If you are like me, who is learning to program on a laptop, you know that having a big enough screen is very important. In this article, I will specifically talk about a 13-inch laptop. Is it too small for programming, though?
From my own and learning about other people’s experiences, I concluded the following:
Generally speaking, a 13-inch laptop is not too small for programming for most people. In fact, if a programmer is frequently traveling, a 13-inch laptop may be ideal due to its portability. However, in the end, it all comes down to personal preference.
During my research, I discovered lots of interesting things from other programmers. Stay with me because we will cover all of that.
Let’s jump straight in!
Programming on a 13-inch laptop
I see plenty of people mixing the words CAN and SHOULD. The questions of “CAN you do SOMETHING” and “SHOULD you do something” are very different. Let’s get the first one straight.
You can do programming on a 13-inch laptop without questions, especially if you are a beginner. Even if you find it small, you can always add an extra monitor. On the other side, if you are an advanced programmer who works with massive lines of code, a larger laptop may be a better option.
If you just look around the internet, you will see lots of programmers using a 13-inch MacBook. I have a friend who uses a 13-inch laptop for most of his coding, and he never hooked it up to an external monitor. What’s funny is he used to be part of the “larger monitors are better”.
He says that his focus is his biggest challenge, so he doesn’t want to have an email or chat windows alongside the one in which he edits his code. In my opinion, you dont have to see more than 40 lines of code on your screen at once. If you do, the code probably needs to be cleaner. For these reasons, I believe a 13-inch laptop is just enough for programming purposes.
Also, some programmers prefer working on a single screen, even if it is a smaller one, like 13-inches. They say it’s because they are fast or even faster switching between apps or tilling them up on a screen when needed, which is usually done with a keyboard command.
They say that working on a single small screen helps them to keep focus. Otherwise, having stuff going on outside the visual focus would be way more distracting.
Now, dont think multiple monitors cannot be beneficial for you and your work. But I have a problem when people state that you absolutely need multiple monitors for coding. In most cases, these people are the ones who could never optimize their workflows for a single screen. Just saying.
Few more words on this.
Instead of the other way around, programmers should be in charge of their tools (hardware and software). Understand the domain in which they work, as well as their personal and professional workflows.
Multiple monitors and various external devices ranging from mobile phones to medical equipment, physical notebooks, and so on may or may not be included. Over time, as you have a deeper understanding of your challenges, you’ll discover what you actually need to fix them more quickly.
Finally, you typically do coding and web browsing (at least most people) when it comes to programming. So, if you are someone who doesn’t like to move your head around too much during work, a 13-inch laptop is fine. On the other hand, if you are annoyed by constantly switching tabs on your single screen, go ahead and buy an extra monitor and connect it to your laptop.
The only time when I dont recommend using a 13-inch laptop for programming is if it hurts your eyes. If this is the case, get something larger.
Pros and cons of 13-inch laptop for programming
Here are some pros and cons of having a 13-inch laptop for coding.
PROS
- Ideal for work on the go
- Better focus (at least for some people)
CONS
- Too small for having multiple screens
- Not ideal for advanced programmers working on large projects
Ideal screen size for programming
What kind of programming you do and where you do it have a lot to do with it.
How much source code do you have in your project?
The first point I’d want to make is that writing programs with a few hundred lines of code and working on large systems with thousands of source files, and hundreds of thousands/millions of lines of code are vastly different.
If you mostly do on the last, things like Android operating system, LLVM compiler, Firefox, Linux kernel, the larger screen may be a better option. So, something like a 15 or 17-inch screen may be a more suitable option in this scenario.
Working on huge systems also necessitates the use of as much CPU power as feasible to assemble them when a modification has been made. You can obtain desktops that are at least twice as quick as a laptop, so it may not be necessary to use one. Alternatively, you may utilize your laptop to work remotely on a powerful server in your company or at Amazon Web Services.
What if you want to work in a park? Or a beach? Are you supposed to bring your monitor with you?
If you travel frequently and want to bring your files with you, yet you virtually always work in the same locations… home, the same office every day… Then a little laptop will suffice because you’ll be able to hook it into a huge monitor at each location. In this case, a 13-inch laptop is ideal. It is light, and it fits in any bag without problems.
However, if you’re working on the go, in the car, or in client offices, you won’t have access to a large external screen and will need a laptop with a large screen. In this case, a 17-inch laptop may be the best idea.
As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the ideal screen for programming. Some people are always on the go; therefore the smaller screens are better. Other programmers constantly work at the office, so they can add an extra monitor if required.