OT: Linux laptops for coding apps?

[Tony T]

I built a Hankintosh, as a cheap portable I wouldn't care if lost/broken. Not worth it for a home laptop or development environment (anyway, OP wants to dabble in Lynx)

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by ojingoh

Get a MacBook. Windows Subsystem for Linux is great, but yeah if you need SSH or just Unix compatibility it's the obvious answer. I don't see a lot of Pixelbooks out there. I wish more vendors would create 3:2 screens though - less scrolling.

Read this article https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonev.../#5ae046217e1e

[45K10]

Thanks for input, I really appreciate it!

[Tony T]

Originally Posted by MikeD

Read this article https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonev.../#5ae046217e1e

Didn't know that, thanks for posting.

[MattTuck]

Originally Posted by 45K10

Hey guys & gals,

I know there is a lot knowledge here regarding computers and writing code so I am seeking some advice on which laptop I should get.

I have been teaching myself how to write apps in Android Studio, XCode and Flutter but I'm looking for a new machine. I also want to learn how to use a Linux based OS.

I want keep the budget under $1200 and I don't care about weight.

I have been thinking about getting a System 76 with Ubuntu like this:
https://system76.com/cart/configure/kudu5

Let me know your suggestions, thanks!

What the end goal? Have your own App idea, find a job coding, just for fun?

I've been trying to find someone to write some code for an idea I have. Get in touch if that sounds interesting.

[ftf]

Dell makes some xps laptops that come with Ubuntu preloaded from the factory.

[45K10]

Originally Posted by MattTuck

What the end goal? Have your own App idea, find a job coding, just for fun?

I've been trying to find someone to write some code for an idea I have. Get in touch if that sounds interesting.

I have some App ideas that I want to create. I quit my job a year and half ago so I could stay home with our 2 year old and so my wife can focus on her career (professor). I am ready to go back to work but I need something super flexible. I have some experience with old languages like Fortran and C++. I am trying to learn the newer stuff.

[smontanaro]

Originally Posted by ftf

Dell makes some xps laptops that come with Ubuntu preloaded from the factory.

When I bought my Precision laptop, that was why I chose it over the equivalent XPS15. At that time you could only get the latter with Windows.

[redir]

From what I understand the Apple machines with the X2 chip are set to high security by default but you can bypass that security setting to run a VM with Winblows or Linux on it. I've not done it but I read about it.

[Geeheeb]

if you've never installed ubuntu it is THE EASIEST os to install. much easier than windows, and less fiddly than a hackintosh.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by Geeheeb

if you've never installed ubuntu it is THE EASIEST os to install. much easier than windows, and less fiddly than a hackintosh.

Every time I try Linux, I'm still faced with poor support for video cards, printers and scanners, and the apps are lacking. Doesn't ever seem to change over the years.

[thegunner]

if you're going to get the new macbook, make sure you try out the keyboard before you do.

personal preference, but it feels like hot garbage to me. it's mushy and the keypress travel is awkwardly short.

if you're going to use vim a lot, skip the touchbar version altogether, hitting a fake esc key will drive you mad.

Originally Posted by MikeD

Every time I try Linux, I'm still faced with poor support for video cards, printers and scanners, and the apps are lacking. Doesn't ever seem to change over the years.

when was the last time you tried? nvidia cards play nice pretty much across the board in ubuntu, and printers and scanners have been plug and play as of late.

[redir]

I always have problems getting hardware to work on Linux too. Once you find something that works though it's fine. It's just that when it's time to make changes you can run into trouble. There are lists out there though that you can run through to make sure you get hardware that is compatible.

As for installation, Ubuntu is easy, but I just installed win10 on a few machines the other day and it's a snap.

[thegunner]

something that's a bit confusing in the original post:

"I have been teaching myself how to write apps in Android Studio, XCode and Flutter"

Flutter has native integration with Android Studio, so that makes sense.

but the whole point is you wouldn't need xcode to have a cross-platform app. So I think you might want to consider which tech stack you want to commit to as well.

if you're going to commit to writing in swift / xcode, then there's no real reason you wouldn't get a macbook.

[wpod]

Running MINT on a MacBook Pro, no Mac OS. Running Mac OS with VirtualBox on older MacBook with Ubuntu and Fedora. No problem coding on any.