Things I'll Apply Next Time After Using a Dev Laptop for 3 Years
The laptop I bought in 2022 is starting to struggle, so I figured I'd write down what I've learned. These are the points I regretted in real-world use after looking only at specs when choosing a laptop.
1. Get at least 32GB of RAM, no question
I bought 16GB, but running Docker + 20 browser tabs + an IDE causes swapping. For a developer, 16GB of RAM is genuinely not enough.
2. Weight and battery vs. performance
At first I prioritized performance, but the weight hit 1.8kg, making it hard to carry to cafes. In the end, I often just left it plugged in.
3. Screen aspect ratio matters more than you'd think
16:10 is much more comfortable vertically than 16:9. You scroll less when reading code.
4. Keyboards and trackpads don't show up on spec sheets
This makes a huge difference in practice. You really need to try it in a store before buying.
5. Number of Thunderbolt ports
Even connecting just one monitor takes up half of them, so you should get plenty.
The conclusion: rather than benchmark scores, choose based on what kind of work you actually do for long stretches.
6 answers
For real, 32GB of RAM is just the developer standard now lol. I held out with 16, went through swap hell, and switched right away.
I really agree with the point about weight. I also bought a 1.9kg one and carried it around for the first month, but ended up just leaving it at home. After that, I concluded that 'portability = ultimately meaningless if you don't carry it around,' so I only look at models under 1.3kg. Covering performance with the desktop at home ended up being cheaper overall, too.