Needs advice mac machine for development

Since you are a developer, I highly recommend 8GB of RAM. 4GB will get the job done, but 8 will get it done faster. The cMBP can be upgraded to 8GB of RAM, but in every other area it is worse than all current Apple products. I would not recommend that computer to anyone at this point. I would look in to getting a used 2012 15" rMBP. Otherwise, look at used 13" 8GB MBAs or rMBPs. You can find some really good deals on the used market, you just have to keep an eye out for them.

If you don't like the used market, your best new option is an 11" 8GB/128GB MBA. It has the same power of the 13" model, it is just smaller and costs less. You can hook it up to an external monitor if you have one, and it will run perfectly. It is really the easiest and most effective solution to your dilemma.

Matt

 

I'm a fan of the Air's but for your uses I'd say go with the Pro. You don't need Retina for iOS dev and you'd benefit from the faster i5.

 

Apple just updated the entry level 13" retina macbook pro so that it has 8GB RAM. I wonder if it has yet to be updated in your country, but may be in the future. The used rMBP route is certainly an option, but if you don't want to deal with the hassle of finding a seller for that, you could also consider Apple's refurbished notebooks. They are usually about $200 cheaper in the US, so the better model of the 13" rMBP with 8GB RAM refurbished might be the same price as the new 13" rMBP with 4GB RAM. I don't have any firsthand experience with Apple's refurbished products, but I have heard that they are good as new. You should also be able to return them to Apple if you are not happy with the product.