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What laptop do you use for programming and content creation?

I'm planning to get a new laptop and am curious about what your setup is. For various reasons I've decided against a mac. I want to keep my laptop at least for 5 years (the one I am typing this on is 9 years old, and it has served me well).

I need to be able to repair it myself, upgrade it myself (hence no macs). I'm planning to do dual-boot, mainly working on Ubuntu with fall back on windows. I don't care about video games but I do care about video creation. Would like to keep it within 2.5k USD, max 15.6 in screen.

Any recommendations? What brands/models do you use? I'm leaning towards Thinkpad P1 but not decided

on August 29, 2020
  1. 3

    I just got a XPS 9500 myself. Metal chassis, thin bezel screen, stylish, with upgradeable ram / ssd. Even has two slots for ssds.

    Currently running Linux mint on it and have 32gb of ram on the way to upgrade it.

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      Using XPS too, but 9360. Running for 3.5 years and only thing I need to replace is the battery.
      If not MBP, the best option is XPS. ThinkPad is good too, but it's big and heavy

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    If you are into programming, can't recommend enough of Thinkpad series.

    Never used a Mac till now. Bought Acer predator helios 300 in 2017 and it is still going strong, everything is smooth and I can game on it too. I have had good experience with Dell vostro and inspiron series too which I used to use during my college days.

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      Any particular thinkpad model you can recommend?

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        T series, T489, 490

  3. 1

    I use a MacBook Pro for programming and content creation. It's the perfect computer for me because it's lightweight and powerful. https://inshotapk.in/

  4. 1

    I am using a dell laptop N- Series (7110) and I am very comfortable to use this laptop.

  5. 1

    you can try X Series.... or XPS etc.

  6. 1

    Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the best laptop for programing. It is last longer, durable, portable and easy to carry. It has a sleek and ergonomic design that attract the user. You can get it on https://techconsumptions.com/best-laptops-for-programming/

  7. 1

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  8. 1

    I am using a dell laptop and I am very comfortable to use this laptop you can click here to learn about some laptop settings.

  9. 1

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  10. 1

    I have a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 12 that I bought for $100 at my local pawn shop because the touchpad driver wasn't working so they thought the touchpad was broken.

    At the time I was getting into Ubuntu so I installed Ubuntu as the primary OS and to this day it is my favorite laptop, tied with my surface laptop 3 (I have a lot of laptops, it's an addiction).

    Something that I've learned throughout my laptop addiction, you can never go wrong with a thinkpad (modular and upgradable, they stand the test of time, and the mouse click buttons above the touchpad are so much more helpful than you would ever think).

    I also have a laptop that was roughly $1,600, and ASUS {something} Pro 15. It is bulky, it has an outdated appearance, when it does powerful things - the fan lets you know. The fact that I can't remember the model name right now is just a testament to how little I've used it because it was supposed to be my primary machine before I found the ThinkPad.

    I really love my surface laptop 3 but I would prefer a 360 degree hinge and more modularity. With that being said - go for the ThinkPad. The model doesn't even really matter very much because they're so modular. I'm assuming you know what you need in terms of specs. I wouldn't take anything less than 8 gigs of RAM minimum but of course 16 or 32 is ideal. Make sure you have an SSD for your primary / OS drive. You won't be disappointed.

    Last thing I have to mention, my think pad is several years older than my surface laptop. My surface laptop is cutting edge, my ThinkPad is something that people would probably consider a novelty because of the 360 degree hinge. When I'm about to sit down and code for a few hours, it's never an easy decision to pick one or the other and the surface laptop cost s $1,300 more than the ThinkPad cost me. Just some food for thought.

  11. 1

    For Windows I would choose either a Dell XPS or if you don't mind the premium a MSFT Surface. It got the nice touch screen/tablet capability. ThinkPads are in my opinion better fitted for pure business boomers. The bulky oldschool plastic design is awful, looks cheap and crappy even if it's not.

    In general I would recommend MacOS for development heavy work because you get a nice native terminal there and many design related apps are MacOS focused.

  12. 1

    Definetly a Mac. Much more focused on creative tools.

  13. 1

    System76 Lemur Pro. Just got one (coming from a mac). I don't think I will ever be going back.

  14. 1

    I only recommend Mac's

    1. 1

      Thank you, but I don't want a Mac. They can't be repaired or upgraded without going to the Apple store, they don't have good port selection etc. There are windows laptops these days that can match or better a Mac, and are cheaper.

  15. 1

    I use the Lenovo Flex 14 with a Ryzen 7 and Vega 10 Graphics + 512GB SSD

    It works like a charm 😄

  16. 1

    I just got myself a Thinkpad P53 and it's an absolute beast. Highly recommended.

    1. 1

      That must be pretty heavy to carry? :)

  17. 1

    You have just given me content idea for my blog laptopsguide.com I will consider writing something about laptops for programming and content creation. But on the surface, i think a laptop for a programmer requires more horsepower (processing speed), more or less like a gamers' laptop. This is because of the demanding nature of the Apps being built nowadays.

    For content creation, unless it video, a mid-range laptop can handle. Thus a combination of the two will depend largely on your ability too. As in what is your price range, what are you willing to give for stellar performance.

    I know i have talked a lot of "theory" with no specific answer to your question. But it is because i dont want to recommend any brand / Specs without succint reasons.

    I will be back with exactly that :-)

  18. 0

    MacBook Pro 2019 15" :)

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    This comment was deleted 6 years ago

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    This comment was deleted 6 years ago

    1. 4

      Thank you for taking the time to reply.

      As I mentioned in the post, I'm done with Macs. They are good machines, but I can't repair or upgrade. Also it is pathetic that Apple refuses to include any meaningful ports, for no reason. It is insulting that after spending 3-4k on a laptop, we can't even upgrade the SSD. Plus, windows machines have gotten a lot better in the recent years, there are many windows laptops that are on par or better with Macs, at cheaper prices!

      I haven't looked at X390, but it looks like it is a 13 inch laptop? How is the thermal, fan noise like?

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        This comment was deleted 6 years ago

        1. 1

          ok, thank you. I am looking at P1, will check out the X series too