What kind of macbook should I get? M1? Pro? 2017+?

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I’m looking to purchase a macbook for the express intent of starting to learn coding with Xcode. So right now I have 0 coding experience and so don’t think it makes sense to purchase a brand new macbook right now. I think maybe a refurbished one is the best to begin with.

I have a few questions as follows:

  • How old should the model be? Should I be getting the new M1 chip macbook for my purposes as a beginner? Or would a 2017 version Macbook suffice?
  • It seems like most recommendations go for macbook pro over macbook air because the pro has better cooling capabilities which is better for high-intensive tasks. Can you tell the difference when coding?
  • Do I need lots of storage i.e. 256GB vs 512GB?

Thanks guys!

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The first question you should ask yourself is what is your budget?

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When I bought my :computer: I had the same intention.
Thankfully I opt for the 512GB version.
MS Office, FCPX and XCode are the main drivers for that.
Never had any issues with „just“ 8GB RAM.
When coding, my fans never ever started to spin.
In Germany they have some good refurbished deals as MacBook Air, M1, 8/512GB (-200€). Probably would go for that if I needed a Macbook right now.

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Thanks for the answers.

Would you say it’s necessary to have higher than 256GB?

And what would you say is the minimum Core power?

What did you buy; the macbook air or pro?

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Honestly the 2020 MacBook Pro M1 version 8GB of RAM would be completely fine and have great specs

I have a 2016 MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an i5 and it’s totally fine for me (and I use this computer as my main machine)

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My MacBook Air 1.8 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 8GB RAM 121 GB Storage gives me problem running the War Card Game program app in the 14 days trial course. And I am about to start the CWC course which I think would be more demanding in terms of hardware performance.

I am doing the search to buy new hardware and leaning on buying iMac 2021 with M1 chip 8GB RAM 512 GB SSD. Can you please guys share your thoughts? Thanks…

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Welcome to the community!
That iMac you are considering would be perfectly fine!!

Of course the more money you have the better, for better specs, but that iMac will be just fine

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Hi I’m getting a lot of feedback that the macbook Pro is a good buy. But is there something wrong with Macbook Air?

I’m thinking of getting the new M1 Macbook Air with 8GB RAM/256 GB/13in.

Question is; is 256GB too small to start coding an app with?

Thanks

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No, it’s perfectly fine.

No, what would be your definition of “wrong with it?”

I have a 2016 MacBook Pro with an i5 and 8 GB of RAM with only 256 SSD, I’ve used this machine for 5 years and never had a problem.

The brand new macs that are just released are leaps and bounds better than mine, and at a lower price point.

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@lillins93
Hey, I was just going through my feed and spotted your post. My first question would be: What is your budget?

If your budget is more than $1999, then I would consider the new M1 Pro/M1 Max Macbook Pros.

If your budget is between $1199 and $1899, then I would consider the M1 MacBook Pro.
If your budget is from $999 to $1099, then the M1 MacBook Air, which is still ideal for development.
And finally, if your budget is less than $990, then a refurbished M1 Macbook Air from Apple itself would do the trick.

My last question is: What is going to be your workload on the device?
If it is only for Xcode, then the M1 Macbook Air would suffice.
If it is for video editing and Xcode, then the M1 Macbook Pro would suffice.
Lastly, if it was graphic designing, video editing, and Xcode, then I would say the new M1 Pro/M1 Max Macbooks are the way to go.

If you read until here, thanks!
**Best of luck, **
- Harri

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