Twitter Deploying Top-Spec MacBook Pros Across App Development Teams

[BootsWalking]

Jameson, a staff engineer at Reddit, said that the new MacBook Pros have cut Reddit's app build time by 50%, yielding improved productivity for engineers.

I'm a big fan of the new MBP's and as a software engineer I too will enjoy faster build times. However, if your productivity is materially increased by faster build times on what was previously already very fast processors then there's something wrong with your development process.

 

[citysnaps]

It’s up over 25% in the last year though

Yup. And there have been loads of excellent buying opportunities along the way.

 

[Shadows_lord]

Same with Autodesk

 

[James_C]

Meanwhile my dual SSD Dell launch teams in 30s, and it takes slightly longer on M1 Mac.

Mainly because Microsoft has not updated Teams for Apple Silicon yet - still an Intel App running under Rosetta.

 

[Villarrealadrian]

Twitter is not a real place

 

[Mr. Dee]

For Twitter? What has really changed to require all that resource?

 

[KENPHOTO]

In looking at the specs, it seems like a MBP for iOS app development, at least for an app like Twitter, would be overkill. I would think a 16GB MBA would crush the tasks just as well, if not well enough for most to not notice.

Xcode is a RAM hog, even on m1 chips. I can see a massive difference going from M1 MacBook Pro to M1 Pro Macbook Pro so going from M1 MBA to M1 Pro/Max would be significant.

 

[JimmyHook]

Intel PCs are hot garbage compared to M1 Max machines.

Literally.

 

[TrueBlou]

going from M1 MacBook Pro to M1 Pro Macbook Pro

This is the one thing I don’t like about them. It’s almost a tongue twister telling people about them ?

 

[newbmacuser2021]

Macs for all!

 

[GrumpyCoder]

9 (nine!) MBPs?!? That's worth a story? What is everyone else using at Twitter? MR guys should stand in front of an Apple store and write a story for every single person leaving the store with a new Apple product. ?

 

[Zdigital2015]

Yep, and that's what this all is about. M1 Pro/Max builds software as quickly as a fully loaded enthusiast-class x86 desktop CPU drawing over 200W, so it's an incredible tool for software developers.

Although I am surprised Twitter would choose the M1 Max, what do they need the GPU for?

They wanted max CPU, regardless of whether or not the Max is really any better than the Pro in CPU tasks on a day to day basis. This also prevents excuses from developers that they really need the Max, that the Pro is why they’re not as productive as they “could” be.

 

[Max Webb]

But but Apple’s doomed now Alder Lake is here?

Not really early tests show that it can run max power for 10 minutes then greatly reduces power due to the massive thermal requirements. Check out some of the early tests. Thermal throttling is a big problem even with the best thermal cooler on the market.

 

[TrueBlou]

9 (nine!) MBPs?!? That's worth a story? What is everyone else using at Twitter? MR guys should stand in front of an Apple store and write a story for every single person leaving the store with a new Apple product. ?

Completely off topic, but I’m totally envious of your username, it’s a bloody good description for me

 

[RobArtLyn]

I bet some of the developers are sad that their coffee breaks during compilation are so much shorter now. ?

Obligatory xkcd:

 

[ADonmall]

9 (nine!) MBPs?!? That's worth a story? What is everyone else using at Twitter? MR guys should stand in front of an Apple store and write a story for every single person leaving the store with a new Apple product. ?

The nine were from the Reddit quote, it doesn't say how many Twitter bought

 

[julesme]

Unlike last time IBM allegedly deploying lots of Macs, this time, it is literally impossible to install Windows on Apple silicon Mac, which doesn’t seem like a dealbreaker of any sort for iOS developer anyways. Though, how many machines? 9? Maybe twitter don’t even have many employees anyways.

Oh and, I smell an extremely strong taste of apple fan here. It frightens me.

As of December 2020, Twitter employed more than 5,500 full-time employees (of course, not all of them are software engineers).

 

[mazz0]

Meanwhile my dual SSD Dell launch teams in 30s, and it takes slightly longer on M1 Mac.

That's odd, it takes less than ten seconds on my 2011 iMac.

 

[leman]

Unlike last time IBM allegedly deploying lots of Macs, this time, it is literally impossible to install Windows on Apple silicon Mac, which doesn’t seem like a dealbreaker of any sort for iOS developer anyways. Though, how many machines? 9? Maybe twitter don’t even have many employees anyways.

If you do any kind of iOS, web or backend development, you don't need Windows at all. For testing, Windows runs well enough in a VM.

 

[mazz0]

Funny, one of the first comments I made on here in regards to Xcode on my M1 Pro, was that I hit compile and did my usual, I’m going to make coffee move. I didn’t even get out of the room before it finished. I may need to move my coffee machine closer, the alternative is unthinkable

I don't see what's so unthinkable about writing a script that sleeps for a few minutes before actually starting the compiling

 

[mdatwood]

Although I am surprised Twitter would choose the M1 Max, what do they need the GPU for?

I ordered the max b/c I needed the additional monitor support and 64gb of ram for development. I thought about the 24c, but at that point might as well go all in.

 

[mazz0]

Jameson, a staff engineer at Reddit, said that the new MacBook Pros have cut Reddit's app build time by 50%, yielding improved productivity for engineers.

I'm a big fan of the new MBP's and as a software engineer I too will enjoy faster build times. However, if your productivity is materially increased by faster build times on what was previously already very fast processors then there's something wrong with your development process.

Yeah I thought that. If there was $100,000 to save from nine people's build times then maybe you should have a build server or something?

 

[newbmacuser2021]

As of December 2020, Twitter employed more than 5,500 full-time employees (of course, not all of them are software engineers).

You have to commend Twitter for getting people in the San Francisco Bay interested in data schemas.

 

[holisticrunner]

Mine runs fine and there is no space heater, tho M1 Mac def runs cooler even if I can feel the heat on speaker.

Either way, PC being PC, I’m used to it now. It’s just that many of my core applications will never run on Mac and Mac software library has tanked hard after losing 32-bit and much of Intel app (Rosetta can’t do all decently).

N-1 anedoctal evidence. Bottom line is , it is a industry wide known issue to that Intel Mac/PC Laptop are space heaters. Don't pretend other people's problems aren't real.

Finally, it is empirical fact that MBP14/16 are extremely energy efficient and mostly silent machine with extended battery life and can run full speed on battery.

So either way, if MBP isn't for you, that's fine, but don't pretend MBP14/16 aren't great machines.

Acknowledge that Apple did a great job and move on. Don't diminish their accomplishments with lame slights.

 

[matrix07]

9 (nine!) MBPs?!? That's worth a story? What is everyone else using at Twitter? MR guys should stand in front of an Apple store and write a story for every single person leaving the store with a new Apple product. ?

???
I doubt twitter has only “9” iOS and Android engineers for app development..