Ask HN: Laptop or Desktop for Development?

I've been almost exclusively laptop for 15+ years.

Currently main a 16" M1 Pro MacBook Pro. About half the time it's connected to a Thunderbolt dock, 27" monitor (and sometimes a second monitor), keyboard + mouse/trackpad, ethernet, external SSD(s) at least for Time Machine, webcam, good mic on a shock mount arm, speakers, etc. I very rarely push the thermal limits or ram. It's incredibly useful to me, at least psychologically, to be able to pick up my main machine, with everything already on it, and move somewhere else in the house or get out of the house.

I do own some desktops but mostly use an older small gaming rig that can double as a dev machine but except for the GPU and SSD space it's weaker than my MacBook. It's actually small enough to throw in a large laptop bag with kb+mouse and a travel monitor but I rarely do that.

Is a laptop connected to a dock considered a desktop? You aren't using the laptop's built in monitor or keyboard, but attaching peripherals to what is basically a box.

Only have a laptop but work purchases docks with large (or multiple) monitors and nice keyboards, so everyone does that and only opens the laptop lids when in meetings or traveling.

If I have a hybrid role, I absolutely want a laptop. Don’t want to be lugging a desktop between home and the office, don’t want separate desktops in each location, don’t want to have work stuff on my personal machine.

Desktop PC with big screens; generally better Linux support for the hardware, less thermal throttling, better GPUs, etc. And a Framework 13 with Linux for travel/work.

All depends on how you work and what you're doing really.

I've done this for over a decade, I've never been issued a desktop.