What separates the good web developers from the rest is, in part, the tools used. While there is no substitution for skills gained through experience, the role played by having a well-suited laptop is undeniable. In this article, we’re going to give you a few recommendations on what you should be looking for in an ideal laptop for web design and development.
Storage
This is one of the most important requirements for web design. Although you can use a common disc drive for web design with relative ease, getting a Solid State Drive (SSD) will give you significant performance improvements. It will simplify access to applications, boot your OS quickly and will facilitate things like compiling code and loading projects. For the best performance, 256GB should be your baseline.
Display
If you’re going to do web design, you want to be able to see everything clearly and accurately in terms of color, contrast, and detail. You should go for a monitor with a resolution of at least 1920 x 1080p that allows wide-angle viewing.
If you’re going to choose between IPS and TN panels, I would recommend going with an IPS. Not only do they have a wider color contrast and range, they also have a number of functions that make them a significant improvement over TN panels. They also have much better viewing angles.
RAM
If you’re serious about programming, then I wouldn’t recommend that you go under 8GB of RAM. And I would say that even with 8GB, you might have issues later on, especially with all these new electron apps which use a lot of RAM. If you are looking to grow in time, then a 16GB would suffice.
Processor
Your CPU will have a direct influence on your system’s performance, so you really can’t skimp on quality here. There are tons of different processors out there, all with their own specification. In general, most people will be ok with a 3GHz i5 or i7 Intel core processor. But if you want to take a look at other processors on the market, you can check out a site like Hardwaresecrets.Com for reviews.
Other Considerations
While a good processor, RAM, storage and a quality display are things you cannot compromise on, other aspects aren’t as important if your focus is web design. For instance, the OS you pick won’t make that much of a difference. Windows, Chrome OS, Linux, and Mac OS X all have their set of pros and cons, so make sure that look at them in detail before making the decision.
You also don’t have to go crazy on the graphics card either. Unless you’re a gamer on the side, with the above specifications in place, the laptop you go for will have more than enough capacity to handle your web development work.
If you follow these few tips when picking your next laptop, you should be able to find a unit for everyday web programming work. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations if you want to find the best laptop for your needs and budget.