DEV Community

Discussion on: Which is the best laptop for developers?

Collapse
 
cdvillard profile image
Charles D. Villard • Edited

There are several articles floating around dev.to on this very topic. I'd definitely recommend that you search them out and give them a read, but they can mostly be summed up as follow:

  • A CPU at most two generations old (i.e.: 6th-generation Intel i5 or i7)
  • At least 8GB of RAM, and more from there if you plan on anything power-intensive
  • At least 256GB of drive space, and more from there if you're dealing with larger files and datasets
  • Any graphics card will do for code, unless you're working with graphics or design applications.
  • Whatever operating system you're most comfortable with working in.

The truth is that it all depends on what you're developing. Front-end web developers technically don't even need what I've prescribed above, but that doesn't mean it's not nice to have. The ultimate goal I would recommend you shoot for is future-proofing. You want a machine that will stick with you, so look for reviews that speak to build quality, and more than just, "It doesn't feel like plastic."

To that end, Apple computers are always a good bet for longevity, but know that you'll be paying the price if something needs to be fixed. Windows and Linux machines are definitely the cheaper route with robust support, but buyer beware; there are a lot of cheap machines out in Big-Box Store World designed for planned obsolescence.