Pro No Mo - I don't really need a MacBook Pro machine for hobby programming.

I've been trying to decide which Apple laptop to buy for hobby programming.

I'm leaning towards the cheapest laptop Apple sells, the 2019 MacBook Air. As far as I can tell, is  fine for my current needs.

I specced out a more powerful and future-proof laptop, a 2019 MacBook Pro with 2x the RAM and SSD storage, but it was 60% more expensive.

I think it makes more sense for me to buy the cheaper laptop today, and plan on replacing it sooner. Especially because I have a lot of family members who would be fine with the cheaper laptop as a hand-me-down.

It does feel a little weird to decide that I don't need a "Pro" machine. When it comes down to it, Xcode, a SSD and a retina display are all the "Pro" I need for hobby programming, and Apple has made those features available in the budget Air line.


Comments

mepy said…
Hi,

I “found” you/your blog reading about Android development stuff... I’m at the very beginning of my Android development “process” and I’m trying to learn things... – let me say, I’m currently reading Android developer docs via the Wayback machine and using the command line tools to make something... ergo, I really do not like Android Studio and I do not know how the people like/use it, neither why Google removed all the command line and Eclipse/other-ide docs from the site.

...Anyway! (Yeah, I HAD to tell someone that)

IMO the Air, is the only Apple computer worth having nowadays.
It’s thin, has ok specs, and the price does make sense.
So... in case you needed it, although I do not have one of them, yes, I think a MacBook Air is a wise choice.

Best, u

PS:
Would you tell me which “setting” do you utilize for Android development? Do you have something to suggest me, a simpler alternative to Android Studio? I like stripped-down, raw development. (Not pen and paper though! xD)
August 21, 2019 at 9:00 AM
Jack Palevich said…
Congratulations on beginning Android development!

Unfortunately I think Android Studio is your best bet. It's what "everybody" uses for Android development.

The only thing I can think of is that it might run faster if you use it under Linux rather than MacOS or Windows, due to Linux having a faster file system than MacOS or Windows. (But if you're not comfortable with Linux, it makes sense to stick with the OS you are comfortable with.)
September 3, 2019 at 9:38 PM
mepy said…
Hello,

And thank you!

Well, yeah I have still to try Linux (for a daily use I mean) since I do not like to make a partition to my Mac. I’ll figure out something like a VM or a ”cheap” laptop where to install it.
Anyway yes, AS does not perform well on Mac...

...at the moment I found an Android Developers site backup and I’m following an old Tutorial all utilizing the command line. “Back in the days” there were Tutorials made for both Eclipse and the Command Line. I tried Eclipse but it did not work out well...

PS: I’m targetting an “old” Android version in a specific device so I thought I neither need new functionality, interfaces and my app to be “compatible” with as much devices as possible.
September 4, 2019 at 12:20 AM
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