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Comment by tdicola | Hacker News Reader

As counterpoint, that same $500 will get you a Chromebook that's exceptionally thin and light (0.5" thick, 2.3 lbs), has a high resolution retina display (12", 2400x1600 pixels), 10+ hours battery life, and touchscreen with pen input and Android app compatibility: http://www.samsung.com/us/computing/chromebooks/12-14/xe513c... Compared to a giant 15" clunky, hot, loud, low resolution display Windows laptop it's a night and day difference.

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Yes, but with a drastically slower CPU, half the RAM and 1/8 of the disk space that Chromebook is not a usable developer machine without an additional server on which to run compilers, database systems, etc.

You're essentially buying a very high resolution ssh terminal + documentation viewer for your $500.

And you also still have to connect to remote servers to collaborate with other developers, run your SCM, CI/CD, servers, etc...

If you can do your editing locally, and connect to something more beefy when needed, whoopty do. It depends on what your needs are. Personally, a really nice screen and touchpad are huge features for me... at home/work a physical switch keyboard (buckling spring or cherry-mx browns)... who cares?

I want more, you want more, but there's no need to poopoo on someone else for not aligning with your own sensibilities.

Not including RAM, CPU and disk space in a cost comparison because your work doesn't require much RAM, CPU or disk space is fine. I don't poopoo anyone for not having these requirements in the first place.

But not including RAM, CPU and disk space because they're on a server somewhere makes absolutely no sense.

SCM and CI/CD are irrelevant for the comparison because they cost exactly the same whether you use a Chromebook, a Windows laptop or a Mac.

My point was, I'd rather have the cheaper, more easily replaced device with me, and connect to something more powerful as needed.

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