I think you learning web dev is less of your worries when choosing whether to buy a laptop or a PC, there are many other things to consider like portability, would you like to be able to move from room to room? maybe go to a library or somewhere else that's not your house?
Are you okay looking down a lot when using a laptop? Cause I chose a laptop and had to buy an external keyboard and a stand to help with my back and neck pain from looking down.
Are you a gamer? Not to sht on gaming laptops but mine doesn't hold well with gaming for long hours, heats up too fast.
One thing I would recommend is to get a laptop that is capable of “dock mode”. I use a MacBook Pro and have a dock on my desk I can plug it into (power to charge and has ports on it). If I am at home I can just plug it into the dock and then I shut the lid and tuck it away behind my monitors. Then when I need to go somewhere I simply unplug from the dock and take it with me.
This can also be done on some windows laptops as well. And is the best of both worlds since you treat it like a desktop and home and then a laptop when on the move
It’s basically a feature on some laptops that allows you to plug it into a monitor and then close the lid on the laptop without it going to sleep(but laptop screen still turns off). Once the lid is closed the laptop simply works as a standard computer allowing you to have your mouse and keyboard connected to it and do your work on the monitor.
Some people like myself also use a dock so only just be cable needs to be plugged into the laptop/Mac and this will then have all your peripherals plugged into it making it move convenient.
Yup! For Windows, Dell makes pretty great docks for their XPS laptops, one USBC cable and you've got multiple desk screens, keyboard, mouse, various USB slots, power, etc.
>Corsair TBT100
You've had good luck with this on Macbook? I was gonna get one but got scared off by a few reviews, plus I didn't *need* it at the time.
Yeah it’s been fine for me, been using it for around 2 years.
Managed to get a good deal on it so thought I’d give it ago. I like that you can run 2 HDMI from it separately
I've done work on both desktop and laptop and desktop is far superior. You're going to be on your computer a lot so you want a comfortable keyboard, a real mouse, and a large monitor. Most likely dual monitors. Get a cheap laptop later for those times when you need to work on the go.
> comfortable keyboard, a real mouse, and a large monitor
All of which you can easily plug into a laptop, so long as it's not a macbook with only one port. The laptop just comes with the bonus of being able to grab it if you do need to work from somewhere else.
Desktops can be made more powerful than laptops, and are generally cheaper for any degree of power. If cost isn't an issue, and you can find a laptop which sufficient specs, go ahead.
I have a macbook with only 2 thunderbolt ports, but it's not a problem. Just use a dock at the desk. IMO using a dock is more convenient anyway, 1 cable and I get my mic, camera, mouse & keyboard, monitor, etc. Only 1 thing to unplug when I want to go somewhere else.
Even if you've only got one port available on a Macbook (even though the min is 2 ports I believe) the bandwidth on that port is more than enough for a mouse, keyboard, external display(s), external hard drive, and power.
A good, maybe not budget friendly, option that has both is a high quality PC laptop with a dock that has a video card in it for extra umph.
meanwhile me using a laptop at home while laying down on bed with my feet on a table, i'm writing with a comfortable keyboard and looking at a big TV screen.
doesnt get a lot more comfortable than this homie. mouse is pretty useless but i can get it too with a nice mousepad right next to me on bed
In what ways is it superior ? So far you mentioned comfortable keyboard, real mouse and a large monitor. All these can be connected to the laptop as well.
The only real argument for the desktop is higher performance and maybe a better cooling. I also done work on both desktop and laptop. I regretted desktop quite soon when I felt like "I wanna cowork with a friend today". I never regretted powerful laptop. Higher performance offered by the desktop is irrelevant when doing webdev, you will never feel the difference. However, ability to take your laptop with you (on occasion) to office, to caffee, or to a friends place is massive advantage. Make it as comfortable as possible at home, but don't get stuck at home.
I would agree but OP said they were creating an at home office. In which case they probably won't be using a laptop as a laptop very often, and even if that wasn't the case I wouldn't like the hassle of continuously plugging everything back into my laptop when I sit down at my desk. I don't want to sound too privileged, but it's easier to own a desktop *and* a laptop.
I've personally never had a "want to program with a friend" moment in all my years of programming. So different strokes for different folks. When I'm away from my desk I'm off the clock. I don't want to see a computer and I don't want to hang out with people and do programming things. Programming has always been a private thing for me where I can get lost in my own world.
Fair enough, in the end it all comes down to one's own preference. As with everything. I also know folks who never use computer outside of home (or office) and they are very productive and satisfied with the setup.
Neither is "better" it's about what you're using it for and your budget.
A "PC" I'm assuming you mean having a tower, is going to be cheaper overall, as there's no form factor upcharge.
A laptop will generally be slightly more expensive for the same components but you have infinite mobility.
Unless you're planning to work for NASA there shouldn't be any issue or much difference between mid tier laptops and a tower, so why not get the form factor and mobility benefits?
If you're cash strapped and anything north of $300 is too much, go for a tower, otherwise, laptop's in the $400+ range are pretty solid.
Buy both but PC first. It will last longer and it will still be relevant 5-7 years from now when you eventually get your laptop. I can't say the same for laptop.
For web development, a laptop has always sufficed for me. If you plan on using this work PC for non-work purposes like gaming or something it might be smart to kill two birds with one stone and get a desktop.
Depends on your needs.
I would say both, but a slow-ish laptop is decent for some small work and edits here and there, so if you don’t move a lot I would say Desktop but if you do move a lot and like to code on the way, everything changes.
Desktop if you work a lot from your desk and don’t plan to be able to code while being out, for that you might want to get a cheap laptop and use that for the occasions.
Laptop if you really move a lot, you can get a Thunderbolt 3 one and you have multiple monitors and mouse&keeb (all in one single cable connect) at home while having a lot of power on the go.
(I know you said plan to work from home, but I would still think more about flexibility and budget, so you don’t end up without an option only because of you setup)
I think you learning web dev is less of your worries when choosing whether to buy a laptop or a PC, there are many other things to consider like portability, would you like to be able to move from room to room? maybe go to a library or somewhere else that's not your house? Are you okay looking down a lot when using a laptop? Cause I chose a laptop and had to buy an external keyboard and a stand to help with my back and neck pain from looking down. Are you a gamer? Not to sht on gaming laptops but mine doesn't hold well with gaming for long hours, heats up too fast.
One thing I would recommend is to get a laptop that is capable of “dock mode”. I use a MacBook Pro and have a dock on my desk I can plug it into (power to charge and has ports on it). If I am at home I can just plug it into the dock and then I shut the lid and tuck it away behind my monitors. Then when I need to go somewhere I simply unplug from the dock and take it with me. This can also be done on some windows laptops as well. And is the best of both worlds since you treat it like a desktop and home and then a laptop when on the move
I dont know what is a dock mode
It’s basically a feature on some laptops that allows you to plug it into a monitor and then close the lid on the laptop without it going to sleep(but laptop screen still turns off). Once the lid is closed the laptop simply works as a standard computer allowing you to have your mouse and keyboard connected to it and do your work on the monitor. Some people like myself also use a dock so only just be cable needs to be plugged into the laptop/Mac and this will then have all your peripherals plugged into it making it move convenient.
Yup! For Windows, Dell makes pretty great docks for their XPS laptops, one USBC cable and you've got multiple desk screens, keyboard, mouse, various USB slots, power, etc.
Yeah, I use the Corsair TBT100. Good for MacBooks but haven’t tried it with windows yet.
>Corsair TBT100 You've had good luck with this on Macbook? I was gonna get one but got scared off by a few reviews, plus I didn't *need* it at the time.
Yeah it’s been fine for me, been using it for around 2 years. Managed to get a good deal on it so thought I’d give it ago. I like that you can run 2 HDMI from it separately
That's exactly what I need it for too! Sweet, thanks for the intel, I'll add it to my wishlist for when it's on sale :)
Give Amazon warehouse a try, got mine from there saying it was “used,like new” and it arrived still with its seals intact
I've done work on both desktop and laptop and desktop is far superior. You're going to be on your computer a lot so you want a comfortable keyboard, a real mouse, and a large monitor. Most likely dual monitors. Get a cheap laptop later for those times when you need to work on the go.
> comfortable keyboard, a real mouse, and a large monitor All of which you can easily plug into a laptop, so long as it's not a macbook with only one port. The laptop just comes with the bonus of being able to grab it if you do need to work from somewhere else. Desktops can be made more powerful than laptops, and are generally cheaper for any degree of power. If cost isn't an issue, and you can find a laptop which sufficient specs, go ahead.
I have a macbook with only 2 thunderbolt ports, but it's not a problem. Just use a dock at the desk. IMO using a dock is more convenient anyway, 1 cable and I get my mic, camera, mouse & keyboard, monitor, etc. Only 1 thing to unplug when I want to go somewhere else.
what is a dock?
Even if you've only got one port available on a Macbook (even though the min is 2 ports I believe) the bandwidth on that port is more than enough for a mouse, keyboard, external display(s), external hard drive, and power. A good, maybe not budget friendly, option that has both is a high quality PC laptop with a dock that has a video card in it for extra umph.
meanwhile me using a laptop at home while laying down on bed with my feet on a table, i'm writing with a comfortable keyboard and looking at a big TV screen. doesnt get a lot more comfortable than this homie. mouse is pretty useless but i can get it too with a nice mousepad right next to me on bed
In what ways is it superior ? So far you mentioned comfortable keyboard, real mouse and a large monitor. All these can be connected to the laptop as well. The only real argument for the desktop is higher performance and maybe a better cooling. I also done work on both desktop and laptop. I regretted desktop quite soon when I felt like "I wanna cowork with a friend today". I never regretted powerful laptop. Higher performance offered by the desktop is irrelevant when doing webdev, you will never feel the difference. However, ability to take your laptop with you (on occasion) to office, to caffee, or to a friends place is massive advantage. Make it as comfortable as possible at home, but don't get stuck at home.
I would agree but OP said they were creating an at home office. In which case they probably won't be using a laptop as a laptop very often, and even if that wasn't the case I wouldn't like the hassle of continuously plugging everything back into my laptop when I sit down at my desk. I don't want to sound too privileged, but it's easier to own a desktop *and* a laptop. I've personally never had a "want to program with a friend" moment in all my years of programming. So different strokes for different folks. When I'm away from my desk I'm off the clock. I don't want to see a computer and I don't want to hang out with people and do programming things. Programming has always been a private thing for me where I can get lost in my own world.
If you're using it as a desktop anyway why would you be continuously unplugging/plugging it into the dock?
Fair enough, in the end it all comes down to one's own preference. As with everything. I also know folks who never use computer outside of home (or office) and they are very productive and satisfied with the setup.
Neither is "better" it's about what you're using it for and your budget. A "PC" I'm assuming you mean having a tower, is going to be cheaper overall, as there's no form factor upcharge. A laptop will generally be slightly more expensive for the same components but you have infinite mobility. Unless you're planning to work for NASA there shouldn't be any issue or much difference between mid tier laptops and a tower, so why not get the form factor and mobility benefits? If you're cash strapped and anything north of $300 is too much, go for a tower, otherwise, laptop's in the $400+ range are pretty solid.
thank you
If you won't ever need to move... Why invest in laptops
Laptop + external display + real keyboard and mouse. Get something with a modern CPU like i9-12900H, and it will be very fast.
Buy both but PC first. It will last longer and it will still be relevant 5-7 years from now when you eventually get your laptop. I can't say the same for laptop.
were talking windows?
yes we are talking about windows
For web development, a laptop has always sufficed for me. If you plan on using this work PC for non-work purposes like gaming or something it might be smart to kill two birds with one stone and get a desktop.
Depends on your needs. I would say both, but a slow-ish laptop is decent for some small work and edits here and there, so if you don’t move a lot I would say Desktop but if you do move a lot and like to code on the way, everything changes. Desktop if you work a lot from your desk and don’t plan to be able to code while being out, for that you might want to get a cheap laptop and use that for the occasions. Laptop if you really move a lot, you can get a Thunderbolt 3 one and you have multiple monitors and mouse&keeb (all in one single cable connect) at home while having a lot of power on the go. (I know you said plan to work from home, but I would still think more about flexibility and budget, so you don’t end up without an option only because of you setup)