Thread: programming laptop

  1. #1
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    programming laptop

    Merry Christmas,

    Im just about to purchase a new laptop for 2008. I have decided on getting a dell latitude (do you agree), but im not sure what screen size to get. I want to keep mobile but not sure what size. Could you guys and girls tell me what size you use. I have listed the choices below:

    a) normal 14"

    b) normal 15"

    c) widescreen 15.4"

    in not sure if a 15.4" is to shallow and therefore wont show enough function content (if this makes sense). I think a wide screen is not really necessary for programming? Do you agree?

    Look forward to your advice.

    Tuurbo46

  2. #2
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Moved to tech board.

    I use a 14.1" display on my laptop and it works well enough.

    I think a wide screen is not really necessary for programming? Do you agree?
    I agree.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

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    Hi,

    Thanks for your speedy reply, ok i will order the normal 14.1 screen.

    cheers

    Tuurbo46.

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    Hi,

    One last question before i select the buy button, does anybody know if visual studio 2008 express will run on vista business - dell latitudes only come with vista business.

    Cheers

    Tuurbo46

  5. #5
    Chinese pâté foxman's Avatar
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    Bigger screen means bigger resolution (on common LCD monitor), means you can show more stuff at the same time. Personnaly, the bigger is the monitor, the more i like (to a certain extend). So, i guess it depends on you and what are you going to do with your laptop. If you're going to do all your work on your laptop (and not on a deskptop computer), well, maybe you should consider the 15 inches.

    As for the widescreen or not, bah, i don't feel me neither that this is really useful for programming.

  6. #6
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    does anybody know if visual studio 2008 express will run on vista business - dell latitudes only come with vista business.
    The Visual Studio 2008 support page is quite clear that Windows Vista is supported, and makes no mention of particular versions of Vista.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  7. #7
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    The bigger screen, the better. But the bigger screen, usually the heavier the laptop becomes.
    Widescreen is something I would recommend. Widescreen is the emerging standard, as it would seem and 4:3 is moving away, so stay away from them.
    I don't know if you can say you get a wider screen or not at the same size, though.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  8. #8
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    The screen doesn't matter much for programming. What matters most is the keyboard. If the notebook doesn't provide an intuitive keyboard (i.e. the insert, delete, pageup/down, home and end keys are in stupid positions, perhaps even some other keys), stay away from it. If the notebook doesn't provide a good armrest (I know of one particular one where the keyboard is at the very front, so your hands rest not on the notebook but on whatever is in front), stay away from it - you'll kill your hands that way.
    All the buzzt!
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  9. #9
    pwns nooblars
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    I know my 15in laptop feels like I can't fit much on the screen due to the max resolution being 1024x768, so I would watch that. My desktop can run a much higher resolution and I just have a hard time programming on my laptop due to that. And as CornedBee said, make sure the keyboard is intuitive, otherwise you end up with pgup pgdw keys in dumb places.

  10. #10
    C++まいる!Cをこわせ!
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    Also, the bigger the screen size, the more space the keyboard has!
    For example, you need a 17 inch to actually get the numeric keypad on your laptop since otherwise it wouldn't fit!
    If you can actually find a laptop with 19 inch (I don't think I've ever seen one), then you should have no problems with the keyboard, I believe. 17 inch do exist and are very nice. Have one myself.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  11. #11
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    The screen doesn't matter much for programming. What matters most is the keyboard. If the notebook doesn't provide an intuitive keyboard (i.e. the insert, delete, pageup/down, home and end keys are in stupid positions, perhaps even some other keys), stay away from it.
    Yeah, on my laptop's keyboard I have this tendency to write my destructors as:
    Code:
    !X()
    {
    }
    Mainl7y because the key with '`/~' is at a different position, so the '1/!' key ends up in its place.

    If you can actually find a laptop with 19 inch (I don't think I've ever seen one), then you should have no problems with the keyboard, I believe. 17 inch do exist and are very nice. Have one myself.
    However, if the laptop is too large, it ceases being portable, in which case one might as well get a desktop computer.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  12. #12
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    Probably. One has to find the line between portable and functionality/screen size. 17 does the trick almost fine. Laptop's keyboards are still a pain.
    But you could always get a USB Keyboard and take it with you. It's more to carry and might not be as portable, but it would certainly do the trick for the keyboard.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

  13. #13
    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    The biggest screen you can
    a) afford
    b) tolerate lugging around with you
    would be my suggestion.

    I'm also going to be looking for a new laptop in the new year as well
    If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
    If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.

  14. #14
    l'Anziano DavidP's Avatar
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    Widescreens are horrible for laptops. Why anyone would want to lug around a 17" widescreen is a mystery to me. Go for 15". Big screens are for desktop computers.
    My Website

    "Circular logic is good because it is."

  15. #15
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    Love 17 inch screens. Widescreens aren't horrible at all (don't see why anyone would think that?). Go for the biggest screen you can afford to carry! We all love big screens and if you're going to spend a lot of time at the laptop then you want as big screen as possible.
    Quote Originally Posted by Adak View Post
    io.h certainly IS included in some modern compilers. It is no longer part of the standard for C, but it is nevertheless, included in the very latest Pelles C versions.
    Quote Originally Posted by Salem View Post
    You mean it's included as a crutch to help ancient programmers limp along without them having to relearn too much.

    Outside of your DOS world, your header file is meaningless.

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