@SummerWill90
I use a MacBook-Pro (13", late 2013) and I love this machine. But for me any other Apple computer (Mac mini, iMac) with the latest OSX would also do. I like the ease of use. It costs me less energy to use it and it saves me some pain in my muscles, compared to a Windows computer.
Windows works fine, but the mouse makes more meters on it to get things done. The distances between menu’s and the most important buttons are larger than on Apple. And that’s the case in almost all apps. With sensitive muscles like mine I can feel the difference.
Apple’s menu’s are on the left, next to the buttons to open en close apps, while those same buttons on Windows are on the right.
Apple keeps things very small, like in the settings screen. No scrolling there, like in Windows. I can also do most things (except writing code) using my voice as well.
This may not sound like much of a difference between Apple and Windows, but it is to me. I don’t want to go back to using Windows for this reason.
But that’s personal.
Both Apple, Windows and Linux are fine for coding.
You need a decent computer to work on. With enough power not only to run complex code, but also to connect a large monitor to it, or even two of them. I don’t think Chromebook could do that.
And one day you’ll need that monitor, because you’ll be working on so many things at once you’ll want to have them next to each other. Others have mentioned that in the posts above.
Switching constantly between apps drives you crazy, especially if you need to check what things look like or if you need to remember and use what you just read in another app or on another webpage. And that will happen as soon as you leave the teaching environment of websites like FCC and start building a real website.
Whether that computer is a laptop or desktop is not so important as long as it gives you the possibility to connect one or more large monitors. And a laptop gives you both freedom to use it outside your house (coding in the garden ) and an second monitor while working at your desk with the laptop connected to an external monitor.
Any mid price laptop/desktop should do. Make sure to get at least 8GB ram. You’ll need that with all those apps open.
If you go for the Apple computer take into account that Apple gives you free updates on the OSX and all the new versions of it during about 6 to 8 years. After that you can still use it, but one day you might not be able to update certain apps.
There are many ten year old Apple computers out there, still working hard for their owners.
The Apple won’t loose much of its speed, only some of its battery life and it almost always works immediately. No waiting for updates to be installed before it will start, while you’re in a hurry to work on it, like on Windows. Yes, I am a fan of Apple, can’t help it.
Good luck with choosing your new computer.
And thanks for asking this question. I find the answers very useful and it made me think about my own computers.