Development laptops for new hires, how common?

ifconfig · 05-05-2016 08:57AM #1

I am about to accept a job offer for a software developer position.
I'm well into 40s and I've obviously had a good few roles.
In my last role (I took a break from s/w development for various family reasons) my employer was able to expense a Macbook pro for development (iOS related stuff).
The new employer is more Microsoft dev stack based.
My home setup is very dated vis a vis, Intel/AMD PC hardware (desktop or laptop).

The job is very local which is definitely an advantage.
OK - my question is - how common is it for employers to provide development laptops nowadays to dev staff ?

I have an opportunity to phone them today to clarify any questions before accepting the job offer.
My proposal would be that use of a dev laptop would be for prototyping, local access to the dev stack, remote access to dev machines should issues arise with nightly builds, etc.
I don't want to be cheeky or make it a demand obviously but I'm interested to know what the industry norms are now given that maybe my last employer was outside the norm in providing me with my own portable dev machine.

eezipc · 05-05-2016 09:00AM

Depends on the company.
The company I work for now gave me a Dell laptop, Mac mini, ipad and android tablet. All for development and testing. If you need it to do your job properly then they have to provide it.

Aswerty · 05-05-2016 09:38AM

It sounds like you're volunteering to work extra hours before you start in the hopes of getting a laptop?

Seriously, not being able to work from home is a blessing. And even if you do have a company laptop you shouldn't be using it for personal use beyond trivial stuff - they own all the data on it.

If you're hell bent on getting a new laptop, think of a few other questions for when you ring them and then just ask them what kind of setup you'll be working with and then segue the laptop bit into it if it sounds like they just provide desktops. I don't think it's an industry standard to provide both a desktop and laptop for devs who don't have to travel.

As the last poster says; if you need one to do your job - they'll provide it.

BrokenArrows · 05-05-2016 12:09PM

We get laptops with a docking station and monitors by default.

It depends on what their current setup is. They might plan on giving you a second hand pc from the office, they might buy you a new pc or they might give you a laptop.

If the plan on purchasing a new pc for you then you could ask for a laptop instead.

However if they plan on giving you a second hand pc then you might find it hard to convince them to buy you a laptop.

05-05-2016 01:33PM

Aswerty wrote: »

Seriously, not being able to work from home is a blessing.

This.

Have you missed something in your OP? Are you going to be working from home instead of in an office? If it's a standard 9-5, Mon-Fri, office job, you do not want a laptop

cython · 05-05-2016 07:15PM

My employer wouldn't be giving developers laptops, but there are high-spec desktops provided for devs. If working from home it's traditionally a case of RDP to your machine in the office. We were acquired last year and the parent company has since provided VPN login with an RSA token, but only RDP and HTTP traffic works over it that I've been able to determine so far (SSH certainly does not work, haven't checked whether svn:// protocol might work, as quite frankly I don't have need of their code on my personal machine!

Goodshape · 05-05-2016 07:31PM

Started a new job recently, everyone including myself have good spec laptops to work from and good monitors to plug into them.

This doesn't mean we're taking, or expected to take, our work home – the laptop stays in the office at the end of the day; I don't need it for personal use. The flexibility of a laptop vs a desktop is still great.

It's an absolutely fair question to ask – "is there any, and if so what, hardware provided?". Most businesses should provide you with at least what you need to do the job.

14ned · 06-05-2016 02:24PM

ifconfig wrote: »

OK - my question is - how common is it for employers to provide development laptops nowadays to dev staff ?

Most of the big multinationals issue laptops to employees and a docking station in your office.

Smaller companies it varies. Most provide you your own computer onsite, some make you use a "pool" computer. A lot of companies issue the newest employees with a retired laptop, these tend to be fairly ancient but functional. Seniority typically determines who gets laptop upgrades the soonest with a hand me down system running.

Me personally, I have paid for a SSD out of my own pocket and swapped the laptop drive without telling the employer. I swap it back again if the laptop ever is returned. The difference is night and day, even to a ten year old laptop, it saves enormous amounts of time during code development. Unfortunately most employers won't even entertain that logic for expensing a SSD, even one costing less than €100

Niall

BrokenArrows · 06-05-2016 04:28PM

14ned wrote: »

Unfortunately most employers won't even entertain that logic for expensing a SSD, even one costing less than €100

Niall

My manager gave us all 1TB SSD's one day

Evil Phil · 11-05-2016 08:17AM

I've just started in a new role and go a new high spec laptop - however it will be at least 4 years before it gets refreshed.

BrokenArrows · 11-05-2016 03:16PM

Evil Phil wrote: »

I've just started in a new role and go a new high spec laptop - however it will be at least 4 years before it gets refreshed.

Accidents can happen after 2 years!!

imitation · 11-05-2016 03:24PM

I think its pretty common to get a laptop, I certainly got one. I wouldnt be to quick to assume that getting a laptop can mean overtime all the time (lets face it though, its common it development to do a bit from home, or for catching up on new developments). Its a lot easier to give an employee a laptop than a big desktop that needs to be carted around the office everytime you move desk.

jester77 · 12-05-2016 07:32PM

I've never heard of a dev position not offering a laptop. Any position I've had always came with a laptop with the required software and licenses to do the job. My current position gives us a top spec macbook pro every 3 years.

How is one suppose to do presentations in-house or at conferences, work together at workshops, etc if you don't have a laptop. It's one of the basic minimum requirements today for being able to do your job.

Recognition Scene · 13-05-2016 03:15AM

Same as jester, I've never heard of a dev job that didn't provide a laptop... at least in recent years.

Hrududu · 13-05-2016 12:32PM

None of the devs in our place have laptops. Other departments have them but not dev.

dazberry · 13-05-2016 01:33PM

We all have laptops here - but most places I've worked have been desktops.

One place I worked had high-end workstations, but beyond that most have been poor to mediocre - standard corporate builds. Back in 2012 I took a role where I had a Dell Dimension circa 2006 - well beyond its sell by date - like the company itself.

How is one suppose to do presentations in-house or at conferences, work together at workshops, etc if you don't have a laptop.

LOL - that wouldn't be a problem in a lot of places I've worked

D.

ressem · 13-05-2016 02:09PM

Depends on the type of code that you'll be writing, and the company.

Multinationals will typically provide laptops to all knowledge workers where it can benefit the company; but the security suite and VPN will be managed centrally by their IT. They don't want their code going missing or corrupted by some missed browser patch. Nor 3rd party code getting copied into their product without running it past the legal team.

So desktops are favoured. In a decent company they'll have 2-3 screen setups deployed around the office. Laptops would be borrowed for occasions like travel.

But in this case, do not treat the laptop as a personal machine or bonus. Look for the pay to maintain your own personal separate laptop. (say 600 a year after tax assuming a 4 year lifespan).

With small businesses, they're usually concerned with just delivering something billable.

Development laptops for new hires, how common?

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