Need Help with a programming laptop

[XDroidie626]

Okay so in Feb I start at Uni, and I am looking at a new laptop, so I was thinking a Macbook Pro or Air, failing that I was looking at Cyberpower or Utopia PC.

I really want something I can do programming on and a bit of light gaming, as much as I hate using things other than Linux, I need stability, and normally distros I like are not stable.

 

My requirements for my laptops are these.

 

Good battery life - About 9 Hours, give or take one or two hours.

Good performers - i5 Haswell, dont need i7.

Slim design - not quite ultrabook, but slim, disk drive not needed, I have USB3 drives everywhere lol.

Light gaming ability - Simcity, FTL, Kerbal, maybe even Borderlands at a push.

Light weight - I plan to be carrying it around.

Good keyboard - For programming worst comes to worst I can use a keyboard.

8GB+ RAM - 16GB would be ideal as I want this laptop to replace my desktop sometime.

SSD - 128GB I can easily live on, but 256 is always nice .

Good screen - Hate shoddy screens, IPS would be nice .

Mobile GPU - Nvidia/AMD or Iris, no HD 4/5k series please .

Screen size - Has to be 13", I hate big laptops.

OS - Windows 8.1 or Mac OSX, just for ease of use, desktops for Linux .

VM - Ability to do basic OS VMs.

 

For programming I will be using JetBrains and Eclipse. and will be doing a lot of Java and python, maybe some web languages as I am going for computer sciences.

 

So should I get a custom built laptop, or go Apple?

 

Many Thanks!

 

(This is a more indepth- update version of my previous post, didnt think of custom laptops last time

[Guest]

Perhaps have a look into the Lenovo Yoga range? They're a nice size, thin. You could probably get the Yoga Pro 2 on the cheap with the 3 coming out (if it isn't already) because the 3 has a Core M rather than i5.

 

Edit: The MSI GS60 & GS70 are probably a little better than the Yoga, more of a powerhouse and certainly capable of your needs but also at a similar price point to a MBP. Do you have a price range?

[itsMacyyyy]

I went Apple for the same reason but excluding gaming  so I went with the 13" Air. I think that for portability, battery life and speed they are excellent. 

[XDroidie626]

Price range is £1000 tops, but I would ideally like a fair bit of power under the hood, the utopia I was looking at had a dual core i5 2.6Ghz, 16GB 1600Mhz RAM, 1TB HDD, 120GB SSD, 860M and was a 13" laptop, I am unsure of the VRAM of the 860M.

 

Thanks!

[Satlen]

Macbook Air 13''.  It has OS X but you can run Windows and Linux Distros in VirtualBox or VMware. It has amazing battery life, I can go 3 days without charging (doing school stuff).  Honestly if you have a gaming desktop there is no need to get a laptop that can play games. Keyboard and Trackpad is the best part about mac laptops, they just work. PCI ssd for really good speeds.

[XDroidie626]

Okay so if I was to get a mac, would you get a macbook pro retina or a Air 13" 8GB 1.4Ghz?

Also remember I would like to do some light gaming

[Guest]

Okay so if I was to get a mac, would you get a macbook pro retina or a Air 13" 8GB 1.4Ghz?

Also remember I would like to do some light gaming

Well the pro has a more power and a loverly screen, as the Air has a meh resolution, but ya know its just a number And remember to use the Edu store if you're getting a mac, you can save a fair bit then and use those savings to make some upgrades

[XDroidie626]

Okay so which would be better for long run, pro or air, I don't expect to be doing too much travelling

[xjiros]

I'd honestly get a decent gaming laptop and dual boot linux for your work environment. I would not go with a MAC if you're planning to setup a work environment.

[Satlen]

I'd honestly get a decent gaming laptop and dual boot linux for your work environment. I would not go with a MAC if you're planning to setup a work environment.

If he is going to be programming, it will be best to have access to all 3 OS's to check for compatibility and to write different apps for each one. 

[Satlen]

Okay so which would be better for long run, pro or air, I don't expect to be doing too much travelling

 

The pro will obviously have more power for heavier tasks and more space on the hard drive but the air will have much better battery life and it is more compact so it is what needs you need to fulfill.

[xjiros]

If he is going to be programming, it will be best to have access to all 3 OS's to check for compatibility and to write different apps for each one. 

Wrong you can use GCC++ on NIX to compile a mac/windows build. Unless he's doing much that will require some crazy functionality issues it won't be a problem.

[XDroidie626]

Well I like OSX and Unix based systems, I use Linux on a daily basis, I hate having to use Windows, just never works for me, which is why I was thinking about a mac over a gaming PC.

Plus dat retina tho!

[Kern0wek]

Get a Macbook pro or just use Ubuntu. Been using 14.04 as my developer system and its been great and just as, if not more stable than any windows laptop I've had. All Jetbrain IDEs work great and a bucket load of support for databases and frameworks.

 

Im using a http://www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-15-7537/pd?ref=PD_OC. Just slapped in a SSD with ubuntu and good to go.

 

Macs are excellent for developing too, if you've got the monies. 

[Doldol]

I think with the GPU requirements you're falling into the ultraslim gaming notebook category, I own a 1st gen MSI GS70, and use it for what you're planning to use the laptop, I did need to buy an expensive external 19.5v, high amp battery, as the GS70 on makes it to 4.5h with extreme battery saving precautions. =[

 

Slim + Nvidia/AMD + 8h battery life is a dream, sadly. There is not enough space to fit and the GPU and the big battery in a slim form factor.

[XDroidie626]

Okay so can the rMBP with Iris, play light games such as FTL, Kerbal and maybe some GoG games, nothing too intensive, just for times where I am a bit burnt out

[Satlen]

Okay so can the rMBP with Iris, play light games such as FTL, Kerbal and maybe some GoG games, nothing too intensive, just for times where I am a bit burnt out

Yes

[EpicAdom]

Okay so can the rMBP with Iris, play light games such as FTL, Kerbal and maybe some GoG games, nothing too intensive, just for times where I am a bit burnt out

Dude Intel HD Graphics 4600 and above can play those games you don't need that extra GPU horsepower

[XDroidie626]

Okay so should I get an air or the pro, how long will it last if it is taken good care of? (Made a return desktop last 6 years, only stopped because I upgraded.) I will be doing mostly programming and when its not supported by osx, I'll move to Linux, how many years we looking at? If it breaks I'll get it replaced on the house insurance .

Summarise I would like a nice machine for very light gaming, developing, word stuff via drive/iworks , streaming via chromecast, and something that will last me about 8 years even after I install Linux

Thanks!

[Guest]

Okay so should I get an air or the pro, how long will it last if it is taken good care of? (Made a return desktop last 6 years, only stopped because I upgraded.) I will be doing mostly programming and when its not supported by osx, I'll move to Linux, how many years we looking at? If it breaks I'll get it replaced on the house insurance .

Summarise I would like a nice machine for very light gaming, developing, word stuff via drive/iworks , streaming via chromecast, and something that will last me about 8 years even after I install Linux

Thanks!

 

Go for the rMBP it'll last for ages, i'm using a 2009 MBP in work for basic needs, email, web etc. But the 4GB RAM is a little painful.