Those of you who are programmers must know that using the right software for the same is highly important. And this not only includes the IDE or the programming software that you are using, but also the operating system you are using. This is due to the reason that operating systems like Linux offer excellent support for all kinds of programming languages. Even though Linux is a great option for programmers, it unfortunately only has limited options out there when it comes to buying laptops with Linux installed in them. Thus, we are here with the 5 best Linux laptops for programming. With all these various Linux laptops, you will also find their important specifications and details so that you can easily pick the right Linux laptop for you by going through these ones:
Here are the 5 best Linux laptops for programming
1. Dell XPS 13
If budget is not an issue for you and you are looking for a highly premium Linux laptop for programming, then you can consider the Dell XPS 13. It is one of the best built options out there both in terms of its design as well as construction since it uses highly premium materials. As per the name, it comes with a 13.4 inch display which offers up to 3840 x 2400 16:10 resolution along with touchscreen support. You also get high performance internals in the Dell XPS 13 which includes up to the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 1195G7 processor. This CPU can be paired with up to 16 GB RAM and 2 TB storage which should be plenty for most. Since you will be using this laptop for programming, you will be glad to know that it offers a pretty great keyboard and touchpad combo which are useful for long coding sessions.
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Talking about the keyboard and touchpad, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is known for its industry leading keyboards. Since this is also a premium laptop option, it offers an excellent keyboard to the user which is perfect for typing. Another great thing about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is that it offers much better connectivity options than the Dell XPS 13. As for the internals, it comes with a very similar 11th Gen Intel Core i7 1185G7 CPU. This processor is paired along with up to 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage which should be plenty for most users out there. Another great thing about the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 carbon is that it offers a 14-inch display which not only supports touchscreen input, but even offers up to 500 nits of brightness and a superb resolution of 3840 x 2400 for superb detail and quality from this 16:10 display.
3. Purism Librem
Apart from Windows laptops that also support Linux, you can also find a few laptops which come with Linux installed in them out of the box. This is where the Purism Librem comes into play which uses open-source hardware and not just software. Since this laptop is made with programmers and pro users in mind, you also get features like BIOS protection switch and hardware mic and webcam switches. As for the internals of this laptop it uses the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 10710U CPU. While this processor might be a bit old, you can configure this laptop with up to 64 GB RAM and 2 TB storage thanks to its accessible memory and SSD slots. And because it is a much cheaper option than the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, its 14 inch display uses a lower but still a decent resolution of 1920 x 1080 FHD.
4. System76 Pangolin
You can also consider the System76 Pangolin if you are looking for open source laptops which use open source hardware as well as software. Even though this is a laptop which comes with Linux installed in it out of the box, it still uses highly powerful hardware inside. To be exact, it uses the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor. Because its memory slots and SSD slots are completely accessible, you can install up to 64 GB memory and 2 TB storage inside this laptop. This laptop can be a great option if you want a large sized laptop as well thanks to its 15.6 inch full HD screen.
5. Apple MacBook Air M1
Unlike what you would expect from Apple laptops, even they can be used to install Linux to be used for applications like programming or game development. While the Apple MacBook Air M1 did not support Linux out of the box, it did get the support for it later on. As a result, you can get the power of the 8 core Apple M1 processor in Linux for all your high-end programming needs. This laptop can be configured with up to 16 GB of RAM and 2 TB storage which is more than enough considering that the Apple M1 is highly efficient even on 8 GB RAM. Coming to the display of this laptop, it uses a 13.3 inch 16:10 display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1600. While this laptop does not offer touchscreen input, it does offer a pretty great keyboard and the best in class touchpad. Since this is an Apple laptop, you can also expect superb build quality with metal construction for longevity and a premium feel from this laptop. Unfortunately, its connectivity options are a bit limited when compared with other options.
Conclusion
While not every laptop out there may come installed with Linux out of the box, you can certainly find a lot of options that support it afterwards. Such laptops are great for programmers who want a laptop that can properly run Linux for their programming needs. And to help you pick the same, we have already given the 5 best Linux laptops for programming up above. All of these laptops have most of their details and specifications properly explained so that you can easily pick the right one for you.
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