> Honest question: what is a real world use case for writing PHP or Python programs on a tiny laptop with a 7" display that wouldn't be better served by a 13" laptop
A computer you can take everywhere when you need to squeeze in extra computer-time into any unplanned free moment opportunistically (e.g. Leetcode practice, dissertation crunch), or being on call and only need ssh & chat access 24/7.
I carried a high-DPI 7" tablet with a keyboard case to good effect. It was less of a physical burden than lugging around a 13-incher, and was inconspicuous when outdoors or places I may have felt unsafe carrying a laptop
> It was less of a physical burden than lugging around a 13-incher,
I guess this is a very personal thing, but I've always found the weight difference between a 7" tablet and a slim 13" laptop to be pretty minimal, and I walk-commute on average 3 miles a day carrying a laptop.
> and was inconspicuous when outdoors or places I may have felt unsafe carrying a laptop
It's probably a lifestyle choice, but if I were to feel unsafe using a laptop in a space, I probably wouldn't be able to focus enough to work, and instead of using a less conspicuous device, I would relocate somewhere that I felt safe. Also if I were on-call I would doubly want to be in a place where I felt I could focus completely on my work. I don't doubt that the market niche for inconspicuous general purpose computing devices exists, but I don't think it's huge.
> It's probably a lifestyle choice, but if I were to feel unsafe using a laptop in a space, I probably wouldn't be able to focus enough to work
You may have misunderstood the premise. I don't want to live my day-to-day life with a laptop on me 24/7, but I can tolerate a pocketable computer. Regular life involves activities in places without lockers - like typing up a dissertation chapter on the train to a ball game, or parking on streets that have occasional car break-ins, to have dinner with friends.
The idea is to make spontaneous computing on the go possible; so the device pretty much has to be on you all the time and everywhere, and I don't think a 13" laptop is a reasonable choice for that.
It doesn't have to only be about safety. I can't use my MBP 13 on the fold out tray of a coach seat. There are times where a less conspicuous device comes in handy.
A coach airplane seat? Depends on your body type maybe; I've done this with the 14" (and the 16" Intel) multiple times. Just don't set the screen angle such that it'll get caught by anything on the seat in front of you.
A computer you can take everywhere when you need to squeeze in extra computer-time into any unplanned free moment opportunistically (e.g. Leetcode practice, dissertation crunch), or being on call and only need ssh & chat access 24/7.
I carried a high-DPI 7" tablet with a keyboard case to good effect. It was less of a physical burden than lugging around a 13-incher, and was inconspicuous when outdoors or places I may have felt unsafe carrying a laptop