Looking for a laptop for coding

[Guest]

I know this may not be the right place to ask this question but I know this community is visited by lot of developers from around the globe. I want to ask you guys what laptop do you use for your programming requirements. I have a PC where most of my coding takes place but I need a laptop to code when I am travelling to different places. I had a MacBook Pro 2011 which died last week so now I am finding a good laptop that lasts for at least 3 years. I will be installing Linux on my machine so I am also open to buy Windows machines. So far I am loving specs on the Acer Aspire E15 which I found here - Top 8 Best Laptops For Programming of 2017 - A One-Stop Shop Guide but I am worried about its build quality

I want something with good battery life and backlit keyboard. Weight is not a concern to me. I can spend as much as $1500 but I would like to keep costs low.

[Teodor K]

Hey, last year i was looking for a solid and portable laptop with good display which i can use to code and edit photos, while traveling a lot so mainly using DW, LR and PS.

I purchased the Dell Latitude E7270 and i am really really happy with it. It is really portable, has full HD (1920x1080) 12.5" display, you can insert up to 32GB in it (currently mine has 16) and core i5 or i7 processor (depends on the model). Also - the battery life is GREAT - it lasts up to 9 hours!

It doesn't feel cheap as the plastic Acer laptops, as its body is magnesium.

I spent 15 days traveling around in Iceland with it, and couldn't be happier with the choice i made The screen is great both for in and outdoors and because of its size you just put it in your backpack and forget it's there

[Guest]

That laptop looks great. I am also looking for something similar to it but I would like to have a bit larger display. 12" is too small.

[Teodor K]

12.5" or 13" is the perfect size, for traveling light, at least for me And because of the fullHD res, and not some 1200x800 it doesn't really feel small.

The keyboard is full-size as well.

[Guest]

I can take 13" but nothing smaller than that. I just checked other latitude models and I am liking Dell Latitude 7480. It has 14" display and overall it looks decent machine for my requirements .

I am also interested in Lenovo Thinkpads. Do you have any experience with Lenovo laptops?

[Teodor K]

Yes, the other option are the Thinkpad series, T460s for example. These were the other option i was thinking of, but they are not as portable/light as the 12-13 inch Dells.

Thinkpad series are really good choice, if you are not concerned about weight/size

[Guest]

I just came across this Thinkpad - Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon - Full Review and Benchmarks . It seems to be good enough for me but it is quite expensive for the specs it offers. Do you know any good alternatives to it? I'm okay with up to 5 lbs of weight.

[Nancy OShea]

I personally think you get a lot more bang for your buck with Windows PCs than you do with Apple.   My personal favorite is DELL because I've had several over the years and all of them were very durable.

Look at the system requirements for all your most used software. 

Adobe Creative Cloud system requirements

Windows 10 System Requirements & Specifications | Microsoft

Keep in mind that these are minimum recommendations.  Your user experience will be much better with increased CPU speed + RAM + Physical Memory + a good SSD drive + a good graphics card to support everything you use -- Win10, Creative Cloud, DW, Bridge, etc....