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jamescooper89

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 28, 2017
7
2
Hi! My major is computer science, so I want to ask 2017 MB Air 13" is a good laptop for coding or I have to buy 2015 MB Pro 15" (Apple still produces this laptop). Thanks!
 

maerz001

macrumors 68020
Nov 2, 2010
2,492
2,397
The 2017 Air is actually a 2015 model.

U do not need quadcore for coding but 15" is better to have a few windows next to each other for coding. Or using an external monitor with a 13MBP. Heck here are people using a 12" MB.

Air only when u can't spend more than $800.
 

redgreenski

macrumors regular
Aug 17, 2017
209
461
Hi! My major is computer science, so I want to ask 2017 MB Air 13" is a good laptop for coding or I have to buy 2015 MB Pro 15" (Apple still produces this laptop). Thanks!
I wouldn't get MBP until 2018 version comes out due to various reliability issues.
MBA 2017 will last you long time in terms of reliability. Can't comment on the coding part.
 

Pugly

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2016
411
403
The Air can do a lot. The CPU is a couple of generations behind now, but that's not a big problem. It's still the cheapest way to get a portable Mac, and for that reason it will be worth a consideration. It all works well, it just seems old compared to the newer macs. The screen is 2010 technology, it's not really that thin anymore relatively and the computer is kinda wide with large bezels... but it's still a really capable computer.

Likewise the 2015 15" is a good buy if you need the power, screen size and the ports.

It can do coding just fine. I'd get the 15" only if I was going to work on compiling really huge projects, or I was doing stuff that I would end up waiting on the computer a lot. Exporting video, doing really heavy scientific calculations...

I use a 2015 Air for pretty large Logic Pro X projects and it manages just fine.
 

06tb06

Cancelled
Sep 12, 2017
183
138
I wouldn't get MBP until 2018 version comes out due to various reliability issues.
MBA 2017 will last you long time in terms of reliability. Can't comment on the coding part.

Agreed. I owned a 3rd generation Retina MBP and didn't have anywhere near the problems that users of newer 2016/2017 MBPs are experiencing. In terms of reliability, the 2015 MBPs are a better choice. Same processor generation as the Air, but with a higher resolution display. I would buy that notebook again today over the latest models.
 
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