Employer is going to buy me a MBA or MBP.

[estockme]

So i'm on the verge of accepting a new job as a software developer and my employer is going to buy me one or the other of apple's 2 serious laptops. I have a 2012 Air that is getting a bit long in the tooth at this point, so i'm wondering what the arguments are against a macbook pro for work. What I can think of:

cons
-software development doesn't usually need mbp-level computing power
-weight- i commute by public transit and bike, work remote at times
-more of a pain to carry around

pro
-honestly aside from it costing more i don't have an opinion on this


I'm also wondering if company-provided computers generally carry stipulations regarding code i write on them that isn't for them. specifically i'm thinking of the season 2 finale of silicon valley.

 

[pjfan]

Retina screen is everything to me, so I would be going with 13" rMBP.

As for code you're freelancing with, your NDA ought to address this. If you go to an incubator or bunker, there might be a free connection to have a lawyer review the NDA with you.

I take this rule, if you're on company time and company tools, what you do is your company's intellectual property. If you use your own SW tools on their laptop, or it's a free software tool like Swift, then do it on your own time and sleep good at night even if you're using their laptop (obviously, keep everything 100% separate).

With your personal MBA, you could always leave it running at home and remote in to do all your personal development. Then it becomes less questionable.... You still should program on your own time though, and not on company .

 

[hallux]

It's not so much the NDA that guides this but the AUP that you agree to in order to get access to the company systems. That AUP will sometimes say that any work derived from use of the computer belongs to the company that issued it.

 

[kohlson]

My wife uses a 2012 MBA for server-side development, 8GB, bumped to 480GB SSD. I ask from time-to-time if she wants an upgrade and she's still happy. She uses an external monitor at work and at home - probably 80% of the time. She picked the MBA over the MBP partially because of the weight/size, but I don't think 13-inch Retina was available then.

As far as using the company laptop for other work/content, I think it's safe to say they have some rights to everything on their computer, unless there is something written to the contrary. What companies state they own, including your work while in their employ, varies widely, as does any enforcement. Best to have something written to avoid any possibility of future misunderstanding.