Ask HN: Is 13" MacBook good enough without an external monitor?

1•ShahinSorkh•10h ago

I want to buy a 13" MacBook Air, but I'm not sure if I can have a comfortable development setup on its small screen without an external bigger display. I don't need to have multiple applications side by side I open everything maximized. It would be nice to be able to play some games (e.g Factorio, DF, LoL) as well.

I'm targeting 13" mostly because of its mobility as I'm planning to work on the go. As a side note: I never owned a MacBook. I appreciate any notes or tricks.

Any thoughts or advice?

Comments

AlexeyBrin•9h ago

It really depends. Personally I find my 13" MacBook Pro to be good enough for when I'm on the go, but at home I connect it to an external display for programming. (It also depends on how good is your eyesight.)

I would have preferred the 16" MacBook Pro and I will buy a 16" when my current laptop becomes unusable (still going strong for now).

jsk2600•9h ago

I worked on the same setup for 2 years while travelling a lot. You can get used to it, as long as you don't start connecting it to an external screen, then you'll find 13'' just small.

Consider purchasing an external portable screen to attach to the MacBook while on the go.

robthebrew•9h ago

sure, but investigate Mission Control

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Ask HN: Is 13" MacBook good enough without an external monitor?

Comments

Scientists Uncover Why the World's Most Common Heart Drug Causes Muscle Pain

Disguised and in Danger: How a Nobel Peace Prize Winner Escaped Venezuela

Show HN: I made a social media bot maker

The Logic of Cue

The Seven-Minute Visit Cannot Understand a Human Body

AI Is Breakin' the Law

Let AI find you the perfect gf/bf

Deconstructing the `CAP theorem' for CM and DevOps

Ask HN: Why do people trust ChatGPT with their money but not transparent algos?

Nanoremote, Cousin of Finaldraft

Why We Need to Know LR and Recursive Descent Parsing Techniques

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ClassicPress Version 2.6.0 is Out

FixBot: We Built an AI That Knows How to Fix Things

The LinkedQL engineering paper – the Live Queries engine

Show HN: Glogos: a consensus-free attestation proposal

Gatekeepers: The Traffic Controllers of the Gnome Village

Kiwis travelling to US could soon face new social media screening

Reframing AI Alignment

Lazard CEO says a Washington strategy now essential to get deals done

MacKenzie Scott Announces $7B of Charitable Giving This Year

Zoom AI Achieves SotA 48% on Humanity's Last Exam

The ultra-rich are claiming an increasing share of global wealth

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