this post was submitted on 27 May 2024

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Any suggestions for cheap but decent laptops for coding? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'm currently learning how to code (currently Python, then maybe JavaScript), but I'm not always around my desktop, and learning on my phone is not always an option (also, it can be quite cumbersome at times). Therefore, I'm looking into purchasing a laptop just for learning how to code and stuff.

I don't want to get a Chromebook because I want to be able to wipe the drive and install Linux on it (probably Linux Mint). Maybe it's changed since 2013, but the last time I had a Chromebook, it was a pain in the ass to install even bog-standard Ubuntu on it.

Problem is, I'm also heavily limited by space & budget: no more than 11 in (280 mm) total laptop width and 330 USD base price.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Please forgive me if this is not the right space for this kind of question. Lemme know if it is and I'll delete it. :)

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Used Dell XPS, Thorvalds' own choice of laptop, and often ranked well on iFixIt reparability ratings

I've been using a Dell XPS-15 9560 for over six years now, the keyboard needed to be cleaned after four years and and the charging port needed to be replaced (€10 inc service) recently. The battery no longer lasts 11 or so hours but it lasts 2 or so which I'll take, for about €100 I could replace just the battery.
All of which, for how fast devices tend to break on me, is an incredibly good mileage I'd say!

And oh yeah, whatever Linux I've been distro hopping to has worked swimmingly!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If you can get a metal body laptop, I would suggest you do. Metal chassis with Linux will last a long while. Programming will not take much resources (and if it does, rewrite your code). Since you're into light programming like python any distro would be fine. It feels like the community has somewhat agreed to suggest Linux Mint to new users so I'll support that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Thanks, yeah, metal seems better, but I imagine a metal chassis would be more expensive, so probably out of my price range... And yeah Linux Mint was what I was gonna do. I've heard a lot of good things about that distro in recent months.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Some reason I have Chromebook Lenovo Thinka Pad 11e saved in my notes

Iirc it's something that isn't too difficult to unlock and get Linux on it, otherwise I wouldn't have considered it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Don't Chromebooks require doing "something something chroot" or whatever to get Linux installed on it? Or has that not been the case since 2013? Because my last Chromebook was in 2013 and it was a pain in my (sadly not yet open-source) ass to install and set-up.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Admittedly I've never done it, but my 5mins of LLM'ing said chroot is only needed when keeping chromeOS on the machine side by side.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

keeping chromeOS on the machine side by side.

So, when dual-booting?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Exactly

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Thanks. :)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Asus Vivobook Go 11, width is 279 mm.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Looking it up, that is...not a bad idea.

Thanks, friend.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Stay away from Asus if you value warranty.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Steam Deck. I'm half serious if you got a wireless mini keyboard with touch pad. You can play games on it too BTW ;)

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Lol, that's kind of intriguing honestly. Are Python interpreters even available on whatever fork of Linux that SteamDecks use? Haha.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

steam deck is NOT a proper replacement for a work desktop, ymmv

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

For a desktop yes. You can dock it and forget that it's not a regular Linux desktop. Especially if it means Python and JS, you don't need much power for that.

For a laptop not so much, because you'll need to bring screen+keyboard+mouse and everything to plug them so the portability aspect seriously suffers.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes. Steam Deck is based on Arch linux. I even have PyCharm installed.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

This amuses me.

It doesn't really surprise me, but it does amuse me.

Thank you for brightening up my week a bit. I've had a wisdom tooth removed and have been in a lot of pain, so my past two weeks have sucked.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Refurbished Dell 7390? ~$250 has an 13" display with relatively small bezels. I think if you want it even smaller, you'd need some mini laptop or a tablet or steam deck. But that has other downsides. And having a device with an full-size keyboard is nice if you want to type / code.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Agreed on the benefits of having a full-size keyboard. Alas, 13" is too big. My primary workspace is limited to 11" for the total laptop width (i.e. screen and bezel).

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