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Should I BUY a MacBook for programming_
1K views
Feb 6, 2024
The video "Should I BUY a MacBook for programming?" likely explores the considerations and advantages of using a MacBook for programming tasks. It may discuss factors such as the macOS operating system, which is favored by many developers for its Unix-based environment and seamless integration with development tools. The video might also examine hardware features of MacBooks, such as build quality, performance, and battery life, and how they impact programming workflows. Additionally, it may address the compatibility of MacBooks with popular development environments, programming languages, and software tools. Ultimately, the video aims to help viewers make an informed decision about whether investing in a MacBook for programming purposes aligns with their needs and preferences.
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0:00
It seems like a lot of people are getting stuck trying to decide what laptop to get when it comes to a computer science program
0:05
or just as someone who's interested in learning how to code. And I keep getting asked if it's worth it to spend a lot of money on an expensive MacBook Pro as a beginner
0:15
And I'm not going to make you wait until the end of this video to get that answer. The answer is no
0:19
And I'm going to share several reasons why in just a minute. But first, if you're watching this video and you're already a programmer
0:25
before you bounce, it would definitely be helpful to everyone if you would drop a comment and let us know
0:29
what computer you're using and why you are using that. That way we would get more of a variety of
0:33
perspectives. So let's get started. First, don't go into massive debt in order to buy a premium
0:39
laptop, whether that's a MacBook Pro or a Windows laptop, because that is not going to make you a
0:45
better programmer. And if spending that kind of money is going to cause you some financial hardship
0:51
then you really need to be wise with your money. And this doesn't just applies to software development
0:55
It applies to anything in life. If you're in this situation, there's just a situation. There's
0:59
no point in spending all of this money if you aren't even sure that you're actually going to enjoy
1:04
doing software development you could end up changing your college degree or you could be going down
1:09
the self-taught route and just decide that this isn't for you and you don't want to be strapped
1:13
with all of that extra debt you should really wait until you're a little bit more settled in the
1:18
direction of your career before you worry about buying an expensive laptop so just use whatever it is that you have available to you to get started second on this channel I focus on helping people who are really interested in learning how to build web applications because that is what
1:33
I personally do for a living. But this is only one slice in a giant pie of software technologies
1:40
and what really works for me and makes sense may not be right for you. It's important to remember
1:45
that early on as you are learning software, you're also exploring the different options. It's not
1:50
in common for someone to start into like one programming language and then decide that they want
1:56
to try something else and end up going down some other path from what they originally started with
2:01
So if you were trying to pick a laptop right out the gate, before you even really know what you're
2:06
going to be focused on, you might be picking a laptop that isn't going to be the best option for
2:11
whatever it is that you are trying to build. For example, when I was first starting, I started
2:15
learning C sharp and ASP.net, but then I ended up switching over to JavaScript
2:20
and have been building web applications with that programming language. And no matter what the operating system
2:27
it's just generally a good idea and wise to hold off on buying that premium laptop
2:31
until you have a bitter idea of what you're looking to do. For example, if you're really passionate about Apple products
2:38
and you want to build iOS applications, then you're going to end up wanting to go with a MacOS-based computer
2:46
However, Windows would be better suited to a lot of applications that are centered around
2:50
Microsoft technologies And there are going to be other things that are better suited to Linux Now you could use virtual machines but that can still cause problems because with some of the
3:00
newer M1 MacBook Pros, there's lots of tools out there that just haven't caught up with
3:06
supporting that newer architecture. Third, if you're a computer science student, it can be very
3:10
beneficial to find out what technologies you are going to be using in your program, and this
3:15
varies across schools, and then pick an operating system that is going to be most compatible
3:20
with your particular program. Fourth, I unashamedly like MacBooks. There's a convenience factor to it
3:27
and I generally like most of the things in the Apple ecosystem
3:31
But that does not mean that I have to have an Apple to be a successful programmer
3:36
I like it because I work on the front end, but when I was first starting out
3:39
I learned on a really cheap Windows laptop, and I used that laptop for a couple of years
3:45
and then I upgraded to a used older MacBook Pro, and it was several years into my career
3:50
before I actually bought my own first personal, brand new MacBook Pro for personal use in software
3:57
development. And that was a really exciting time. But keep in mind that the dopamine rush of
4:01
buying a new laptop is going to run out. And you don't want to be left with an empty wallet and an
4:07
overspec laptop because you spent way too much money on a bunch of upgrades for things that you
4:12
are just never going to use. I personally don't max out upgrades on my laptop purchases because
4:18
I had enough time in the industry now to have a good grasp on what it is that I need that would make my job more convenient And so for software development usually I err on the side of
4:29
upgrading my RAM because that helps me both with performance of having a ton of browser tabs
4:33
open, but also helps me with the video editing and graphic design stuff that I do
4:38
I also personally like to upgrade the amount of storage I have in my SSD because I do that
4:44
video editing, but that is going to be different from you because you might not be doing
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video editing or design work. And so it might not make sense or even matter to upgrade your hard drive
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And whether it's for software development or for video editing, I can say that every time
4:58
that I've chosen to skimp on RAM and go with 8 gigs, instead of 16 gigs, I have regretted it
5:04
because inevitably I hit a point where I feel like I could use more RAM and fill things
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bogging down or there's more memory swapping going on. Now, you could get by with just 8
5:15
I did for a couple of years with that first laptop, and the newer laptops are even more powerful
5:20
but I definitely feel that that typically is the one upgrade that is totally worth it
5:26
And this opinion applies to both Windows and Mac laptops. Now, one final warning
5:31
If you are attempted to completely skip a laptop and go with an iPad to do all of your coding on an iPad
5:37
then I would highly discourage you from going down that path. There are several reasons why that that is a horrible experience
5:44
and I talk more about that in this video up here that you should check out
5:48
Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one
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