Netbook for programming

ulinbac

I have a mac atm, but I find it doesnt run that smoothly with computer programming e.g. excel sheets in matlab just doesnt work. Thinking about getting a netbook for programming in matlab, C++, q etc. any recommendations?

My mac does support C++, Java etc. with xcode but not too sure about column based programming in q.

Thinking a windows based netbook might be better. Any thoughts about which to buy would be appreciated.

dreamers75

Not much in the difference with most, but for your needs the Keyboard is important.

And most are a bit crap.

thenightrider

I find my netbook screen to small for doing programming i find it a lot easyier with my laptop as it has a bigger screen.

JonB

Using any form of an IDE on a netbook is a pain due to screen size.

partyatmygaff

You'd do better with a subnotebook. Something with an 11.6" screen and 1366x768 would be an ideal compromise between mobility and functionality.

Khannie

ulinbac wrote: »

excel sheets in matlab just doesnt work.

I don't know exactly what that means (never used matlab), but....I recommend that for windows specific stuff you save your money and run a virtual machine on the mac. I definitely wouldn't be spending money on a netbook or even a notebook. Horrible to try and code on. Also, coding on a mac (especially for C++ and Java) should be identical to on a windows box.

Virtual machine FTW.

ulinbac

Khannie wrote: »

I don't know exactly what that means (never used matlab), but....I recommend that for windows specific stuff you save your money and run a virtual machine on the mac. I definitely wouldn't be spending money on a netbook or even a notebook. Horrible to try and code on. Also, coding on a mac (especially for C++ and Java) should be identical to on a windows box.

Virtual machine FTW.

Thanks Kannie,

C++ and Java are grand on the mac, I mainly use q and matlab. Excel sheets on mac can't be inserted into mac as it matlab won't read ms office 08 on the mac. Had a nightmare with this last year. Wouldn't work when changed to a .csv file. A few of us have had this problem.

Q is working ok atm, but have been warned that not all the functions may work in it by other q users that I work with.

How does a virtual machine work?

Khannie

Virtual machines are a brilliant little idea. You get some virtual machine software (virtualbox is probably a reasonable starting point). You allocate it some disk space and give it some of your macs ram while the virtual machine is running. You start it up and it's like having a computer running on your computer. You would install windows on that virtual machine and just use that for the windows specific stuff.

Hard to describe, but this screenshot might help.



Windows 7 virtual machine running on a Mac.

beno619

Bootcamp would be an alternative to a VM both options are better than a netbook tho

ulinbac

Cheers lads, looks really good. Will give it a try and see what happens