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Hardware advice

To do good work you need good tools. This is my list of recommendations:

Laptop ChromeOS

Filtered list at Tweakers.net: link

Laptop Linux

Lenovo X1 Carbon

  • Currently 11th Generation
  • I have the 7th and the 10th Generation and they both work flawlessly with Linux
  • Make sure to select the on-site next business day support when buying
  • Much better build quality and warranty than a Framework laptop

Laptop Windows

HP EliteBook 840 G9 (5Z6D3EA)

  • Or another model from the same series and generation.
  • Make sure to buy the separate on-site next business day support
  • This has a 400 nits screen!
  • You can upgrade the memory to 64GB later! It is user replaceable!
  • Used versions sometimes available here

Laptop Apple

Apple Macbook Air M2

  • Upgrade to 16GB or 24GB memory is required!
  • Maximum effective resolution is 1710x1112

Portable Display

HP E14 G4

Office display

LG 27UP850N-W

  • There are many different versions of this monitor that are almost the same
  • Make sure it has the USB-C power delivery to charge a laptop
  • Make sure it is height adjustable

Smartphones

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G 128GB

  • 5 year security updates
  • S23 is better but not worth twice the price

Chargers

Anker 735 GanPrime 65W

  • 65W charger with 2 USB-C ports and smart switching and balancing
  • Really small and light
  • For travel I will buy the Lenovo Travel Charger
  • The Belkin BoostCharge Pro has problems keeping laptops charged. Don’t buy.

Opinions

  • Laptops should be 14 inch or larger, smaller has few benefits and many downsides.
  • Laptops should have long warranties and preferably on-site support.
  • Laptops are mostly the same these days, choose warranty over features or price.
  • Portable and laptop screens should be bright. 400 nits minimum.
  • Displays should have USB-C power delivery to charge a laptop.
  • Most important property of a Smartphone is how long the software support is. iPhones do really well on this.
  • Smaller is better for a Smartphone
  • Always buy the most recent model of Apple laptops and computers because most get only 7 years of updates.

Changelog