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So I often get asked what the best computer for doing software development is and I kind of hate that question because the answer is it depends. Are you only going to use it for software development? What else do you want to do on it? What operating system do you want? What kind of development are you going to be doing? So ya. It depends and arguably you could do development from just your phone. Nothing special needed. However, I will do my best to make a top 5 list of best laptop choices for software development (in no particular order).
MacBook Pro 16”
Okay so this is a hot topic but I love using a MacBook for development. I’ve been using them for years and never had issues. It’s also a must-have if you are doing ruby development as you may run into issues with it on a PC. I actually just bought this computer for myself this year.
I went with the 16“ because I like as much screen as I can get! You can never have too much real estate when developing especially for web developers. I also got it because it came standard with the M1 Pro chip which you need if you want to natively support multiple external screens and I have 2.
if you want to natively support 2 external monitors you will need to at least go with the 14“ MacBook pro there are external devices like this one or this one you can get with the 13” MacBook Pro or 2022 MacBook Airs without the pro chip but its another external item you need to get that can be pricey.
If you are looking to do App development and want to support apple devices an iMac or MacBook Pro will be a must-have as you need them to compile your apps and release them to the store. If you are a game engineer the screens on the MacBooks are incredible and with the new M1 chips (or M2 depending on which you go with) you shouldn’t have any issue with processing power although they may run a little hot. I also get the higher RAM and storage because I would rather have more and not need it than need it but not have it.
One thing to note this year (and 2022/2023 models) is they made them significantly thicker and heavier so its something to keep in mind if that is a big deal for you
also using this link will save you at least $300 at the time of posting :)
Pros:
- fast
- reliable
- great operating system that integrates with other apple devices
- great Display
Cons
- HEAVY
- have to spend more for the M1 pro chip if you want to natively support multiple external screens
Acer Predator Triton 500 SE
If you are leaning more towards a pc the Acer Predator Triton 500 SE is a great choice. I love this laptop because is a beast and still portable. It is a great laptop for traveling because you can do work and gaming on the laptop. If you want a lot of power in a small laptop this is a great choice. The screen is also amazing. It also has plenty of processing power for the game developers and a great screen for them to work on. If you are doing .NET development (not core but anything other than core) you will want to opt for a PC as you won’t be able to do it on a mac. Again I opt for the higher ram and if possible get more storage. I also opt for the 3080 instead of the 3070 because I use it for gaming and would rather have the power than not. It is also usually in stock while the 3070 can be hard to find. The extra power is also a must if you are going to be doing game development or video processing.
Pros:
- fast
- can be used for gaming
- powerful
- great option for .Net developers (not using core)
- great graphic card
- good amount of storage
Cons
- shorter battery life than others
- 16” can be big for some people
- heavier than others
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15
This is actually the current laptop that I have as my travel laptop. It is such a beast of a computer for a great price. It isn’t too heavy and has enough power for gaming as well as web development. If you want the best screen around this isn’t the best choice you get a lot for your money with this laptop. You get a great amount of storage and RAM in a small laptop for around $2000. I have last years’ version and since then they have unfortunately raised the prices I think due to the expense of the new graphics cards but I still think this years’ is a great choice for a great price. They do have a cheaper option with a 3060 instead of a 3070 personally I think it’s worth the extra for the better graphics card but I also play some graphics-intensive games. Again if you are doing .NET development (not core but anything other than core) you will want to opt for a PC as you won’t be able to do it on a mac.
Pros:
- fast
- can be used for gaming
- powerful
- great option for .Net developers (not using core)
- good graphics card
- good amount of storage
- affordable (especially the 3060 option)
Cons
- shorter battery life than others
- heavier than others
- some people complain about the backlight on the keyboard
Dell XPS 15
If you are a .Net developer or work in a PC shop you will most likely have used this before or may currently be using it. Say what you will about dell but I never had issues developing on an XPS. They are a super solid option if you are doing web development as they are plenty powerful but don’t have all the bells and whistles that you pay extra for in other computers. I don’t think they are the best option for gaming devs or people who want to also use their laptops for gaming but if you just want to use your computer for development this is a very solid option and a total powerhouse for the money.
Pros:
- fast
- reliable
- great option for .Net developers (not using core)
- lots of storage for the money
- good processor for the money
- can be upgraded
- very portable
Cons
- not great for gaming
- cooling isn’t great
- CPU throttles pretty quickly
Lenovo ThinkPad P15s Gen 2
This a great very portable option. They are lighter than a lot of the other computers mentioned. They aren’t a powerhouse like the previously mentioned laptops but unless you are needing a lot of processing power (game development, gaming, video editing, big data processing (I don’t know why you’d do this on a laptop)) you don’t need it. This option is more affordable and still very nice
Pros:
- affordable
- nothing more than you need
- very light and portable
- good option for .Net developers (not using core)
- good storage
- durable
- can be upgraded
- battery life
Cons
- not for gaming
- looks kind of old (still has the mouse in the center of the keyboard)
- cooling isn’t great
I hope this helps you when deciding on your next laptop you really can’t go wrong with any of the options just keep in mind the type of development you want to do and what else you may want to do on the laptop.
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