MacBook Air for iOS, Python & Web Development – Good Enough?

[mockford]

Apologies if this has been asked before – I did a quick search but wanted to get some up-to-date feedback.

I currently use a Mac Studio as my main dev machine, but I’m thinking of picking up a MacBook Air for working on the go – travel, cafes, etc.

My development work includes a mix of:

• iOS development (Xcode, Simulator, SwiftUI)
• Python scripting and small tools
• Full-stack web development (React, Node, etc.)

I’m not expecting it to replace the Mac Studio – just something portable and capable enough to handle real dev work when I’m away from the desk. That said, I’m curious how the Air handles:

• Xcode builds and running Simulators
• Docker (if anyone’s using it lightly)
• General performance and thermals under load
• Battery life during coding sessions

If you’re using a MacBook Air for similar tasks, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Worth it, or better to save for a Pro?

Thanks in advance!

 

[costica1234]

I have the M4/32/1TB config which I am using for flutter development and some non-demanding Python scripts (parsing Excel files and other small stuff). I find the machine capable enough and it stays cool during all these tasks. When developing with flutter I launch apps directly on my iPhone and take advantage of the hot reloading feature which works like a charm even wirelessly. Can't comment on Xcode/Android Studio simulators as I've never opened them on this new Air.

In my day-to-day workflow which involves having Safari (5-10 tabs), WhatsApp desktop, Visual Studio Code, Microsoft Remote Desktop, Apple Mail opened all at once, Activity Monitor shows a RAM usage of just below 24 GB RAM.

Can't comment on battery life as my Air is usually plugged in. Even when plugged in, the body of the Air is still not getting hot. The only time it got a little hot was when installing a new Xcode update, but that's to be expected I suppose.

All in all, you can't go wrong with the M4 Air for doing light development work like I do. I recommend the 32 GB RAM option for a bit of future-proofing.

 

[Slartibart]

I also use an M4 Air for prototyping programs and architectures using Python, R, SQL, technical documentation, creating presentations, and some light (SwiftUI) iOS development. No docker, no full-stack development.

All „real” compute using the Python/R code then is done on a Studio, some maxed-out on-premise servers or google cloud.

Running multi-core calculations throttles around the 10" mark, I usually develop with some minimal data sets (<= 5 million data points ) and the Air is a joy to use, I never really stress about battery life.

nota bene: my employer operates on Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Office - particularly and anectdotically Teams was everytime I run it causing a variety of problems over time (cpu usage, memory leaks, and other strangenesses which affected massively battery run time), so I do not use it on the Air.