What’s the cheapest laptop I can use to program in python java

General Discussion
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What’s the cheapest laptop I can use to program in python java Or any other language for programming?
Is the Samsung book 2 ok?
Is a refurbished laptop ok?
I only a job of about 1k a month since I do other things, what should I learn to do in programming to get that kind of money?
Web designer?

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Personally, I bought a used MacBook for $100 that had a crashed hard drive. Since I had another hard drive of that size I replaced it, installed the operating system for free and had a wonderful laptop for a few years like that.

I would recommend not paying more than $600 for a used laptop because it’s always a bit of a risk to you receiving it. I would not usually buy a Windows-based laptop but if I did, I would replace the operating system with Ubuntu.

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I don’t have 600$
I need spend easy less
Like 250$
Wat about the Samsung I mentioned?

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I don’t know much about hardware, but I don’t think those tablet-laptop hybrids are ideal. I’m not sure if they can run Linux/Ubuntu, and you don’t need a touch screen for coding. Maybe a ThinkPad T-series or X-series would be good, if you can find one in your price range.

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Any laptop powerful enough to run the current version of Windows, MacOS, or Linux can run Python.

Good luck! And be patient. Learning to code is sometimes a real grind.

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What about a refurbished laptop?

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What about a refurbished laptop from a website or best buy?

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I’ve never bought a refurbished laptop, so I’m not sure. It depends on what operating system you’re going to use. If you’re planning on using Linux, research the exact model to see if Linux runs on it easily. If you post the name of a model here, we could help research it.

(If using Windows, then the model doesn’t matter as much. If you’re going into web development, I would recommend using Linux or Mac, unless you are a really experienced Windows user who understands Windows paths and environment variables. That’s just based on the kinds of questions/problems people bring to the meetups.)

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With respect to refurbished computers, the main battery has a lifetime expectancy of about five years (usually no more than this). At this point, it enjoys “diminishing returns” on attempts to recharge that battery. These large batteries are actually made up of a series of rechargeable AA-sized batteries inside. Unfortunately they’re soldered together and reasonably not consumer-replaceable without changing out the entire thing.

So if you’re chasing a refurbished laptop that’s more than three years old, check the aftermarket space to see if there are inexpensive third-part alternatives to the battery. (If you’re forced to buy the original manufacturer’s version, they’re often quite expensive.)

Going from Windows to Unix will make the laptop perform much better (Windows is bloatware). But as I’ve mentioned, it helps to choose a mainstream brand like HP to maximize the driver compatibility.

As for the Samsung, if it’s got an SSD hard drive then that should be both fast and shock-tolerant. If it comes with 4GB RAM out-of-the-box then I think I would recommend 8GB for coding, to be honest so maybe an upgrade of another 4GB. It appears to have those smaller USB-C type of connectors so that’s not super-compatible with the many, many USB Type-A ports which we normally expect. The only thing good about those is that they can deliver maybe a half amp more power to some peripheral but to me that doesn’t outweigh the inconvenience.

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This is all good info. I’d just add that Python is not especially demanding, and doesn’t add any special requirements.