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Home » Community » Coffee corner » Help me buy a notebook!
Help me buy a notebook! [message #37914] Fri, 23 November 2012 00:33 Go to next message
lectus is currently offline  lectus
Messages: 329
Registered: September 2006
Location: Brazil
Senior Member
Hi!
I want to buy a notebook for coding.
I have no experience with them.
What are the good brands?

Any help is welcome! This will help me code in U++ when I'm out of home. Very Happy
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37920 is a reply to message #37914] Fri, 23 November 2012 12:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Tom1
Messages: 1212
Registered: March 2007
Senior Contributor
Hi,

The generally annoying thing with notebooks is that the touchpad tends to pick up tracking from the palm and cause the caret to jump off the line you're typing, consequently messing up the text. It may be a good idea to test this issue before buying.

Can't really RECOMMEND anything, since nothing really compares to desktop comfort... but I use Toshiba for fieldwork because that brand has given me least trouble over the last twenty years. I will never buy another Dell or Acer.

I would love to get a Panasonic Toughbook CF 31 or 53, but I spend most of my time in the office using desktop PC, so Toughbooks are too expensive per hour of use for me.

Best regards,

Tom
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37932 is a reply to message #37914] Sat, 24 November 2012 04:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Novo is currently offline  Novo
Messages: 1358
Registered: December 2006
Ultimate Contributor
It depends on the amount of money you want to spend. U++ and TheIDE will work fine even on very old laptops Smile

Every brand has professional and amateur series. Almost all laptops are using same CPUs, have same amount of RAM, have similar hard drives ... The difference is qualiy and size of screen, keyboard, quality of build, and your personal preferences.

If you need to use tools like profilers, then Intel is not your friend. Get a CPU from AMD and you will get a free profiler as a bonus. In case of Intel profiler will cost you a couple of hundred bucks.

There are other things to consider. Just make your own list.

If you have enough money, then buy a professional notebook like Lenovo ThinkPad. Get a mate screen, a lot of RAM, probably, a second hard drive instead of a DVD drive, good graphics card ...

If you are not ready to spend that much money, then decide what you are ready to sacrifice ... Just do not buy a laptop with bad keyboard. Smile


Regards,
Novo

[Updated on: Sat, 24 November 2012 04:20]

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Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37938 is a reply to message #37932] Sat, 24 November 2012 11:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mirek is currently offline  mirek
Messages: 13975
Registered: November 2005
Ultimate Member
Novo wrote on Fri, 23 November 2012 22:17

It depends on the amount of money you want to spend. U++ and TheIDE will work fine even on very old laptops Smile



I have to disagree a bit here. Surely U++ is fine on about anything you can buy today, but to do real development, you need raw CPU power for large recompiles.

Personally I am using this beast (since 5/2011)

http://www.alza.cz/hp-pavilion-dv7-6050ec-d227193.htm

which in fact is not even originally intended for my needs (it is multimedia machine), but at the time it gave me the best performance for the money. I have upgraded it to 8GB at purchase and recently I have only replaced HDD with SSD. I think the keyboard is starting to fail (and does not have the best layout), but otherwise I am quite happy with it. I plan to replace it with a new machine before 2 years warranty expires, hopefully there will be some reasonable Haswell available already...

Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37942 is a reply to message #37938] Sat, 24 November 2012 12:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dolik.rce is currently offline  dolik.rce
Messages: 1789
Registered: August 2008
Location: Czech Republic
Ultimate Contributor

mirek wrote on Sat, 24 November 2012 11:33

Novo wrote on Fri, 23 November 2012 22:17

It depends on the amount of money you want to spend. U++ and TheIDE will work fine even on very old laptops Smile

I have to disagree a bit here. Surely U++ is fine on about anything you can buy today, but to do real development, you need raw CPU power for large recompiles.

I agree with Novo Smile The most important for me is how the computer "fits me", I spend great amount of time with it, so I prefer the comfortable usage before power.

Two years ago, when I was buying my current computer, I decided that I've had enough of carrying a big heavy laptop everywhere and I bought 11" netbook with Intel Atom cpu and only 1GB of RAM, but it is light and has great battery time. I still use it for my everyday coding and even occasionally for work (when I'm working from home and I'm lazy to bring the big company laptop Smile ).

At work I work on some dell with i7 and 8GB RAM and I honestly don't know what to do with all that power... The only reasonable usage I found for it was to create a tmpfs (ramdisk), put all U++ sources and build U++ debs completely in RAM Smile

Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37954 is a reply to message #37938] Sat, 24 November 2012 19:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Novo is currently offline  Novo
Messages: 1358
Registered: December 2006
Ultimate Contributor
mirek wrote on Sat, 24 November 2012 05:33

I think the keyboard is starting to fail (and does not have the best layout), but otherwise I am quite happy with it.


Smile
Well, keyboard seems to be the most important thing in laptops for developers. Lenovo ThinkPad used to have a good one.


Regards,
Novo
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37957 is a reply to message #37914] Sat, 24 November 2012 21:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
bushman is currently offline  bushman
Messages: 134
Registered: February 2009
Experienced Member
I agree with Tom1:

Quote:

The generally annoying thing with notebooks is that the touchpad tends to pick up tracking from the palm and cause the caret to jump off the line you're typing, consequently messing up the text


Somebody recommended Toshiba? Never, ever again! I had one that needed its cooler replaced twice a year!

Be careful when buying DELL, too! Some models come with a ROM line memory embedded in the power source adapter, which sends a signal to your motherboard indicating it's an original Dell part, under the excuses that this is to make sure you use only DELL adapters, for the sake of the integrity of your own notebook "of course!", if you grasp the irony. So far so good, if it weren't for the fact that that memory chip fries about every half an year of fair use, your notebook consequently does not recognize the adapter as a legitimate Dell power source and the only solution is to buy another brand new Dell adapter, or your notebook battery will never recharge again!

Mirek's HP seems all right. I've had one and no complaints.

Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37960 is a reply to message #37957] Sun, 25 November 2012 03:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
nlneilson is currently offline  nlneilson
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The touchpad is a nuisance but can be turned off.
Wireless mouse is a must have.

I have 4. Up-grade every few years but still have the others.

17 in screen quad core to 12 in tablet.

Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37961 is a reply to message #37960] Sun, 25 November 2012 03:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Novo is currently offline  Novo
Messages: 1358
Registered: December 2006
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nlneilson wrote on Sat, 24 November 2012 21:09


Wireless mouse is a must have.



IMHO, this is a matter of your personal preferences. Some people never use mouse (well, almost never). Transition from a classic desktop keyboard to notebook's one can be a painful process. But it never was a problem for those, who were using vi. Smile


Regards,
Novo
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37966 is a reply to message #37960] Sun, 25 November 2012 13:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mirek is currently offline  mirek
Messages: 13975
Registered: November 2005
Ultimate Member
nlneilson wrote on Sat, 24 November 2012 21:09

The touchpad is a nuisance but can be turned off.
Wireless mouse is a must have.



Mouse is a must have, but I personally prefer things wired. I hate to care about binding/charging (ok, perhaps I was just fried in the past with some bad products).

Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #37998 is a reply to message #37914] Tue, 27 November 2012 15:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lectus is currently offline  lectus
Messages: 329
Registered: September 2006
Location: Brazil
Senior Member
Thanks guys!

I bought my new laptop.

I have a question for you who have experience with this:
Does installing Linux if the notebook came with Windows make me lose the warranty?
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38006 is a reply to message #37998] Wed, 28 November 2012 07:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dolik.rce is currently offline  dolik.rce
Messages: 1789
Registered: August 2008
Location: Czech Republic
Ultimate Contributor

lectus wrote on Tue, 27 November 2012 15:43

Does installing Linux if the notebook came with Windows make me lose the warranty?

It should not, but it probably depends a lot on your local law Wink I have been using warranty repair services from MSI with my linuxified machine and they were totally cool with it... I wouldn't let them boot an OS on it anyways - I always put a password on bootloader before sending in, it is none of their business Wink

Honza
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38055 is a reply to message #37998] Thu, 29 November 2012 11:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
nlneilson is currently offline  nlneilson
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There should not be a problem running Ubuntu, no need to go through the partition bs. Download the ISO and wubi in the same directory, then run wubi. Make sure to get the correct ISO, 32 0r 64 bit. If you run wubi over the .net you may get the wrong one, it happened before.

What brand and model did you get?
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38056 is a reply to message #37966] Thu, 29 November 2012 11:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
nlneilson is currently offline  nlneilson
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mirek:
The newer wireless mice are plug and play, no hassles.
Each comes with it's own receiver, no interference with others.
I have one for a desktop and two for notebooks, no problems.
The last two I got were about $10 each.

No hassles with charging, just replace the AA battery, they last a long time.
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38348 is a reply to message #37966] Wed, 12 December 2012 00:46 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lectus is currently offline  lectus
Messages: 329
Registered: September 2006
Location: Brazil
Senior Member
mirek wrote on Sun, 25 November 2012 07:53

nlneilson wrote on Sat, 24 November 2012 21:09

The touchpad is a nuisance but can be turned off.
Wireless mouse is a must have.



Mouse is a must have, but I personally prefer things wired. I hate to care about binding/charging (ok, perhaps I was just fried in the past with some bad products).




I don't like replacing batteries too.

I prefer my mouse to get replaced ONLY when they break.

Laughing
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38436 is a reply to message #38348] Sat, 15 December 2012 17:27 Go to previous messageGo to next message
nlneilson is currently offline  nlneilson
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All the hassles with the mouse cord is eliminated with the wireless. Tangled cords, the wind up doesn't work or will not stay in the extended position, etc..

Replacing the battery every month or so is a big chore.
Flip the cover open, pull the strap to remove the battery and replace.

Fry's has them now for $6.99.
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38480 is a reply to message #37914] Thu, 20 December 2012 02:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
lectus is currently offline  lectus
Messages: 329
Registered: September 2006
Location: Brazil
Senior Member
What's the best policy for notebook batteries?

1) Should I leave the battery in when connected to the AC?
2) Should I remove the battery after I turn off the notebook to put it back in the backpack?

Sorry for the noob questions. This is my first notebook.
Re: Help me buy a notebook! [message #38483 is a reply to message #38348] Thu, 20 December 2012 06:12 Go to previous message
nlneilson is currently offline  nlneilson
Messages: 644
Registered: January 2010
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What brand and model Notebook did you get?

Leave the battery in the Notebook. The charging is regulated

lectus wrote on Tue, 11 December 2012 15:46


I don't like replacing batteries too.

I prefer my mouse to get replaced ONLY when they break.



It seems strange you would consider changing the battery in a wireless mouse to be a problem then even consider removing and reinstalling the battery in a Notebook. The manual that came with it probably says you can leave it in.
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