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. :)
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!
For Linux I would just find the best ThinkPad within your budget (a used one, in this case)
Thinkpads are not cheap as they have that reputation.
But they have good Linux support
Btw that link has tons of tracking BS in it
That’s one of the most insane links I have ever seen. I’m scared to click it.
But I second a ThinkPad.
Should be the same link without the tracking
You make a great point, but the problem is I’ve looked at a ton of them and they all seem to be too big. I have a very limited primary workspace at only 11 inches and for example the T14 Gen 1 you linked to is 12.95 inches in width.
Oops, I missed that part. There’s the X280 and its predecessors (X270, X260, etc.). The screen is 12.5" so the overall dimensions should be OK.
12.5" is too big. If the screen itself is 12.5", then the total laptop width (if the screen is 16:9) will almost certainly be bigger than that. Like I said, my primary workspace is limited strictly to a max of 11 inches.
…Unless you knew that and I’m completely misunderstanding you. Which, mind you, is definitely a possibility. Lol. So, I’m sorry if that’s the case and I humbly would ask you to elaborate. ;)
FYI 12.5" is the diagonal, it’s going to be much narrower
Probably used is the right answer. Be mindful of battery life and wear.
Used ThinkPad
The good thing about Linux is, it’s not very ressouce demanding. If you pick the xfce version of Mint, you can get away with 4GB of RAM. But you won’t have that much fun coding as soon as you start something more ressource heavy (big data sets, ML, …) so this depends a little in which direction you want to go. However see if you can find something used, preferably something you can open from the back side to upgrade components like SSD and RAM (cheaper than buying higher specs)
getting a small laptop as a dumb terminal and using a cloud server as a more beefy “as needed” machine isn’t a bad option either
ThinkPad, used. Only mainstream brand that cares about Linux.
I found a thinkpad with a radeon GPU for only 200 which was nice.
My ASUS laptop runs Linux well. It was around $800 5 years ago, when I bought it.
I am still using it.
You sure about that?. Where does this myth come from that Lenovo cares about Linux users?
This is exactly the shit that gets me worried about ARM laptops becoming the norm. Obviously, the CPU has ✨full upstream support✨, but what some people seem to forget is that they will likely not support ACPI via Arm System Ready which is exactly how android phones work. (This is the total opposite of what we want btw) So now we will be at the mercy of OEMs releasing blobs or some people will have to spend lots of time creating DTBs for each possible SKU (Snapdragon Elite X’s Linux post even mentions booting with Device Trees, but nobody seemed to notice this for some reason?).
Like, sure, mainline support for the SoC is crucial, but most ARM processors have okayish support, even the mobile chips have say GPU support. The thing is the support of the SoC is only part of the equation when you also have a display, a boatload of controllers for charging, IO, display, etc. etc. that also need to be recognized and supported for the computer to be usable.
I have faith that Dell and Lenovo will offer DTBs for their enterprise devices, since they currently officially support Linux, but for all the other ones, Asus, regular XPS, non ThinkPad Lenovo, Microsoft surface, Samsung, Acer etc. I can almost guarantee they will be troublesome.
I desperately hope to be proven wrong when these laptops get into customers hands, but my hopes are really low.
I have faith
I don’t, linux is niche for these companies, not worth their time/money.
https://ahoneybun.net/blog/Thinkpad-X13s-review/
If you knew how to disable Microsoft Secure feature, maybe you could be competent enough to load Linux on it. But you will now run around calling Lenovo bad for Linux and all that, spreading the myth someone invented like a disease, even though you are the one considering these ARM devices over a proper x86 machine with freedom. Maybe avoid ARM machines for a while, and avoid MS Secure Boot crap?
You’re the one that made the claim that they’re the “only mainstream brand that cares about Linux”. It’s up to you to prove it.
It is proven already. If they do well outside of anomalies you are cherry picking, then you are the one being obtuse. Also the link I provided clearly shows Arm devices can be loaded up with Linux. You are incompetent.
I work in IT and my 4 year old retired Dell 5300 is working just fine. Great form factor as well.
Looking it up, it seems like a delightful little laptop, but it’s too big. It’s got a 13.3 inch screen, and I’m limited to a total laptop width of 11 inches.
I’ve got a Lenovo P11, goes pretty well on a charge, and VSCode is available on android, haven’t used it much as I almost always code at home now.
Oh shit! I didn’t even know VSCode was available for Android. Nice! Thank you!
Edit: Er, nevermind. VSCode is indeed available on Android, but for $12. Ew. Thanks anyway though. :)
That’s fucked up, it was $8AUD when I got it like a year ago. Fuckin corpos and their price hikes.
I was happy to swallow it to code on the go, but I only used it for a few weeks. Sometimes I lay in bed to code though so I can watch TV as well (never mind all the errors I make as a result).
Honestly, why should it be paid at all when it’s free on desktop? That doesn’t make sense to me.
The screen is measured diagonally.
The screen width won’t be 13 inches.
Not the screen width. The laptop width. The total space I have to work with is exactly 11 inches wide.
(I didn’t have a ruler, so I used a 3-hole punch, which has the zero point in the center, and spreads out 5½ inches in each direction, resulting in a total width of 11 inches.)
The laptop won’t be 13.3 inches either.
if you can compromise on the width, a used thinkpad t480 is under budget, upgrade-able, works fine with any linux and is plenty good enough to do what you need.
It’s probably best to limit yourself to a used laptop.
Reading and writing code is nothing more than reading and writing text, and for that you don’t need a fancy gpu or screen.
What I would recommend you look for in a laptop is
- an SSD instead of an HDD
- more cpu cores (at least 4 cores)
- more memory (RAM) (at least 8GB, preferably 16GB+)
More memory and cores will help you with compiling and running your code.
And make sure you take regular backups! You never know when your disk will fail.
Also make sure to check linux compatibility before you buy. Laptops used to be a pain (10+ years ago), and it’s gotten a lot better, but it’s not always perfect. Just search for “[brand] [model] linux” or try to find the model on the archlinux wiki.
Well, just for learning coding on Linux OP wouldn’t need 16GB.
I feel people used to having more RAM always recommended insane amounts of RAM. 4 GB gets you by running a browser or PDF viewer with a code editor, 8 or more GB is recommended IMO.
an SSD instead of an HDD
I’d rather search for upgradeability, i.e., non-soldered RAM, easy access to HDD, maybe replace the optical drive with an HDD caddy, etc…
is nothing more than reading writing text
Unless you’re compiling rust.
- Mic drop *
More memory and cores will help you with compiling and running your code.
Have you even read my comment?
Whooosh!
Sound of a joke passing over you
Thank you for being thorough! I appreciate the advice! :)
You’re welcome!
I’m sorry that I don’t have any advice for a specific laptop, but it seems others are helping with that already.
Used latitude.
I picked up a used Latitude 7300 (I think?) last year and am quite happy with it. I appreciate that I can replace the ram and ssd myself for repair / upgrade.
I’m running Mint on it and haven’t noticed any problems.
I have an 8 year old Acer aspire and it works great for coding. I’ve learned a lot about both of those languages with zero worries and recently moved the OS over to nix with excellent results.
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.
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).
Buy an old thinkpad from craigslist. The one I’m using is from 2011 and is perfectly sufficient tech-wise. I’ll have to replace it soon, but only because it’s falling apart.
I recommend the Thinkpad yoga 11e, which is their education edition. They’re out of stock at the moment, but they’ll come back soon. They always do. It’s an 11 inch laptop with a flip around touch screen and integrated stylus. Works perfectly with Linux. It’s not super fast, but it’s under 300 dollars new. And it’s made for kids so it’s durable. I have one and I love it. You can get one used if you like, but at that point you’re probably better off with an older model.
TIL old ThinkPads were all made for kids.
Yeah get a used laptop. Anything used in good condition is way better than new at the same or often twice the price.
Chromebooks are bad, but they run Coreboot. With MrChromebox and Chrultrabook you can get a normal Coreboot BIOS on there and run any Linux distro.
But they are often not repairable and have extremely limited storage and RAM. Also finding info on many of them is horrible.
