Choosing a refurbished laptop for programming
A good coding laptop isn't about the flashiest specs. It's about a comfortable keyboard, enough RAM and a processor that doesn't hold you back.
Recommended specs
- Processor: Intel 8th gen or newer (i5 or i7), or AMD Ryzen 5/7
- RAM: 8 GB minimum; 16 GB for Android Studio, Docker, VMs or large projects
- Storage: SSD, 256 GB minimum; 512 GB if you work with containers
- Screen: Full HD if possible — more code on screen
- Keyboard: you'll type all day, so it matters
Our picks
- ThinkPad T480 / T490 / T14: great keyboards and Linux-friendly
- Latitude 5410 / 5420: modern and dependable
- MacBook Air M1: excellent for web and iOS development
Linux
ThinkPads and Latitudes have excellent Linux support. Ubuntu and Fedora install cleanly on most of them.
