Yeah for me the most important thing is the ports and the capacity. My workflow doesn’t feel right unless there’s two screens (mine are dual-link dvi because 4k is overkill and 1080p isn’t tall enough for a good chunk of code). Code here, output there; Email here, project there. Some of the crappy little laptops these days have a single HDMI port and maybe a couple of token USB ports and a disturbing lack of grunt once you connect one or two external monitors.
Also if you move between work spaces or need to carry your equipment, you need to consider how tough the laptop is. Will its screen accidentally open in your bag and let those cables you must carry slip between the keyboard and screen? Is the crappy cheapo plastic body feel like it’s going to snap if you breathe too hard? (I have the cheapo plastic body windows 10 laptop as a testing rig, alongside my main: the thinking is “If this app I’m developing works well on this device how will it feel on a bottom-of-the-line device”. Developers all should have a great device for developing, and a “real world” device which is what your users will probably actually have.
If I didn’t have a MBP at the moment, I’d have a ThinkPad.