I am NOT a Windows guy at all. I use Parallels for Windows testing. I am finding that it’s cumbersome to test that way, especially when I don’t have a secondary display.
I’m considering getting a simple Windows laptop with touch screen for Xojo development when I just can’t finalize what I’m doing on the Mac.
I need something with a built in USB hub (I’m told all USB isn’t the same, and I need to control external devices).
I’m looking to see what others in this situation are doing. Should I get a small inexpensive laptop for this purpose or a 2nd display to run Parallels on.
Regarding a Windows laptop, what is a good inexpensive recommendation? I know I trade performance for cost savings, and this will not be a primary machine.
In this situation ,I usually advise ‘Buy a second hand Dell’
Good solid laptops.
Not sure about the touchscreen aspect though.
I'm told all USB isn't the same, and I need to control external devices
USB is USB
All you should need to worry about is the version.
Most USBs are backward compatible with the 1.0 standard
3.0 is fast enough to run external hard drive as a primary drive…
2.0 is usually good enough for most things, and I may be wrong but I havent heard of an external device that needs ‘some special kind of USB’
I am partial to Lenovo. I had 6 Lenovo Thinkpads over the years, three of which I still own and still work (the others were company issued and I had to return them). My son went through his Engineering degree using one of my Thinkpads (a hefty 510). My daughter has beed using a 13 inch ideapad (710 IIRC) for the last 3 years in university. She is just starting year #4 with it.
I had 2 Dell that failed on me quickly so Dell is out for me, but some colleagues with Dell like them. My colleagues who have HP like them very much also.
In the end, identify key features and functions that are most important for you and find models that meet your requirements. You will surely find excellent deals near Black Friday if you can wait this long. If you can, shop around to find the 2-3 models that meet your needs and your budget, then wait for the deals.
You may want to look at convertible laptops (detachable keyboard).
low cost laptops usually skimp on hard disk, screen and processor. I would not buy anything below a Core I3. The hard disk: actually, I usually buy the lowest possible option and upgrade it myself. It is cheaper than getting the right SSD right from the start. The screen is the last element: I simply cannot work on a screen with a vertical resolution of 766 pixels. I usually go for the high end screen. That also means I don’t buy cheap… Again, know your needs and requirements.
Add a native Windows machine to your network and use remote debugging for testing the windows version of you project.
Touch screen or not, no need for it for just functional testing.
Parallels is nice (use it all day on my mbp) , but a Windows app interacting with peripherals should be tested on a native machine. Remote debugging does this job .
Please chose carefully: many Windows tablets are 32-bit only because their bootloaders do not support 64 bit. This is also the case for many 2 in 1’s, and if you chose a simple laptop at least get one that supports virtualization and has 4GB or more.
OK, I got an inexpensive tablet, and I think you all for the advice.
Now I have an interesting scenario. When I’m connected to the tablet without the keyboard attached, all the native apps use the soft/screen (whatever it’s called) keyboard, but the Xojo app doesn’t cause that to pop up.
Is there a solution for this?
