Member Avatar for Violet_82

Hi there,
I am thinking about buying a new laptop and I was wondering whether anybody has any suggestions.
Basically I do a bit of programming (learnimg C++ at the moment, so nothing advanced just console programs) and I am now getting into building websites so I always end up having an awful lot of stuff running on my laptop with the result that it is really really slow.
At the moment I have a laptop - dell inspiron 1300 2gb ram (which I use all the time for the above jobs) - and a netbook - samsung n10 which I sometimes use it to do all my work, including programming and web editing.

Now, in view of this I wonder what type of laptop you recommend. Clearly 2GB of mem are not enough because my machines always struggle a bit so I was looking at the dell XPS 17 http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/Dell-Laptops/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&~ck=mn
the one with i7-2630QM processor. It could be a good investment especially for the future considering that I will hopefully get better at programming and developing. It comes with 4gb ram, but I am not sure if you can go up or not.

I ws also looking at one of these but it doesn't seem to be as powerful as the dell.
Is there any other product that you guys suggest?
thanks

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Given 's workload (learning C++ console programs and building websites) and the slow behaviour described on older machines, the best long-term investment is a laptop that prioritises responsiveness and upgradeability rather than a top-end GPU. As noted, the operating system affects resource use, and as pointed out, brand and build-quality matter — but those are secondary to having the right components for multitasking and coding.

Three concrete hardware priorities: RAM, storage, and upgradeability. Aim for at least 8GB of RAM for comfortable multitasking; 16GB is advisable if running virtual machines or heavy IDEs. Pick a model where RAM can be expanded. An SSD for the system drive offers the single biggest perceptible speed improvement — faster boot, snappier editors, and quicker compile cycles — and is usually the best first upgrade to an existing laptop.

CPU choice matters for compile-heavy work, but real-world snappiness usually comes from the RAM/SSD combination and a good keyboard for long coding sessions. Screen-size is a portability trade-off: 13–14 inch for ease of carrying, 15–17 inch for a desktop-like view. Prefer business-class or well-reviewed consumer models with a solid keyboard, user-accessible drive bay and memory slots, and a decent warranty for longevity.

Practical, budget-friendly steps for immediate improvement: install an SSD and increase RAM on the current machine, perform a clean OS install and trim startup apps, and use a lightweight OS or editor on the netbook when mobility is needed. For a new purchase, prioritise an SSD-equipped model with upgradeable RAM, a comfortable keyboard, and enough memory for future needs — that combination delivers the most practical performance gain for programming and web development.

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Member Avatar for davidchilders

I think the reason that no one has replied to this message is that just about any laptop with enough memory and processor power will do.

Which operating system are you running? Is there a version of your programming and web development tools that run on Linux? I've found that Linux is much less of a drain on system resources. However, some tools run only on certain platforms so you may be limited as to which OS you can run.

Windows 7 has been such a huge improvement over previous versions of Windows - it's worth considering as well.

So, really, just about any computer you can afford that represents the best value in memory and processor speed should work just fine.

I hope this helps -

/David C.

Member Avatar for savis1

If you are opting for a cheaper model, Compaq, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba will be ideal, better ones Dell, HP, best would be Sony, IBM. I am using Dell & HP and am happy with Dell.

Member Avatar for Violet_82

thanks guys for replying, I have always had dell and I think I will stick to it to be honest because I am really happy with it.
I every now and then use linux but I think I will buy a laptop with WIndows 7, probably this http://www.dell.com/uk/business/p/xps-l702x/pd?sc_err=noocs

thanks

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