HACKER Q&A
📣 zim1

Portable Coding Devices


I am mainly working remotely from a small(-ish) apartment with one proper work desk. One thing I have noticed recently is that I am struggling to sit down at the same desk/location for coding-related leisure (experimenting with a new language, coding up a hobby project, ...) without it _feeling_ like work.

I don't experience the same negative connotations if I read a software development/software architecture books from my sofa or bed. Hobby development activities in the past have helped me in staying excited with my area of work, so I do not want to get rid of them. BUT: Reading in bed, I then often miss a "companion device" which I could fire up quickly, go through examples in a book (e.g. to internalize syntax of a new language) that also offers a half-decent developer experience.

10 years ago I used to have a Surface tab with a detachable keyboard that was quite OK. I would be interested if anyone here had any recommendations for ultra-portable devices which serve(d) you well for short recreational programming/development.

(I don't even want to pose any upfront requirements that the device should meet, I am mainly interested in hearing what worked for you :))

  👤 spansoa Accepted Answer ✓
I tried coding on a phone just for the technical challenge and to see how I would manage, and I just couldn't do it. I'm a good typist on my phone, but with very technical and finicky things such as code, you need special care and precision, that for me, works only best on a desktop workstation with a proper keyboard.

I tried coding on my iPad on a beanbag, but found I was 10x more productive with a workstation with chair, mouse, etc. I think I have bad dexterity. I've seen others happily coding away on beanbags in the office and don't know how they do it.