what kind of laptop do i need?

[tenniscrazy]

hey, so I am going to Australia for a Baha'i year of service and I want to buy a laptop to bring with me.
My budget right now is under $700. I was just gonna get a cheap HP but then i realized that I should probably start programming in C++ while i'm away. So i was just wondering what kind of hardware i would need to be able to program. If i need to save more I can do so.

Thanks for the help

[DemonWasp]

What sort of hardware you would need to be able to program: a 286.

You could have whatever hardware you wanted and you'd be able to program, though faster machines mean less time spent waiting for compiles. Any modern machine should compile your small learning projects in seconds, regardless of budget. If you're planning on programming something that will eat a lot of CPU, I'd question what exactly.

Just buy whatever computer will fit your other activities the best - it'll be able to program just fine. If you're planning on using an IDE, then I'd suggest a minimum of 1GB of RAM, with 2+GB being better.

[andrew.]

I think you'll be fine as long as it's not a netbook. I don't think it will be fast enough especially if you're making some CPU intensive apps. For learning the basics it's okay though. I would recommend maybe a 13" laptop of some sort.

[tenniscrazy]

okay, thats kinda what i thoght.
I know there are a million threads asking this but what would you suggest for the best deal on a cheap laptop?

[jbking]

Notebookreview.com has reviews of various models that may be of help. My suggestion would be to consider if you want to buy a secondhand computer, e.g. Computer Trends or Laptop Depot, that while it may be a little dated in terms of the tech, it may be a better price than a new system. Also, give some thought as to what factors of a laptop are important to you. To list a few examples of what I'd call a factor:

Battery Life (Do you want 6 hours or more on a single charge or is it ok to only get an hour because it'll plugged in most of the time)
Screen Size (Do you want a big 17" or small 13" or something inbetween)
Weight (3 lbs to 10 lbs are examples here)
CPU
Memory
GPU
Hard drive size and speed (How big and what RPM as some may have lower RPM to improve battery life)
Operating System (Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, Linux)
Networking connectivity (802.11g or 802.11n)

Notebookreview.com has some filters that can help narrow things down to some extent if you want a new system. The refurbished systems are more like a fishing expedition but if you can know what are the minimum specs you want, you may find a diamond in the rough. The laptop I'm typing this in on was purchased at Computer Trends 3 1/3 years back and is an HP dv4000 first generation Centrino.

[wtd]

A netbook will work fine for programming. Just make sure you're comfortable with the keyboard and small(er) screen.

Alternatively, I'd suggest a refurbished/used Thinkpad, or an HP or Dell business class notebook. "Consumer-grade" notebooks from any Windows PC maker are utter trash.

[andrew.]

wtd @ Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:23 pm wrote:

Alternatively, I'd suggest a refurbished/used Thinkpad, or an HP or Dell business class notebook. "Consumer-grade" notebooks from any Windows PC maker are utter trash.

^ Agreed.

[gamemaniac]

If you are a programmer still I think a laptop with 1 GB RAM and 250 GB Hard Drive with 2 GHz of processor would be good enough for you. Laptops with such configurations are not costly these days. While spending heavily on a Laptop you should always be aware of the fact the more expensive the laptop, costlier is the laptop repair. Another alternative that you can choose is to just go for customized laptop. Pick up laptop parts of your choice that suits you the best that way you can get worth of every penny you spend upon the machine.