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New Macbook for development

C

cis4life

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 4, 2008
216
67
Hello,

I currently have a maxed out rMBP (my work sponsored machine). I'm a software developer (Objective C / Swift, PHP and Java and .NET via VM). I want to build a few projects on my own, and prefer to do it on my own machine, So i'm going to buy a new mac. I was initially going for a 13 inch rMBP but I keep finding myself looking at the new MB. I know the rMBP will do exactly what I want, but I LOVE the design, weight of the new MB, but don't know if the processor can handle what I want to do (Swift, PHP, Java and .NET Development). I'm not designing games, basically service sites and mobile apps. and I will need to run a Windows VM (VMWare Fusion) to run Visual Studio when I do .NET development.

What are your thoughts of the new MB as a dev machine. I'm not one of those ppl saying "ohhh everything else is SOO heavy now", but more less just like the look of the new MB and that it is ultra portable, but questioning if it can do what I need it to ultimately do.

Your Thoughts?
 
Personally, Im not sure it could handle everything that you do...From what i heard, you seem to need more performance. I dont know if you should get it, but I do know is that you definitely should wait for some reviews and try it out before buying and see if it handle ur load..

I think that next year, apple is going to update the Pros with the new keyboard and probably a newer design that is thinner so if you can wait, you'll maybe get the best of both world...of course, i doubt the Pro will ever be as ultraportable as the rMB..

good luck
 
It's really all guesswork at the moment as we just don't know how well the new chip is going to perform in the MacBook. There are a couple of windows machines out in the wild using similar chips, but none in the exact same specification, and obviously running windows which makes direct comparisons hard.

The bottom line is likely to be that everything you want to do will run, but maybe not as smoothly or speedily as you are used to. Until you either get to play with one first hand, or read some real world reviews, your guess is as good as mine or anyone else's whether any compromises in performance will be sufficient to make this the right/wrong machine for you.

I can't help but think that it will make an excellent machine for more things than the nay-sayers are giving credit for. The best tool is the one you have available, as they say, and this one will end up being taken places that heavier larger units would be left behind.
 
Dev work isn't too cpu intensive. Its more dependent on the io speed. So yeah it should make a decent dev machine spec wise.

But the screen may be a bit small.
 
For the kind of work you'll do the macbook will be more than enough. I run parallels win7 visual studio without problems on my base 11" mba. My work sponsored machine is an old 2010 dell laptop and it runs everything fine for Windows app development in visual studio, so the MacBook should blow it out of the water.
 
lchlch said:
Dev work isn't too cpu intensive. Its more dependent on the io speed. So yeah it should make a decent dev machine spec wise.

But the screen may be a bit small.
Click to expand...

The screen size is the only thing that worries me. I work in javascript, python and Java (bleh!). I'm hoping to dive back into SWIFT once I execute my plans over the next several months.

I used to work on a 2010 11" MBA and never had a problem. I have an rMBP now. I want a gold rMB. It's thinner and lighter and in a new color and good enough for what I need.
 
Last edited:
AdonisSMU said:
The screen size is the only thing that worries me. I work in javascript, python and Java (bleh!). I'm hoping to dive back into SWIFT once I execute my plans over the next several months.

I used to work on a 2010 11" MBA and never had a problem. I have an rMBP now. I want a gold rMB. It's thinner and lighter and in a new color and good enough for what I need.
Click to expand...

This should not replace your main dev machine...i personally work on rmbp 15 with 27 4k display.

Could not imagine working on something smaller where i can choose not to.

This is the machine you take on business trips to work in a hotel not at home.
 
holydude said:
This should not replace your main dev machine...i personally work on rmbp 15 with 27 4k display.

Could not imagine working on something smaller where i can choose not to.

This is the machine you take on business trips to work in a hotel not at home.
Click to expand...

Yes, the rMB will offer great portability but that will come at a price.
 
holydude said:
This should not replace your main dev machine...i personally work on rmbp 15 with 27 4k display.

Could not imagine working on something smaller where i can choose not to.

This is the machine you take on business trips to work in a hotel not at home.
Click to expand...

I think the 15" machine is portable enough tbqh... Im struggling with the size issue more than anything.
 
I agree the 15.4 is portable. But it takes up so much space on a desk at school. The problem with my machine is just its over all size not weight.
 
I'm a developer and have been writing code since the days of my C64.

First rule of development - It's a text based process and rarely requires big CPU power. Sadly good development requires a bit more brain power (which I often lack) to imagine what is being typed to the application. Some of the most popular text editors are very very simple and fast, even on the slowest single core cpus.

2nd - I use an 2014 11" MBA on the road (which is a lot of the time) and screen size is a limit. Recently I have started to use the app 'duet' to expand the screen with an iPad. Problem is this really bothers people on airplanes.

3rd - After coding the simulation (XCode iOS) varies between machines based on CPU speed, but it worked fine on a 2010 11" MBA I used to use so why won't it work on the faster rMB.

4th - Online connection speed is always the same speed on most, if not all, machines when you send code to a website. The limit normally isn't normally the wireless a, b, n, ... our laptops have.

5th - Buy what you want and will enjoy.
 
The inability to drive screens higher in resolution than 1080p disqualifies it for me as a computer to do any serious work on. I'd like to be able to write code while I'm on my way between home and office, and then be able to plug the same laptop in on big monitors (2560x1600 resolution), which make me so much more productive (allow me to have visualizations and papers up at the same time as terminals and source code editors). Without that ability -- and the multiport offered by Apple doesn't offer it -- this laptop is a toy. As that (a toy), it seems like it could be fun a fun little gimmick, so I'll be sure to play around with it until the end of the 14-day return window.
 
macbook123 said:
The inability to drive screens higher in resolution than 1080p disqualifies it for me as a computer to do any serious work on.
Click to expand...

Where did this "no larger than 1080p" stuff come from? I've seen it in multiple threads now.

From Apple's Tech Specs page:
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
 
Last edited:
PBG4 Dude said:
Where did this "no larger than 1080p" stuff come from? I've seen it in multiple threads now.

From Apple's Tech Specs page:
Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
Click to expand...

I think it's because that is the best output display resolution you can get from any of the USB-C adapters that Apple is currently showing on their web-site.m

Currently it is unknown how one would get a adapter to use the 3840 x 2160 pixel output (DP1.2).
 
iRun26.2 said:
I think it's because that is the best output display resolution you can get from any of the USB-C adapters that Apple is currently showing on their web-site.m

Currently it is unknown how one would get a adapter to use the 3840 x 2160 pixel output (DP1.2).
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that 1080p is a limit imposed by hdmi. You should be able to use a larger display, with a usb c to displayport cable. Like this one, that google is selling https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_displayport_cable
 
Yeah,

You all bring up some good points. As much as I want the new Macbook, I think ill get the 13 rMBP. It's not that much heavier.
 
lchlch said:
I'm pretty sure that 1080p is a limit imposed by hdmi. You should be able to use a larger display, with a usb c to displayport cable. Like this one, that google is selling https://store.google.com/product/usb_type_c_to_displayport_cable
Click to expand...

That adapter which is aimed at devices with a separate charger port is useless for the Macbook because one can't charge the Macbook at the same time. HDMI is not limited to 1080p. So either Apple artificially crippled their multiport adapter (unlikely, why would Apple artificially reduce the functionality of one of their devices ;-p) or there's a problem routing high res display signal, USB, and charger simultaneously through USB-C. If that is the case, this Macbook is nothing but a toy for me. I can't plug it into my monitor but need to purchase two extra Macs (one for work, one for home) and then need to sync any files I work on through the cloud. I wouldn't do that.
 
Last edited:
bjet767 said:
I'm a developer and have been writing code since the days of my C64.

First rule of development - It's a text based process and rarely requires big CPU power. Sadly good development requires a bit more brain power (which I often lack) to imagine what is being typed to the application. Some of the most popular text editors are very very simple and fast, even on the slowest single core cpus.

2nd - I use an 2014 11" MBA on the road (which is a lot of the time) and screen size is a limit. Recently I have started to use the app 'duet' to expand the screen with an iPad. Problem is this really bothers people on airplanes.

3rd - After coding the simulation (XCode iOS) varies between machines based on CPU speed, but it worked fine on a 2010 11" MBA I used to use so why won't it work on the faster rMB.

4th - Online connection speed is always the same speed on most, if not all, machines when you send code to a website. The limit normally isn't normally the wireless a, b, n, ... our laptops have.

5th - Buy what you want and will enjoy.
Click to expand...

Great post. I love using VIM and Sublime. I have ATOM but haven't really gotten into it yet. I feel like VIM is the best text editor plus it comes already installed on my machine.
 
bjet767 said:
2nd - I use an 2014 11" MBA on the road (which is a lot of the time) and screen size is a limit. Recently I have started to use the app 'duet' to expand the screen with an iPad. Problem is this really bothers people on airplanes.
Click to expand...

How is Duet working for you? What's the problem on planes - are you running off your tray table onto your neighbor's with the dual display arrangement? :D
 
Last edited:
macbook123 said:
The inability to drive screens higher in resolution than 1080p disqualifies it for me as a computer to do any serious work on. I'd like to be able to write code while I'm on my way between home and office, and then be able to plug the same laptop in on big monitors (2560x1600 resolution), which make me so much more productive (allow me to have visualizations and papers up at the same time as terminals and source code editors). Without that ability -- and the multiport offered by Apple doesn't offer it -- this laptop is a toy. As that (a toy), it seems like it could be fun a fun little gimmick, so I'll be sure to play around with it until the end of the 14-day return window.
Click to expand...

Why don't you use Handoff, Dropbox, etc., when you move between systems?
 
driftless said:
Why don't you use Handoff, Dropbox, etc., when you move between systems?
Click to expand...

I like simplicity. Having one personal computer. I also like seeing all windows in place when I move between setups: text editors, visualization, browser windows, open documents, etc. Dropbox can't replace that simplicity for me. And handoff doesn't have enough compatible apps.
 
Last edited:
Steve121178 said:
It's still not in any way a heavy machine.
Click to expand...

This is true it is not heavy compared to a machine the same weight. Compared to the new Macbook it is heavy. The thing bothering me with the Pro's right now is their size on a desk, for me I want a small footprint and I'm willing to pay for it.
 
Mcdevidr said:
This is true it is not heavy compared to a machine the same weight. Compared to the new Macbook it is heavy. The thing bothering me with the Pro's right now is their size on a desk, for me I want a small footprint and I'm willing to pay for it.
Click to expand...

I struggle with this. I love the big screen but I love the small footprint.
 
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