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Web Development Setup on Windows 10 (Part 1)

My web development setup on Windows 10 consists of the following:

6 Reasons why I chose Windows for Work

For Work in the office, I’ve finally decided to choose Windows 10 over MacOS through the following:

  • Having worked with Windows 10 over a year now, Microsoft has now pushed support for a Linux subsystem (meaning Web developers can run Linux apps on Windows 10).
  • I just have a weak processor, that’s all (how many threads can run at one time, better processor means more running at once).
  • Startup is slow unless I get a better processor (again, weak processor can only handle opening 1 program at a time, essentially queueing them). Browsers now run each tab as if it were a separate browser, meaning you need a better processor now
  • I currently start 6 programs on startup (Chrome, Laragon, Opera, Outlook, Dropbox, Adobe CC). But it still takes me around 10 minutes before all the lag is gone. (unless I get a better processor)
  • Equivalent-priced Windows beats Mac (please see below)
  • I still fear for crashes on Windows, but so far none have ever happened at work, and I still do regular backups of the website files

Affordability: Windows 10 equivalent price vs iMac

If we have the price of the iMac as around £1700 for example, that will be an All-in-one package.

But with the equivalent of a Windows 10 platform + a good monitor, we are looking at a:

  • 5k 27-inch monitor (average £450 for this monitor)
  • Computer-equivalent specs (£700 Windows 10 Tower PC)

That amounts to £1200 for a Windows platform-equivalent! Just saved £500 which I could spend on even more upgrades to Windows!!

But we still need to be wary of the following now that we’ve found a solid price on the Windows 10 equivalent:

Noise

The iMac is completely silent. Whilst you have the Windows 10 machines notorious for their helicopter take-off and landing noises.

But if you search well enough after being clear of the specs you definitely need, you can work second priority on silence.

If we are more tight on the budget as a web developer — since all we do is solve problems — rather than mostly perfect the code, there is no need to worry about buying a better monitor. Sidenote: I like this article from Ken Rogers where he states that:

Web development shops aren’t really in the business of coding, they are in the business of solving problems. The coding is just their preferred tool to make that happen.
It is however always better to gain some more real estate e.g. a 2nd monitor. Screen size is very important so another screen is always handy.

So I bought an Acer 27 inch monitor for just £100, but now I’m seeing that it’s £150. Check your deals to make sure you get one maybe even save up for black friday when this one surely goes on sale again! Tip: Add it to your Amazon Wishlist so you can see the price drop and buy when it’s best on offer.

But believe me, a 27" monitor is huge! It’s the width of two 13" macbooks side-by-side, plus 1 and a 1/2 taller than the screen of a macbook.

In reality, this equals the size of 1+1+1+1 = 4 MacBooks corner-by-corner. I’d rather opt for the £100 than 4 macbooks!

I still use a macbook for my laptop though

I would prefer Mac if it were a laptop, because it is aluminum cased and the best value you can have for a laptop:

  • power,
  • ergonomics,
  • reliability,
  • performance.

But on Desktop computers, Windows is coming up to speed especially for more Web developers ever since the release of Windows 10 in 2015, that it’s blurring the line between the Operating Systems.

Is Windows 10 the future for Office Work?

It looks like that Windows 10 still prevails as the most used platform for the Office, for basic business use. Not exactly for web developers who love to bring their macbooks around too (myself included). It’s portability all-in-all, but there are still a good amount of web developers in the United Kingdom who work in offices rather than Freelance.

Basic business use means being able to open up Office programs like a spreadsheet, powerpoint, word processor, emails.

That means that you could get a good (silent) Windows PC for as cheap as £200.

But as a web developer I would highly recommend the following as top #1 priority:

  • Excellent processor Intel i5 and above
  • An SSD as primary storage (you’ll be syncing storage files online anyway)
  • A widescreen monitor 24" and above (better to get another monitor than Ultra HD)
  • DDR4 RAM 8GB (you don’t need more than this)

After you have selected around 10 good Windows 10 PCs, follow these as #2 priority:

  • View the reviews based on silence of the computer. Is it noisy? Is it completely silent operation (good)?
  • Does it have USB 3.0 (blue) ports? This will help speed up 10x any file transfers should you need (compared to USB 2.0)
  • No problems with the actual tower itself e.g. ports not working / frequent screens of death?
  • Is there a WiFi adapter installed (important, should you lose ethernet connection)?

Now, you’ll get straight to the point and select the best PC for you based on value.

On my next article Part 2: I list down what I use for Web Development on Windows 10, and why I found them really useful!

View Part 2 for Web Development on Windows 10 here

Love to hear your setup for Windows 10 at work!
Any questions please let me know in the comments below.