What To Look For In A Coding Laptop
Did you just graduate from your coding bootcamp and now have to return your loaner laptop? Does your Dell from 2011 take ages just to load your email? It might be time to shop for a new laptop.
There are many things that make a laptop good or bad for your programming needs. These are the biggest factors to consider.
Mobility
If you’re on the go a lot and find yourself often working in public work spaces or coffee shops, having a smaller, lighter laptop can be attractive. A more portable laptop will fit into backpacks easier and take up less room on a desk or table so you can keep your notebook out and your coffee cup a safe distance away. There’s also a certain elegance to a thin laptop if you’re into that. However, you may be sacrificing screen space and often times horsepower, since packing the same hardware into a smaller space requires more R&D from the manufacturer which translates to more dollars from your pocket.
If you’re at home mostly and only take your laptop on the go occasionally, a larger laptop offers better power for your dollar. If you’re also going to be using your laptop for video games, this may be your only option. Of course, the extra bulk and weight (some laptops can be over 15 lbs) may turn off some people.
Screen real-estate is vital for programmers, whether you’re comparing multiple columns of code while typing into your terminal or designing your mockup webpage. One popular solution to having a portable laptop with a small screen is having a monitor at home or at work that you can plug into.
Power
The main hardware specs to look for on a coding laptop is CPU, RAM, and hard drive space.
The strength of a laptop’s CPU determines how fast it thinks. This affects the speed at which your code compiles and executes, and how fast your webpages are displayed, so long as your internet connection can keep up. As the “brain” of your laptop, a solid CPU is crucial to having a smooth work experience. I suggest an Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 bare minimum, an i7 or Ryzen 7 being even better. It’s also good to know the generation of the CPU, since a 10th generation i5 can outperform an 8th generation i7. If you can find your laptop detailed specs, it can be handy to look up CPU benchmarks a la userbenchmark.
RAM is equivalent to “working memory.” More RAM allows you to have more programs open at the same time, useful for when you have your main VS Code project open, five more VS Code projects open for reference, several Chrome windows with dozens of Stack Overflow and w3schools tabs each, and Spotify going on. You probably have a task to do in Reactor, too. 8 GB is a good start, but if you’re tab hungry in Chrome like I am, you really should go for 16 GB.
Finally, hard drive space is equivalent to “deep memory,” allowing you to store more/larger files. Have many many coding projects? Trying to integrate movies into your website? Saving your puppy pictures? The larger hard drive, the better. Also, there are two main types of hard drives, SSD’s and HDD’s. HDD’s are your old school drives with internal spinning plates, while SSD’s are the new hotness. They last longer, are more impact-durable for when you’re tossing your backpack around, and are much, MUCH faster for file reading, such as opening your coding project or starting up your laptop. It can be the difference between your laptop taking 2 minutes to start and 12 seconds. Of course a SSD is pricier per GB than a HDD, but for me, there is no debate; a SSD is mandatory. It doesn’t have to be huge, 256-512 GB should be fine. If you need more space than that but are on a budget, you can get a small SSD (128 GB) AND a decent HDD (1 TB+) if your laptop supports two drives.
Battery life is also a big factor; you can’t always expect to charge your laptop in public. A larger/stronger laptop will drain your battery faster, so expect to spend more time plugged into an outlet or pay for a larger battery capacity.
Comfort/Usability
A nice keyboard and touchpad can make all the difference in the world. After all, this is the main way you are interfacing with your code. Though I’ve grown up with PC, I’ve recently grown attached to the feel of a Macbook keyboard and touchpad, and gotten used to the keyboard shortcuts. However, I also like being able to use a mouse, and in my experience, Macs are pickier with which wireless devices are compatible.
If your work involves UI/UX design, a touchscreen that can accept a stylus may be desirable.
It’s also important to know the ports that will be on your laptop. If you have a Macbook air, you may need a special USB-C to HDMI adapter cable if you want to hook it up to a monitor. You also won’t be able to use a traditional USB 2.0/3.0 thumb drive. Make sure the laptop you decide on has suitable ports for your peripherals, or you may need special adapters/dongles, and let’s be honest, that’s no fun.
Operating System
Besides familiarity of use, the operating system can affect build quality, accepted peripherals, and the shell. Many modern programming practices assume a UNIX-based OS/shell, which means you are safer OS-wise getting a Mac or Linux machine. The good news is Linux is easy to install on either Mac or Windows, and Windows is fairly easy to install on a Mac, but MacOS is notoriously difficult to install on a Linux/Windows machine. If your company tells you which one to use, well, that’s one decision less you have to make. Conformity makes for a streamlined workforce after all.
The search for your perfect laptop should be fun and exciting. Review the specs and get a feel for the construction, and you will be content with your investment. Happy hunting!
