Seeking Laptop Recommendations for Programming: Which Laptop Should I Choose?

Shopify Discussion
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Hello fellow programmers,

I want to shop a new laptop specifically for programming purposes, and I would greatly appreciate your recommendations and insights. With numerous options available, it can be quite challenging to find the ideal laptop that meets my programming needs. I’m hoping the community can help me make an informed decision by sharing their experiences and suggestions.

To provide you with more context, here’s some information about what I’m looking for:

Budget: Under 90K

Programming Languages and Tools: HTML, CSS, Java script, Java, Python and many more.

Performance Requirements: Ram Should 8 gab and storage should be 1 TB SSD

While I primarily intend to use the laptop for programming tasks, I also value factors such as build quality, keyboard comfort, display quality, battery life, and overall usability. It would be beneficial to find a intel evo laptop that strikes a balance between performance and practicality.

To kick off the discussion, here are a few questions:

What laptops have you found to be particularly suitable for programming tasks?

Do you have any positive experiences or recommendations for specific brands or models?

Are there any essential features or specifications I should prioritize for a smooth programming experience?

Are there any specific considerations for different programming languages or tools that I should be aware of?

Please feel free to share your personal experiences, insights, and any relevant benchmarks or reviews. Any advice or recommendations you can provide would be immensely helpful in guiding my decision.

Thank you!

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Hi there!

That’s a good question. I’ve been struggling with the same topic for a while and I think that I finally found a good machine or machines to work with.

I mainly code in Java, TypeScript (react,node,vuejs) and Python. On my case I needed a laptop that could offer me nice balance between RAM, GPU and CPU for pen testing and of course to handle my IDES which can consume quite a lot of memory.

During my “search” I bought a Surface Pro because of its mobility and it’s easy to transport. Mac Book with Intel processor due to how stable it is, Acer laptop because it has dedicated GPU(Nvidia) which is needed for some pen testing tools.

Long story short, I ended up buying a LeNovo ThinkPad X1 (14’) and Mac Book M1 Pro. I use both laptops to code and study security. Why?

ThinkPad X1 (32GB RAM, 2TB SSD, Intel Graphics GPU):

  • In my opinion the ThinkPad has a better keyboard feeling when you type than Mac
  • It’s lighter and easier to travel with(accepts a SIM or e-SIM card)
  • It’s touch screen, it helps to scroll sometimes or work with diagram flows when I don’t feel like using a mouse or touch pad
  • I can use as many VMs as I want (because it has intel inside) :heart_eyes:

Mac Book Pro M1 (16GB RAM, M1 Max, 1TB SSD):

  • Extremely stable and the shortcuts help a lot
  • Syncs with my phone
  • With only 16GB of RAM it can handle a lot, I mean like opening IntelliJ + Visual Studio Code + 3 browsers + build something in the background

Since a lot of tools and resources are available on the web, I just switch between my laptops accordingly to what I need to accomplish and it has been working for me for the last 2 years.
This is my experience trying to pick a good machine to work with. I hope it helps a little bit on your decision. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I think the Asus Zenbook 13 would be a perfect laptop for Shopify programming.

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Navigating the sea of laptops to find the perfect one for programming can indeed be daunting. Given your requirements—especially the emphasis on RAM, storage, and the Intel Evo platform—I’d suggest looking at models known not just for their raw performance but also for aspects critical to programmers like keyboard comfort, display clarity, and battery longevity.
Interestingly, while your focus is on programming, the criteria you’ve outlined share much with those considered for graphic design. This overlap means that laptops highlighted in guides like Best Laptops for Graphic Design could offer valuable insights. These laptops are selected for their powerful specs, which cater well to software development environments and coding tasks, in addition to their superior build quality and ergonomics.