Hey everyone! I'm starting computer science in college and I need to find a new laptop since my old Chromebook is about to give up. I've only ever used Chromebooks, so I'm not really sure what specs to look for. I'll mainly be programming in Python and using it for my school assignments. My budget is £350, which definitely limits my options. Any suggestions would be really appreciated, thanks!
5 Answers
You could also snag a used M1 MacBook Air once in a while for under your budget. They’re pretty capable for programming tasks.
You might want to check out refurbished Lenovo laptops. Make sure to aim for at least a full HD screen and 16GB of RAM. Sites like Laptops Direct and Back Market could be useful. Just don’t skimp on the specs, especially the display resolution!
If you're on a tight budget, consider getting an old or refurbished ThinkPad and running Linux on it. Those machines are great for programming and can be found at reasonable prices.
Honestly, you can program on pretty much anything, so just buy whatever you can find in your price range. Go for one with at least an 8GB memory. If you can, consider getting an external monitor; it can be a game changer for long study sessions!
For around £350, make sure you get a laptop with a decent screen, keyboard, and trackpad. Look for one with an x86_64 processor and as much RAM as possible. Older Intel 11th or 12th Gen CPUs are good choices since they tend to be stable. An i5 processor should be sufficient for school work. Avoid Chromebooks and ARM-based laptops if you can, as they'll limit your programming options.
Totally agree! But I think focusing most of your budget on a good laptop is more essential than getting a monitor right away.