MacBook and Xcode experience

Discussion in 'MacBook' started by where is it, May 8, 2016.

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  1. where is it, May 8, 2016

    where is it macrumors 6502

    where is it

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    #1
    I thought today I would give Xcode a go on the MacBook to see if compiling a 64bit Unity project to iPhone is possible. Or tolerable.

    I can easily say that it is a joy to use and not much different to my MBP i7 2.6 Quad core.

    Very impressive.
     
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  2. barbelith, May 8, 2016

    barbelith macrumors newbie

    barbelith

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    #2
    Thanks for you experience, I've reserved an M7 and I'm going to use it for web and iOS development

    Have you used it with AppCode or another Jetbrains IDE?

    s
     
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  3. where is it, May 8, 2016

    where is it thread starter macrumors 6502

    where is it

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    #3

    I haven't tried any other IDE's but based on my experience so far they will be perfectly fine.
     
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  4. c0ppo, May 8, 2016

    c0ppo macrumors 6502a

    c0ppo

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    #4
    @where is it

    How large was the project you were compiling ?
    Did the macbook heat up much?

    I'm also considering purchasing a skylake version of rMB (currently own rMBP 15, fully maxed out) and using it as a second computer, but I would use it mostly for programming in unity, corona sdk and xcode. I'm a little confused about the heat. Have no place to test out rMB, and if I buy one, I have to order it from ebay/amazon, so trying to get as much info as I can before I pull the plug :)
     
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  5. where is it, May 8, 2016

    where is it thread starter macrumors 6502

    where is it

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    #5
    My Xcode project was around 700mb of 3D assets and all the usual Unity bits and pieces.

    64bit for iPhone/iPad with all the linking etc.

    Didn't really heat up much really. It was warm but not hot.

    My 16gb i7 MBP would get pretty hot when compiling for the iPhone which is why I thought I'd share my experience. Personally I thought it would take ages and explode in a ball of fire.

    But no. Briskly compiled everything and installed to my iPhone 6. And I was happily playing away and running performance tests.

    In fact I would say it was the same time frame as doing the same thing on the MBP. Which is where the original project began.

    If you are planning to do some Corona SDK work then that would be blisteringly fast to work with being just basic Lua files and simulator.

    I am getting more and more impressed everyday. Like I mention in a previous post somewhere - my MBP is not flat and I have no intentions on charging it up anytime soon.
     
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  6. c0ppo, May 8, 2016

    c0ppo macrumors 6502a

    c0ppo

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    #6
    Corona SDK part doesn't concern me, since all compiling is done on their part (server), so I know I won't see any speed decline on that framework. I use Xcode only for iPhone apps, corona sdk for 2d games, unity3d for 3d games.

    Nice to hear your thoughts, and thanks for the input. I'm gonna purchase one for sure now :)
     
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  7. linux2001, May 8, 2016

    linux2001 macrumors newbie

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    #7
    Do you find the screen too small for XCode iPhone/iPad development? I sold my 2012 MBA 13'' recently in anticipation of the next MBP 13'' (or 15'' if light enough), but I am really attracted to the portability of the MacBook and am hoping the new MBPs will be close to the MacBook in terms of weight. It's just that I sometimes struggle with the lack of screen real estate in XCode on the MBA 13'' writing code and having to use the storyboard at the same time, so I am really hoping for a honest opinion from a fellow developer :)
     
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  8. where is it, May 9, 2016

    where is it thread starter macrumors 6502

    where is it

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    #8
    I haven't suffered in any way so far from the smaller screen. Many moons ago (2011ish) I used to code on an 11inch Macbook Air (Corona SDK, XCode, Sublime Text etc.) which was quite small and did give me eye strain and headaches after a while. Especially outside where I do enjoy working. But I do enjoy the light, small, go anywhere devices.

    I run the Macbook at More Space setting, 1400x900, which is the standard screen setting for a 15 inch Macbook Pro.
    So you get like for like in that respect. And whereas everything on the 15inch screen was a bit 'big', the resolution works well on the 12inch. The retina display helps enormously, keeping everything sharp and very readable.

    Coding is fine on the 12 inch. Like I mentioned if it fits on the 15inch MBP standard screen setting then it fits the same on the 12 inch More Space screen setting.

    Increasing the font size when coding is also an option for days when you are a bit tired or the eyes aren't working that great.

    I guess at the end of the day it depends on what you are used to. If you spend most of your time in the office with a 2 or 3 monitor set up and are considering the jump to a 12 inch screen then you will find the process jarring.

    However, if you, like myself, have lived on a 15inch MBP for the last god knows how many years and are tired of lugging around the weight or listening to fan noise a lot of the time then the MB will be a refreshing experience.

    I'll let you into a little secret which catches a lot of people including briefly myself out.

    When I went to pick up the MB from the Apple Store I was walking past the table with them all laid out and I glanced across and thought to myself "It's a bit small. How am I going to do anything on something like that?".

    Momentarily I did think that maybe I was making a mistake and the MB was a bit of a joke to consider doing anything 'proper' on it.

    But I'm glad I did buy the MB. It has been a perfect tool so far. Which can go anywhere, and most importantly you can create anything you want on it without the rest of the world noticing you have brought your serious laptop with you.

    I'm not sure what the experience was on the 2015 model but on the 2016 MB I haven't found anything that hasn't performed similar or exceeded my expectations.
     
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  9. linux2001, May 9, 2016

    linux2001 macrumors newbie

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    #9
    Thanks so much again for sharing your experiences. I think I will wait till WWDC to see if there are any MBP redesigns. Really hoping for a lightweight 13 or 14 inch with weight close to that of the MacBook :)
     
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  10. where is it, May 9, 2016

    where is it thread starter macrumors 6502

    where is it

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    #10

    Yeah it is worth the wait if you are in no particular hurry.

    I'd be surprised if they can fit higher performance internals with a thinner, fanless design though.

    But who knows. Apple is good sometimes at surprising us.
     
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  11. jclardy, May 9, 2016

    jclardy macrumors 68040

    jclardy

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    #11
    If you had issues with the Air they will be similar on this machine. I use it for Xcode and get away with it on the highest scaled resolution (1440x900, identical to the Air in terms of screen real estate.) I always use full screen and usually have to disable the file switcher sidebar, but it isn't too bad.

    In terms of speed though I have been quite satisfied with my 2015 base model - and this is coming from a 2015 rMBP with an i5. Compile times are slightly slower, but not really noticeably so. In general I don't typically do full rebuilds that often so the build->run times are typically near zero.
     
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  12. duervo, May 9, 2016

    duervo macrumors 68000

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    #12
    My current system is overkill for what I need these days (needs have evolved since I got it.) I'll probably get an i7 rMB, but since I already have the 2012 15" MBP that's overkill, I'm in no hurry. So, I may as well wait to see what Apple announces at WWDC, because they may spit out something in a 13" form factor that would be a decent "middle ground" in size/performance between the 15" MBP and 12" rMB.

    It's good to know that what I strongly suspected is true, though (ie: Xcode running just fine for any development tasks that I will be doing.)
     
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  13. tomislavf, May 23, 2016

    tomislavf macrumors member

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    #13
    Anyone else got their MacBook and is using it for iOS development? Thoughts?

    I'm currently using a late 2013 MBPr 13" (i5 2.4ghz) and I'm not sure what kind of hit I would get in compilation times.
     
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  14. Davidkoh, May 24, 2016

    Davidkoh macrumors 65816

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    #14
    I use mine for iOS development. It is not my full time job (although one can hope for the future) but I try a few things. The simulator is not working that great for me (physics makes things skip around) but I am not sure if it is due to the power of the computer or not. Most of the time I test on the iPhone/iPad anyhow so that does not really bother me.

    First time compilation is a bit slow but after that I don't really get much delays at all. My projects are not the biggest ones of course but good enough. I used to have a late 2013 rMBP 13" base model and I don't really notice a difference once everything is set up.

    I usually run the screen at 1920x1200 resolution since that gives me a lot of screen real estate.
     
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  15. viperGTS, May 24, 2016

    viperGTS macrumors 68000

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    #15
    EDIT: Answered above. Simulator is slow
     
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  16. Davidkoh, May 24, 2016

    Davidkoh macrumors 65816

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    #16
    Might be a software issue also, I don't notice a high CPU load while it is doing it and it is only once I enabled physics I noticed a slow down.
     
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  17. viperGTS, May 24, 2016

    viperGTS macrumors 68000

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    #17
    Perhaps. It runs badly on my 2012 non-retina MBP.
     
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  18. ViktorEvil, May 28, 2016

    ViktorEvil macrumors member

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    #18
    Anybody use a rMB with unity? If so did you use an external monitor as well
     
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