Hey everyone,
I would like to get a new programming laptop for next year and I need your help! I already have a few picked out but as I’m sure most of you know the mentors want to hear what other teams are using…I have a budget of around 6-7 hundred possibly more. The only thing we need is 2 USB ports and an ethernet port because we don’t want to use a USB to RJ45 converter. We are programming using LabVIEW
Thanks,
Colby Kusinitz
Well, Seeing you are a labview team, I would recommend the largest, highest resolution screen you can afford, other than that, I’d stick with a name brand with some local support options.
If affiliated with a school, might see if their IT department is making a larger purchase over the summer, and see if you can add yours to the order. Many times they may be getting a good discount, and we have had luck with the company that is getting the school district’s business, may donate one to the team.
Seeing you are a labview team, I would recommend the largest, highest resolution screen you can afford
Agreed. Make sure it has a good track pad as well if you aren’t using a mouse (which can be very cumbersome in the pits). I personally like it to have two separate buttons for each mouse click as well.
TLDR: ThinkPad, specifically used W520.
If you aren’t afraid of buying used (It’s not that risky, really), a Lenovo ThinkPad W520 can be a great deal for around $350. They have great keyboards, are built like tanks, and can be had with a bright 1080p screen. They have Quad Core i7s that are still very vast today. I also like how they can have the extended battery which makes them easy to hold when waiting for a match.
Im a bit of a thinkpad addict, so I could help if you wanted to further pursue a thinkpad device.
The main thing is business laptops (Some by Dell, some by hp, lenovo ThinkPads) are nice for frc since they are durable and will be used by kids and may not always get the best treatment. They also are easily maintainable and have cheap and parts a plenty.
Feel free to shoot many any questions, including new ThinkPads, I am quite happy to discuss such matters.
I forgot to mention. But ThinkPads also have trackpoints which make a great easy pointing device for when you are without a mouse or holding the laptop.
My experience with my company-issued Thinkpad is that the trackpad doesn’t seem to register position as I expect (seems a bit off compared to other pads I use, still a common complaint in my office a year after we switched from Dell laptops), and that trying to use the buttons built into the lower edge changes the location. I find it very frustrating and do not like using my Thinkpad without a mouse for this reason.
I’ve never been high on trackpoints, but that would help with the positioning, but not the button clicking.
I have never been a Thinkpad fan, and this latest iteration hasn’t improved on that position.
Just going to jump on the Thinkpad bandwagon. I’m extremely happy with my W541, and have found the trackpoint + buttons to be extremely useful in the pits. Among other things, they’re very useful for working while standing up!
For awhile, Lenovo switched the Thinkpad trackpad to use an integrated button instead of physical buttons. E.g. the W540 features this trackpad. Later models or earlier models, e.g. the W541 have physical buttons. Definitely be sure to get a ThinkPad with distinct physical buttons on the trackpad.