MacOS, I'd like to try an XPS 13 with dual-booted
Linux/Windows 10. Although one nice thing about Parallels is that I can have
my iTerm2/zsh shell managing .NET development I have to do on the Windows
side, and I'd lose that if I dual-booted and I'd have to use something way
inferior like Cygwin or something.

~~~
lostmsu
WSL should give you full zsh. But actually, why not PowerShell?

~~~
passivepinetree
I've been involved in the *nix ecosystem for a long time, so I'm familiar with
the commands/file structure/etc. And PowerShell isn't even close to
replicating the terminal experience I currently have.

------
bsamuels
Thinkpad T420. Replaced the hard drive with a 128gb SSD, and added an extra 4
gigs of RAM.

It does everything I need, has a fantastic keyboard, good aesthetics, and has
a great aftermarket for additional upgrades.

------
sqeaky
My work issued me some random shitty dell with parts that barely work and
something fails about every 4 months... This is not one of their high end
models, but it does have an i7 6700 and 64gb of RAM. So when it does work it
is decently fast.

For my personal machine I have the previous version of this:
[https://system76.com/laptops/bonobo](https://system76.com/laptops/bonobo)

I put in my own ram and disks.

Intel i7 6700k, nVidia 980, 64gb of RAM, RAID 1 of M2 Samsung 920 SSDs (read
spead of 1.2GB/s) for root filesystem, and a RAID 1 of 2TB HGST spinning disks
for long term storage.

It is great for short compile times while still being technically portable. I
do a little openCL/cuda work on it, but not as much as I had planned. It is
more than capable for this.

I occasionally game and I generally put the settings on "ultra" and have no
complaints about framerates (but I also play older games like borderlands II
and indy games). I usually keep games in a VM too, an that doesn't hurt the
performance enough to notice.

I went with System76 instead of buying the clevo/sager alternative (because
System76 rebrands clevo/sager) is the ease in getting parts and support from
System76. They are always easy to work with and I am able to get parts for old
machines easily. This is valuable to me, because I am comfortable doing my own
hardware maintenance up to and including soldering of minor parts. I have been
able to get individual power jacks from them.

~~~
houst0n_
Your laptop has 4 disks?

~~~
sqeaky
Yes. A pair of RAID 1 volumes. I dislike losing data to failures I also have
good backups.

2x 256gb (512gb, I can't remember; code is tiny and I use less than 100gb) M2
SSDs.

2x 2TB 5400rpm HGST disks that spend most their off. But I have these almost
full of video.

~~~
houst0n_
That's a beast, doesn't it weigh a ton and don't you worry about having
spinners knocking around in your bag?

Do you need that much in a luggable? I would have that setup on a desktop,
having that in my portable machine would remove most of the advantages of it
(for me at least)?

~~~
sqeaky
I work out of 3 offices (home and 2 jobs). I have desktops at two of the
offices that run servers that matter for local office stuff. I move this
laptop around when I plan on being at a given office for a work day. This
thing builds faster than any desktop I have (currently).

I have never tried to bring it on a plane, I suspect they would charge me for
an extra ticket because the laptop is too heavy. Seriously, I would bring one
of my smaller machines if I planned on being mobile multiple times through the
day. I have clevo ultrabook, access to a macbook air through one of my jobs
and a small collection of netbooks, if I don't need much I might just stick
with my phone (or a tablet) and a bluetooth keyboard.

------
segmondy
I use a chromebook, it's cheap, it works, it's lightweight, it has a decent
battery life. I bought it used for about $100. I switch to linux if I need to
do development. The only thing I wish it had was a higher resolution. My
inability to do work with it has never been of the hardware but of not knowing
how or being lazy.

------
Watabou
The 2013 15" Retina Macbook Pro

Got it to upgrade from a 2008 15" Macbook Pro in 2013, and it's still running
like a champ. I only really upgrade my laptops every five years and it looks
like it will easily beat that. I even have it encrypted with FileVault and
there's absolutely no slowness with development.

I even use it to use Remote Play for my PS4, really nice way to game when I'm
not at my house.

The only real issue is that I wish I would have splurged on the SSD. For me,
512GB doesn't cut it with the amount of projects and repositories I have on my
built in SSD, and this includes my extensive prog rock music collection.

It's not lightweight though, ~5 lbs in your backpack does add strain to your
shoulders if you walk around with it. The battery is sufficient for me at
around 4 hours of use with medium to full brightness, enough, at least, so I
don't /need/ to take my charger in to work.

~~~
goshx
I have the same machine and very happy with it. I agree with the 512GB, but at
the time the price difference wasn't worth it. I think the best thing is to
have an external disk that can talk thunderbolt speeds and leave the rarely
used things in there.

~~~
Watabou
I've debated getting an external drive. Thunderbolt drives are still too
expensive compared to USB3 ones. And I do like the fact that I don't need to
carry an external drive with me if I need to see that one previous project
since I find I do that occasionally to find some code logic or a solution to a
problem in my previous projects.

They're still "rarely used", but td so convenient to have access to them
always. I could get Dropbox but then I'm paying for data space monthly.

------
MaxLeiter
2016 MacBook Pro Retina dual-booting Fedora 25 and OS X

Great laptop quality, Fedora runs well; had no driver issues. OS X is
fantastic when I need to be super stable, otherwise Fedora is my main driver

------
gtf21
2014 MBP (15"). I've never seen machines with the same build quality as Apple,
and the trackpad is really excellent - smoother than anything else I've used.
Display is also fantastic.

I love this machine, although Apple's direction makes me want to switch to
something else like a ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

------
balladeer
~5 yr old MacBook Air at home (I bought it because at that time it was the
cheapest lightweight laptop with a great battery life).

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015) at work (I could have gotten any
laptop and any OS and many people actually go for those but I just went ahead
with the standard issue).

I am fine with both and I was fine with my Dell Linux work laptop before this
workplace and a Windows work desktop before that. For me there is no "one
true" machine or gadget or as some people say it "X is the only real Y". What
I do, Android development earlier - and now front-end development which I hate
and that's why I will be leaving this workplace soon, any of these machines
are good enough (well, to be honest my 5 year old Air is not so enough
anymore). Another reason I don't do much professional hobbyist thing once I am
out of my workplace (not proud of it as such but no regrets so far either) - I
use the time after work to read fiction, play badminton, travel/trek, sketch,
films etc.

If I have to buy another laptop (which will be for personal use if at all) I
would like something like LiteBook
([https://litebook.store](https://litebook.store)). 13-inchish, lightweight,
good battery life - decent power (not really sure how LiteBook fares here) to
browse, films, music and some development here and there. Or, MacBook Air if
hopefully Apple doesn't kill the line miraculously or doesn't increase the
price.

But if I must buy one at home, for development, it will be a custom build PC.
Yes, desktop. And a nice simple wooden table and comfy chair along with that.

------
someguy101010
I use a thinkpad t61p. I've had it since 2011 and it still runs just a good as
it did when I bought it. Its extremely modular, rugged, and has fantastic
linux support. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it's battery
life is pretty sub-par but most places that I use it have power outlets so it
hasn't been an issue yet. It also has the best keyboard that I have ever used
in my life by far.

~~~
fegu
You're a lucky guy, that is a fantastic machine. Overheating is what kills
most thinkpads in my experience. Perhaps the thermal paste is sub par.

~~~
someguy101010
You're right! Mine does run pretty hot and was having overheating issues last
summer, but once I replaced the thermal paste on it it hasn't had an issue
since. Considering that it was a 9 year old laptop then I was very pleased
that was the only issue that I've had with it thusfar

------
schneidmaster
15" rMBP. Got it in March 2015 and it's been rock-solid for over 2 years now
(my previous Macbook lasted 4+ years before having a sporadic boot problem
that probably could've been fixed if I wasn't ready to replace it anyway).
Fast, stable, excellent build quality, no complaints. I was a little
disappointed in the touchbar MBP but it would still be an easy choice for me
if I had to get a new machine.

~~~
bbrks
15" rMBP 2013 here. Glad I went for the expensive 16GB option, doing that
seems to have held pace with even today's laptops.

A shame I can't easily put Linux on it though for further longevity.

~~~
schneidmaster
Yep, I went for 16GB and maxed out the processor, very glad as well. The specs
are still well above average for the industry, I don't think I'll replace it
til 2019 barring an accident or whatever.

It's actually really easy to install Ubuntu on a Mac these days, and even
dual-boot. I did it a couple years ago on a small partition for fun. I still
vastly prefer OSX though, and the trackpad drivers are much smoother in OSX.

------
zabana
The choice of laptop will mainly depend on your needs and workflow.

My main machine is an HP Stream 11 2017 edition. It's very small and portable
and has great battery life (I easily get 8.5hours a day out of it).

In terms of specs it's extremely limited, only having 2gb of RAM and all but
because I'm mostly working on remote VPS instances, I don't really feel the
lack of memory.

Oh and I obviously wiped windows and replaced it with xubuntu 16.04.

~~~
yoran
Same here. I vary across distributions, going from OpenSUSE to Ubuntu to
Fedora back to Ubuntu, but XFCE is the only constant there. I spend my day
switching between the command line and a browser so XFCE is just what I need
as a desktop environment.

~~~
houst0n_
My workflow is very similar. I think you might get some benefit from a tiling
wm. I use DWM personally, but you might want to check them out

------
partisan
I am using an MSI Ghost Pro gs63vr for a few reasons:

\- My Macbook Pro (late 2014) was getting just an hour or two of battery life
when running Windows in Fusion. I work in Windows and Linux mostly. I use the
OS X laptop for browsing and iTunes.

\- I needed a good video card for Counter-Strike:GO. I recently started
playing again and the MBP couldn't cut it. It has a 1060 GTX.

\- It has a quad core processor and 16gb of RAM.

\- It is about 4.1lbs and slim.

\- At $1300, it's not a bad deal.

Cons:

\- The screen is washed out since I bought it from Best Buy who apparently
uses a lower quality screen in their build (hence the price).

\- I had to reinstall Windows because the standard installed software was
causing the fans to spin to the point of a high whine. I was getting 1 hour of
battery life out of the box. I now get at least 4.

\- I am not a keyboard geek, but the keys feel smaller or more compressed.
Likely due to the fact that it has a number pad. I wish it didn't have that
and that the keyboard were more spacious. I am still getting used to it, a
month later.

------
bingo_cannon
Dell XPS 9360 13.3" screen \- No Mac policy (Unfortunately I have to use one
at work) \- 4K resolution \- Lightweight, at least as compared to my previous
Lenovo \- Bought the windows edition but put Ubuntu on it. \- Resolution
scales well with Cinnamon. \- Battery life is about 6 hours with IntelliJ,
netty, Postgres running.

~~~
houst0n_
Do you get the coil whine also?

Also 4.10 seems to not work for me? Am I the only one?

~~~
bingo_cannon
I am not sure I understand what you mean by could whine? I did have to replace
my AC adapter because the one in the box would not work any more. Dell shipped
another one out next day.

~~~
houst0n_
Do you not notice a high pitched whining noise whenever doingsomething
graphically intense (lots of output steaming by etc)?

Its a known problem with these laptops and while I'm used to it now, I find it
a bit annoying.

~~~
bingo_cannon
Watching netflix is the most graphically intense thing I do so not really.

~~~
houst0n_
I don't hear it while audio is playing either since it's drowned out -- never
do a build or something and hear it?

It really annoys me, I'm surprised you don't hear it. Maybe not all devices
are susceptible then?

~~~
absove
The XPS 13 looks like the perfect machine for me but all these coil whine
reports scared me away from it. Then I found out a friend of mine bought one
(the XPS 15 though), and when I asked him about it he said he never noticed
anything. I really can't tell if it's only on some machines or if most people
simply don't notice/don't care.

~~~
jeffmama1111
The XPS 15 does not suffer from coil whine. However almost all the XPS 13's
will have it. Some will be quite others will be really loud. Its a gamble and
shame on Dell for not fixing it after so many complaints

------
liquidise
2012 MacBook Air. Best machine i've ever owned. I will keep upgrading it until
someone makes something comparable.

------
pella
I hope I can easily remove my hard disk, and keep my all data in my pocket.

So ( in the future) I never will by a laptop - If I can't remove the hard
disk!

See the current restrictions and image a worst case ... : "UK bans laptops and
tablets on flights from six Middle East countries"
[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/21/uk-set-to-
ban-...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/21/uk-set-to-ban-laptops-
on-flights-from-middle-east-countries)

The old thinkpads Hard Drive replacement was so easy .. ( a single screw ! )
[https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Lenovo+Thinkpad+x230+SSD-
Hard+D...](https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Lenovo+Thinkpad+x230+SSD-
Hard+Drive+Replacement/52758)

------
rocqua
Lenovo thinkpad t460s. I got it in part because of a great deal.

The biggest complaint I have is the screen brightness. Battery life could also
be better. Otherwise, I love the keyboard feel and it feels really solid while
remaining compact and light.

In my research, the real other contenders were the dell xps line or other
thinkpads.

------
baumandm
HP Spectre x360 13" (Late 2016).

It's a two-in-one design and comes with a Kaby Lake Core i7 processor, 16GB
RAM, 512GB SDD, IPS FHD display, and USB-C.

It's incredibly stylish, thin and lightweight. It looks and feels like a
premium machine. Very easy to carry around and use, but still packs a good
amount of processing power. Battery life is pretty good; maybe not the best,
but definitely more than I need. Its tablet/reversible modes are nice to have,
but not something I use often.

Mine is dual-booted with Arch Linux, which was a fairly easy install. Mostly
I'm booted into Linux for development, but sometimes switch over to Windows
for games.

Price was around ~$1300, which I believe is slightly cheaper than the XPS 13.

------
vlod
2012 15inch Macbook pro (retina) i7(2.3GHz quad-core) 256g SSD.

The battery died after 2 years, but since I had that extended warranty it was
covered. The bill would have been $500 otherwise becz it's glued to the screen
(or some such nonsense). Now I'm super paranoid about the battery and leave it
plugged in 90% of the time. Wish I could upgrade the SSD.

Not super impressed by the new mac laptops (really not that big of a
difference for me).

Now thinking of taking the hit and getting a Windows10/Ubuntu desktop (with
maybe 32G/64G memory) with an AMD Ryzen7 and a Nvidia1080. Wish I could get a
mac desktop like that, but given up hope that Apple can pull their finger out.

------
mtw
I use a 2012 MacBook Pro 15". I bought a second hand as it was the last mac
laptop with a nvidia card. Not the fastest but makes a difference for most
machine learning calculations.

It's got 16GB but it's not quite fast enough for my taste. I find myself
waisting time on Twitter or HN when compiling or training models or running
integration tests.

My ideal laptop would be a 13" mac laptop with a 4K screen, a nvidia card with
3GB of ram, 32GB ram and a nice fast 512GB hard drive. Perhaps it can have a
thunderbolt so I can hook up an external 1080 nvidia

Sadly I realize Apple is never going to release such laptops.. I'm describing
a Razr Blade or a DEll XPS :(

~~~
francisperron
I feel the same... Why Apple don't listen to their pro users. I would like to
be able to game, video edit, photoshop and get a decent fps (not doing all
this at the same time).

My ideal MacBook Pro would be a 13" or 15" with retina display, i7 Kaby Lake,
with at least 16gb of ram and a nvidia GTX 970.

~~~
mtw
I'm quite sure we won't get it. Apple is more focused on building iPad for
pros. Sad

------
illwrks
A 7 year old macbook pro... It's a 2010 13inch unibody model, still gets about
5 hours on the original battery. I've upgraded the ram to 16gigs, and put in a
256gig SSD. It runs buttery smooth and is super fast. I'm surprised it has
lasted lasted this long really, my previous macbook pro lasted about 3 years
before the hinge/screen tearing issues started.

I'm not sure what ill move to when this one dies, I'm not i pressed with the
trend of machines not being user serviceable... If i wasn't able to swap parts
out then I'd probably have had to buy a new one a few years back.

------
crowell
2012 Samsung series 9 (15")

I really love my laptop, but it's getting old. I think I'd be happy with
another samsung, but am not totally sure.

Pros:

+Thin + Light/small bezels on the display

+upgradable ram (came with 8gb, I have 16gb in it now).

+great trackpad/keyboard (only now the 'a' key feels weird, but only after 5
years, so I'm not super upset about that).

+Linux support is good (it didn't start out perfect, things like keyboard
backlight only started working like 2-3 years ago, but it's great now).

cons:

-battery life isn't that great. I get a few hours (~2.5-ish? I never checked).

-screen is 1600x900, I'd prefer a 1080p panel. The new ones are 1080p

-ssd is really really slow. like spinning disk slow.

------
billconan
I use a macbook pro 2014 edition.

but I don't do too much development on that machine anymore.

I mostly write c++, I think linux is a better environment for c++ development.

I have also purchased thinkpad carbon 2014 as a linux notebook. I dislike it.

next time, I might try dell xps.

------
uncletaco
Surface Book. The detachable screen sees most of its use in the bathroom.

------
zzleeper
Lenovo X1 Carbon (2015). I switched the hard drive to a 500gb one though
(buying it from them was quite expensive as I recall).

No problems except a stuck key that they changed, not that expensive, and
quite fast.

~~~
girzel
I got one of the newer ones a few months ago, running Arch. It's got great
battery life, very light, pretty powerful. It wasn't the cheapest (I think
around $1,300, can't remember), but I suspect it will last. Only "linux issue"
is that the media keys didn't work out of the box. Actually, I've never gotten
around to figuring out why, maybe I'll do that now.

------
hbcondo714
I purchased a 13-inch HP laptop from Costco[1] recently for $1000. It's 7th-
gen i7, 16gb ram, 256gb ssd and 3200 x 1800 touch display. Battery life could
be better but it's aesthetically pleasing and performs well for mobile and web
app development while also running VMs.

[1] [https://www.costco.com/HP-
ENVY-x360-13-y013cl-13t-Touchscree...](https://www.costco.com/HP-
ENVY-x360-13-y013cl-13t-Touchscreen-2-in-1-Laptop---Intel-Core-i7---
QHD%2b-.product.100317294.html)

------
houst0n_
Latest XPS13 running arch. So far the least annoying setup I've had in recent
memory, having switched from macs (although I've had to stick to 4.9 as 4.10
causes all kinds of issues for me).

Oh, the trackpad is a bit annoying too and often palm detection doesn't work
which makes for some nice random scrolling etc but that's minor to the gripes
I had with OSX.

In the future wish I could have it in the same style body as 'the macbook'
though. Easily my favourite of all lappies I owned from a hw view.

------
pdog
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

With the recent revelations of Windows telemetry[1] spyware, it's worth paying
the premium for an operating system, macOS, that doesn't spy on me.

[1]: [https://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2017/04/micro...](https://arstechnica.com/information-
technology/2017/04/microsoft-opens-up-on-windows-telemetry-tells-us-most-of-
what-data-it-collects/)

~~~
franciscop
I would guess in HN there's a large portion of users that their alternative to
Mac is Linux

------
majewsky
A 2012 Asus Zenbook UX31A. I'm really surprised how strong it is going after
4.5 years, in terms of battery (80% capacity at last full charge) as well as
build quality. (A screw has fallen out at the bottom, but there's 10 of them,
so I'm not particularly worried.) The only thing that bugs me is the non-
upgradeable RAM. I'm stuck at 4 GB. I'll certainly make sure that my next
notebook is more upgradable in that regard.

------
censoredreality
Thinkpad T460p--actually running Windows 10 Pro right now. Superfast, decent
battery life. Could use a slightly brighter display but overall this machine
is great!

------
cmrx64
I use a Surface Pro 3 as my laptop, running Windows. I avoid doing real work
on it though -- not nearly enough memory, terribly slow CPU. I mostly use it
for SSH, IRC, email, and web browsing. Occasionally I'll write some Rust code
on it. I use a custom built desktop with 16GB of RAM and a Xeon E3-1230v2.
Planning on upgrading that to either a Ryzen 1800X or some Naples Point
configuration with at least 32GB of RAM soon.

------
dman
Thinkpad T460 - best laptop ive owned yet. Great keyboard, great battery life,
great linux support out of the box (everything works including suspend
resume).

~~~
someguy101010
I will never use a better keyboard than the thinkpad keyboard, I've even
thought about getting one of these.

[https://images-na.ssl-images-
amazon.com/images/I/41M2TlFPoWL...](https://images-na.ssl-images-
amazon.com/images/I/41M2TlFPoWL._SY300_.jpg)

~~~
kk_cz
unfortunately t460 doesn't have one of these. It has the dreadful chiclet
style keys. Fortunately I use external keyboard most of the time, but in those
moments that I don't I wish the darkest circles of hell upon the genius that
approved this change.

------
dajbelshaw
Dell XPS 13 running Ubuntu 16.04

(Went from 2015 MacBook Pro to Lenovo X220 to this. If the X220 had a higher-
res screen and better GPU I'd have stuck with that...)

------
cjbprime
Assuming you aren't using Macs (because then you'd have little choice to
become paralyzed by), I like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Dell XPS 13.

------
funkaster
Currently, a chromebook pixel 2015 running Debian testing. But today should
arrive my new alienware 13: skylake + gtx1060, oled screen, 250gb ssd boot,
500gb ssd for /home (zfs). I expect to also install debian. I want to play
with cuda on the nvidia gpu and run a few games on windows.

I got an MBP at work bt I really don't like it, it's there only when I need to
compile something for iOS.

------
moolcool
Surface Pro 4. The new line of Macbooks is pretty disappointing, and the
Surface line matches Apple's build quality at a comparable price.

~~~
thearn4
How is the trackpad on the surface pro line compared to Macs? Its something
that I care about now that I never used to until I started using Macs more.

~~~
moolcool
The Mac trackpad is better, but the Surface does have the best trackpad I've
used on Windows. The touchscreen makes up for the difference though.

------
MichaelGG
ThinkPads are the only real option. I can't stand the heat and bad ergonomics
of Apple's stuff (the keyboard is weird, the trackpad feels off, the metal
gets way too hot). And no nipple mouse, if you're into that. And dongles/lack
of ports are silly - I care more about functionality than showing off my
laptop's sleekness.

T series (14") have better keyboards, but the 12" form of the X series is
great. It's mostly a choice of X260 vs T460s (or the x70 models coming out
this month). The X1 is interesting if you wanna look flashy, but lack of user
serviceable parts isn't too attractive.

I usually run my X250 with throttling turned on, and TPFanControl to keep the
temps down so the keyboard stays nice and cool.

Biggest problem: ThinkPad screens suck. The T470s will have a 3K screen so
that might be better than what they've offered before. 16:9 really sucks
though. If they'd just ship a 16:10 or3:2 "Retina" quality screen I'd be so
very happy.

Some people just like Apple's design though. I don't get it but there's no
accounting for taste. So if you can stand the keyboard and heat, go for it?

Edit: ThinkPad service is fantastic. Get the next business day business
warranty. Any hint of something I just call them up and they come out and
replace it all. Excellent.

~~~
unprepare
> I can't stand the heat ... of Apple's stuff

>I usually run my X250 with throttling turned on, and TPFanControl to keep the
temps down so the keyboard stays nice and cool.

How come you are willing to look the other way (even going so far as to
install third party software) when your thinkpad is overheating but not when
its a macbook?

~~~
MichaelGG
I want it cool to the touch, not even warm (that is, what's acceptable to many
people isn't to me). But even on full blast it's not hot like the Macbooks
I've touched. Maybe the metal case?

------
b34r
Unfortunately a new touch bar MBP. I hate it.

~~~
Zlatty
TouchID is the only worthwhile part of the touch bar.

------
gobezu
please don't hit me, but i am on

hp elitebook 8440p 8gb/1tb hybrid ssd, dual boot, ubuntu / win 10, bought it
back in july 2010, runs great, with only disadvantage currently being the
weight, around 2.5kg

i moved to ethiopia with this machine and i am happy i paid the premium price
back then, just one time i cracked the screen and it was within the warranty
period and had a universal coverage so i got it replaced, the local hp rep
though while replacing the screen messed up the one corner near the function
keys of my keyboard, so it is kinda buckled, but all works fine

once or twice a year i get visits from abroad and i test flashy new machines,
and i just can't convince myself to get another one based on what i have seen
this far, it seems only the aesthetics are what is progressing, the new one
looks undoubtedly sexy, and very light weight

but within a year or so, i might have to retire my dear one.

------
gorbachev
I don't use laptops. I use a desktop, because desktops are cheaper than any
comparable laptops. I also don't have any desire to work for my employer
outside of the office, and when I have to they have an awesome VPN / remote
access setup that allows me to connect to my desktop from anywhere.

------
aroman
Whatever the current MacBook Pro is. There are good reasons why it is so
popular among developers and designers.

------
zelon88
I use a 32-bit Dell D620 from 2006 with 4gb of RAM on Lubuntu. I'm so cool I
even have the docking base.

------
dokument
Lenovo Thinkpad X201 with extended battery.

It's cheap, good battery life, durable, does everything I need from a laptop.

~~~
MichaelGG
And the last of the 16:10 screens :(.

------
cookiecaper
I don't make heavy use of my laptop, but I'll chime in here anyway.

Currently, I have a ThinkPad Yoga S1. I got it because it's thin, light, and
powerful and I needed to be able to use it in the field. The multi-mode is
actually a useful feature for me; there are times I need to draw some notes on
it, or prop it up for easier access/viewing. Adaptability like that is a good
feature for my use case.

I like it, but one big warning: keys started falling off the keyboard after a
few months of light use, and required a full keyboard replacement (because
Lenovo doesn't sell individual replacement keys I guess), which Lenovo forced
me to do myself despite having maxed out the warranty options, _including_ on-
site service.

I was annoyed but didn't fight this _too_ much because I assumed it must be
fairly simple if they allow users to do it, and I know that on my other
laptop, the keyboard is the first thing you have to take out. Nope, it's
opposite on the Yoga; you have to take everything, and I mean _EVERYTHING_ ,
out to get to the keyboard, which is at the bottom, not the top.

It turned into a massive timesink, a two-day disassembly and reassembly
project because I didn't want my brand new laptop to have missing screws or
little issues from being reassembled incorrectly. I hate assembling things in
general and prefer to pay someone to assemble my _desktops_ for me, let alone
tiny, ultra-tight contraptions like modern ultrabooks. I still feel like I got
ripped off on that, and I probably won't buy any warranty options from Lenovo
in the future.

Prior to that, I had a System76 17" Bonobo Pro. Basically the polar opposite
of the Yoga. This was the top of the line laptop from System76 at the time.
It's huge and bulky, but I did that on purpose because I wanted the
functionality and the screen space. The build does feel cheap in some places,
but it's held up well now for several years.

Unfortunately, I had a bad experience with System76 when that laptop was just
a couple of days old. The system stopped POSTing and I needed it for an on-
site contracting project that was already underway (that's why I bought it). I
begged them to offer an expedited repair and return process, including
offering to pay extra for it and to pay for expedited shipping both ways, and
they refused to do this. I got the repaired system back 3 weeks later and the
system has always had little quirks and hard locks since.

I have 0 interest in buying from System76 again.

------
Raed667
Lenovo Z510 (i7 4700mq - RAM:8 - Disk 1T SSHD)

I have been using this laptop for around 3 to 4 years now.

Likes:

* Performance (even when using modern apps and games)

* Linux compatibility (I have ran Mint,Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, etc, with almost no problems)

* Good mouse pad

Dislikes:

* Battery is now at 5% of original capacity.

* Plastic is starting to wear-of

* Screen could be better

\---

If they made a modern version, with an upgraded CPU and an SSD, I'd buy it in
a heartbeat

------
einrealist
* maxed out Thinkpad T460p, i7 with four cores, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, Ubuntu - its a Workstation at 14" and I use it for software engineering (JVM stuff, Node), but non-company stuff

* 2016 MBP 15" Retina with i7, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD for software engineering for the company I work for

------
davidw
Dell XPS 13 with xubuntu. Because I've used Linux for the past 20 years and am
not about to stop.

------
brandonmenc
11" MacBook Air - i5, 8 GB, 128 GB, refurb, early 2015.

I intentionally purchased the least powerful Mac available to see if I really
needed the beefed up 17" i7 I was running - turns out I didn't.

70 browser tabs, multiple JetBrains IDEs, driving a big external monitor, and
barely a hiccup.

------
colinbartlett
I use the 12 inch MacBook and love it. It's extremely portable, which is what
I value most. It's still perfectly capable of handling the web development I
do, though I probably wouldn't want to be doing native mobile app development
on it.

------
sundvor
A desktop with six core CPU, lots of memory and a nvme drive, as well as an
ultrawide 3440x1440 34" curved monitor - sandwiched between two 16:10 24s on a
stand.

Because it's fast, and I can organise my editors / visual studio /
environment!

------
_jordan
Lenovo X1 Carbon - 2017 edition

~~~
lothiraldan
Is it working correctly on Linux?

~~~
_jordan
indeed

------
blktiger
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) with Touch Bar.

So far I love the machine - USB-C is the future of computing. I'm sill not
used to the feel of the touchbar when hitting ESC, but I mostly use it as a
desktop with another keyboard anyway.

------
jsudhams
Second hand W520 , Primary mSATA for OS. 2x1TB for Data and VMs, i7 , 32GB
RAM. Bought it for INR 24K. I always by Thinkpad or Lenovo W series in second
hand and upgrade it

------
dsego
13" macbook pro 2016 non-touchbar, reason is MacOS, great trackpad, 16:10
retina screen and it's nicer to hit cmd with my thumb than ctrl with my
pinkie.

------
shanecleveland
You can see what's getting recommended on Reddit:
[http://laptopkarma.com](http://laptopkarma.com)

------
milesdyson_phd
I have an X1 Yoga, it seems fine other than some occasional Bluetooth issues
(which I have experienced in most Lenovo these days).

------
aplkorex
Latest T460S. My first non-Apple laptop in years. Super tiny, super fast and
solid... ESC key. You know, luxuries like that.

------
alphabettsy
13" MacBook Pro - Late 2015

\- Mac OS

\- Battery Life

\- Build, screen, and trackpad quality

\- No Drama or tinkering necessary

\- Great local support for the couple of incidents over the years

------
wink
x230 from 2013 - still best laptop I ever used. I have a T460p here for
testing that I could upgrade to, but apart from the bigger screen everything
feels just a tad worse.

I also have a FSC S710 in active use, but only because it's there and I'm too
cheap to replace it.

------
dest
Dell XPS 13 9443, dev edition (2015)

------
lowry
Dell Latitude e7440. Pretty much similar to Thinkpad T430s, but with a great
FHD screen.

------
wired_devil
Macbook Pro 13 Early 2011. Upgraded to SSD and 8Gb memory. Still works well!

------
znebby
Soon receiving my Razer Blade 2017, upgrading from a Macbook Pro Late 2013.

------
notamy
Dell XPS 9350, Dev. Edition. Love it except for the keyboard.

------
arbuge
I use an HP 8470p with 8GB of memory running Windows XP (intentional refusal
to upgrade to Windows 10). I bought it refurbished off Ebay last year for
slightly less than $200 including free shipping.

~~~
tokenizerrr
Are you looking forward to getting pwned?

------
StopOFlop
Razer blade 2016 with Fedora 25

------
test-accout-0
Thinkpad T470. Great machine.

------
zitterbewegung
13 Inch Macbook Pro Retina 2015

Got it because of the build quality, aspect ratio of the screen, ports and
lightness.

------
calebm
13inch Macbook Pro Retina

------
rajeshmr
13 inch MacBook Air

------
6nf
12" Macbook

------
AnonNo15
MacBook Pro 13'' Late 2013

------
goshx
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013)

Processor: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7

Memory: 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Graphics:

    
    
        - NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB
    
        - Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB
    

I used to love to tinker with different flavors of windows and linux, but it
got to a point where I just wanted "something that works" and I don't have to
bother too much working around incompatibilities and bugs. That's when I
switched to a MacBook Pro. Couldn't be happier. I had the previous 2011
version for two years when I got this one. Still going strong after 4 years
and I don't see any reason to "upgrade" it any time soon. This is my primary
machine for everything.

