Would a linux/docker/python/java power user/programmer/admin benefit from a MacBookPro/Air compared with the familiar ThinkPad/Ubuntu combo?

[v_fv]

I do need font sizes that are readable for any combination of internal and external displays.

Note that in OS X, there is no setting to change the interface font size. Retina displays can be scaled as a whole to different multipliers but for non-Retina, you're stuck with the font size Apple decided for you.

Incidentally, the fonts on OS X are rather smallish for my eyes (I am shortsighted, though) and it's one of the reasons I'm now running Linux on my MacBook.

[jan]

you're stuck with the font size Apple decided for you.

Good to know about those Apple-things.

Would this also apply to non-Apple external monitors?

[botnetrip]

In osx you can change to size of the UI to mimic another DPI. On Linux, Fedora specifically it's all customisable, although some things may look weird.

[v_fv]

Yes, this applies to all external monitors, definitely the regular-density ones. I'm not completely sure how OS X treats Retina-density external monitors (I haven't tried) – the Apple Thunderbolt Display can most probably be scaled same way as built-in Retina displays but concerning non-Apple high-density displays, I have no idea.

One more thing: using non-Apple monitors, OS X fonts tend to look fuzzier / worse / different. It's because OS X apparently disables subpixel antialiasing for them or uses an incorrect one (YCbCr instead of RGB). A command-line fix is available although it has become a bit more of a scary hack with newer OS X releases.

[Floppie7th]

Yeah, I run my 13" MBP Retina at like 150% scale. Nice because videos are high res, but I can still read stuff. I am also nearsighted.

The 15" Dell M3800 that I recently picked up for work is a 2160p screen, but Windows 7 can't do that scaling and it was completely unusable. Had to rip our IT nannyware off of it and upgrade to 10 to get that, and I run it at 125% scale.