HN Atlas
← All topics

Personal computers and laptops

Desktop and laptop selection, maintenance, restoration, sharing, and consumer hardware.

4,989 stories · 60 in 30 days · Updated Sep 28, 2026

The pace of conversation

Posts per month

2020-01: 60 posts2020-02: 73 posts2020-03: 53 posts2020-04: 53 posts2020-05: 62 posts2020-06: 71 posts2020-07: 61 posts2020-08: 59 posts2020-09: 71 posts2020-10: 69 posts2020-11: 64 posts2020-12: 71 posts2021-01: 80 posts2021-02: 78 posts2021-03: 65 posts2021-04: 50 posts2021-05: 56 posts2021-06: 60 posts2021-07: 51 posts2021-08: 66 posts2021-09: 55 posts2021-10: 50 posts2021-11: 64 posts2021-12: 65 posts2022-01: 91 posts2022-02: 69 posts2022-03: 48 posts2022-04: 77 posts2022-05: 75 posts2022-06: 57 posts2022-07: 51 posts2022-08: 64 posts2022-09: 74 posts2022-10: 73 posts2022-11: 68 posts2022-12: 84 posts2023-01: 76 posts2023-02: 55 posts2023-03: 66 posts2023-04: 55 posts2023-05: 71 posts2023-06: 48 posts2023-07: 65 posts2023-08: 68 posts2023-09: 70 posts2023-10: 60 posts2023-11: 59 posts2023-12: 58 posts2024-01: 74 posts2024-02: 66 posts2024-03: 61 posts2024-04: 53 posts2024-05: 72 posts2024-06: 60 posts2024-07: 70 posts2024-08: 57 posts2024-09: 51 posts2024-10: 56 posts2024-11: 53 posts2024-12: 43 posts2025-01: 73 posts2025-02: 35 posts2025-03: 52 posts2025-04: 71 posts2025-05: 54 posts2025-06: 42 posts2025-07: 43 posts2025-08: 49 posts2025-09: 41 posts2025-10: 58 posts2025-11: 47 posts2025-12: 53 posts2026-01: 86 posts2026-02: 52 posts2026-03: 60 posts2026-04: 71 posts2026-05: 57 posts2026-06: 49 posts2026-07: 68 posts2026-08: 67 posts2026-09: 56 posts
2020-012026-09

Posts per month · first and latest months may be partial.

01 / EXPLORE THROUGH TIME

Timeline

Start with the latest. Scroll back through time, or zoom in for more.

Year by yearUp to 5 stories per year
2026566 stories
Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables↗ blog.jim-nielsen.com · HN · 465 comments · 784 points · Sep 10, 2026
There's no reason for software to be slow anymore↗ danluu.com · HN · 499 comments · 669 points · Aug 22, 2026
Shipping a laptop to a refugee camp in Uganda↗ notesbylex.com · HN · 255 comments · 701 points · May 22, 2026
Show HN: Brutalist Concrete Laptop Stand (2024)↗ sam-burns.com · HN · 240 comments · 786 points · Apr 07, 2026
“This is not the computer for you”↗ samhenri.gold · HN · 380 comments · 1011 points · Mar 13, 2026
2025618 stories
Laptops with Stickers↗ stickertop.art · HN · 739 comments · 642 points · Nov 02, 2025
Gemini 2.5 Computer Use model↗ blog.google · HN · 325 comments · 636 points · Oct 07, 2025
The world could run on older hardware if software optimization was a priority↗ twitter.com · HN · 814 comments · 848 points · May 13, 2025
I maintain a 17 year old ThinkPad↗ pilledtexts.com · HN · 580 comments · 620 points · Apr 03, 2025
It's time to make computing personal again↗ vintagecomputing.com · HN · 351 comments · 695 points · Jan 19, 2025
2024716 stories
Why we use our own hardware↗ fastmail.com · HN · 529 comments · 933 points · Dec 22, 2024
Tldraw Computer↗ computer.tldraw.com · HN · 120 comments · 553 points · Dec 20, 2024
Why is it so hard to buy things that work well? (2022)↗ danluu.com · HN · 577 comments · 693 points · Dec 16, 2024
Low Cost Mini PCs↗ lowcostminipcs.com · HN · 336 comments · 701 points · Aug 29, 2024
Reading QR codes without a computer↗ qr.blinry.org · HN · 87 comments · 655 points · Jan 22, 2024
2023751 stories
The X220 ThinkPad is the best laptop↗ bt.ht · HN · 141 comments · 86 points · Dec 31, 2023
Ask HN: Questions for two 40 year IBM Mainframe repair and programmers↗ news.ycombinator.com · HN · 40 comments · 114 points · Dec 27, 2023
War of the workstations: How the lowest bidders shaped today's tech landscape↗ theregister.com · HN · 100 comments · 174 points · Dec 25, 2023
How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)↗ solar.lowtechmagazine.com · HN · 38 comments · 52 points · Jul 08, 2023
Schools bought millions of Chromebooks and 3 years later they’re breaking down↗ theverge.com · HN · 40 comments · 42 points · Apr 22, 2023
2022831 stories
I help seniors with technology issues↗ twitter.com · HN · 810 comments · 1276 points · Oct 24, 2022
The computers are fast, but you don't know it↗ shvbsle.in · HN · 795 comments · 561 points · Jun 16, 2022
The new and upgraded Framework Laptop↗ community.frame.work · HN · 738 comments · 1680 points · May 19, 2022
USB-C hubs and my slow descent into madness (2021)↗ overengineer.dev · HN · 513 comments · 1144 points · Apr 04, 2022
Computers as I used to love them↗ tonsky.me · HN · 257 comments · 692 points · Jan 07, 2022
2021740 stories
Do not leave XPS laptop in any sleep/hibernate/standby mode when placed in a bag↗ dell.com · HN · 878 comments · 1080 points · Sep 24, 2021
The Framework is the most exciting laptop I've used↗ pluralistic.net · HN · 1408 comments · 2666 points · Sep 21, 2021
The tools and tech I use to run a one-woman hardware company↗ blog.thea.codes · HN · 130 comments · 925 points · May 18, 2021
I want a computer that I own↗ misc-stuff.terraaeon.com · HN · 655 comments · 994 points · Mar 09, 2021
The Framework Laptop↗ frame.work · HN · 991 comments · 2563 points · Feb 25, 2021
2020767 stories
Your Computer Isn't Yours↗ sneak.berlin · HN · 742 comments · 1514 points · Nov 13, 2020
I am seriously considering going back to desktop computers↗ misc-stuff.terraaeon.com · HN · 673 comments · 618 points · Oct 25, 2020
Time to Upgrade Your Monitor↗ tonsky.me · HN · 1013 comments · 1220 points · Jun 17, 2020
Extremely disillusioned with technology. Please help↗ gist.github.com · HN · 714 comments · 1527 points · May 04, 2020
Almost everything on computers is perceptually slower than it was in 1983 (2017)↗ twitter.com · HN · 374 comments · 602 points · Feb 19, 2020
Scroll through time ↕

02 / CATCH UP

The conversation now

Popular stories, with attention fading over roughly two weeks.

Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables↗ blog.jim-nielsen.com · HN · 465 comments · 784 points · Sep 10, 2026
There's no reason for software to be slow anymore↗ danluu.com · HN · 499 comments · 669 points · Aug 22, 2026
Used ThinkPad Buyer's Guide (2019)↗ bobble.tech · HN · 53 comments · 63 points · Sep 22, 2026
For Computer Use, the harness matters as much as the model↗ stagehand.dev · HN · 18 comments · 32 points · Sep 24, 2026
I'm a seeing-eye dog for a computer↗ claytonwramsey.com · HN · 97 comments · 117 points · Sep 03, 2026

03 / GO DEEPER

Follow your curiosity

Find a particular story, revisit a year, or see what resonated.

Highest rated · the last 30 days

Don't let anyone take away your big box of cables↗ blog.jim-nielsen.com · HN · 465 comments · 784 points · Sep 10, 2026
I'm a seeing-eye dog for a computer↗ claytonwramsey.com · HN · 97 comments · 117 points · Sep 03, 2026
Used ThinkPad Buyer's Guide (2019)↗ bobble.tech · HN · 53 comments · 63 points · Sep 22, 2026
The origins of Partner’s computer case↗ racunalniski-muzej.si · HN · 5 comments · 41 points · Sep 07, 2026
For Computer Use, the harness matters as much as the model↗ stagehand.dev · HN · 18 comments · 32 points · Sep 24, 2026
A Computer History Time Capsule↗ blog.archive.org · HN · 0 comments · 26 points · Sep 01, 2026
Why Buran Had Four Computers, Not Three↗ zatona.dev · HN · 1 comments · 12 points · Sep 24, 2026
Should You Buy a ThinkPad?↗ rubenerd.au · HN · 13 comments · 10 points · Sep 07, 2026
The Age of Personalized Hardware↗ twitter.com · HN · 0 comments · 9 points · Sep 25, 2026
So software is mostly dead and hardware it is↗ twitter.com · HN · 0 comments · 9 points · Sep 13, 2026

10 stories shown.

Help shape Hacker Atlas

Useful, confusing, or missing something? I’d love to hear.

Your feedback is private. Your email is only used to reply, never to sign you up for a newsletter.