As the title says, I am currently learning to be a programmer, and my tablet does not suffice for the job.
I have already finished a small MEAN-Stack application for learning Typescript, learned some Java syntax (I expect nothing more exciting than a sorting algorithm, but exam language is Java, so…) and the next stop will most likely be plain vanilla C to learn about handling hardware.
Windows I hate with a passion, and I don’t know squat about Macs, so I am thinking of getting myself a decently sized laptop for a sensible Linux install.
History (I started my Liux journey with SuSE Linux 4.4.1, way back when) taught me to be very wary of driver issues on laptops, so I thought I could ask you for recommendations that play fair with Linux.
(as an aside, if I could play GuildWars2 on it in the evening and attach my two big monitors when at home, that would be super cool)
If you want something cheap, the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 and T480s are good models. The S model has a major downside of having one of its sticks of ram soldered, so make sure you get one that has the 8gb stick onboard so you can match it for dual channel. It’s about a pound lighter. Right now both can be had under $200 USD. I have put Mint, Arch, and Fedora on mine during my ownership and had no issues with any distribution so far. Highly recommended.