Apple device for development

[<insert-emo-username>]

Looking to buy a MB Air for myself (.net and some Apple development) and for my brother for graphic design.
I know most graphic designers rave about the air but there is not alot of information about using the Air for development.
Thoughts guys? Using a Samsung Series 5 laptop right now and it's OK but looking for something differant and I haven't tried Apple yet.

 

[walterl]

I bought mine about a year ago also to play with app development, and I guess the only drawback that I can think of is that the screen size of 11" is quite small. But extremely happy with the purchase a year later.

 

[Ry4n]

Only go for it if you like Apple - there are far better options available with better resolutions for cheaper.

 

[GreGorGy]

Looking to buy a MB Air for myself (.net and some Apple development) and for my brother for graphic design.
I know most graphic designers rave about the air but there is not alot of information about using the Air for development.
Thoughts guys? Using a Samsung Series 5 laptop right now and it's OK but looking for something differant and I haven't tried Apple yet.

They do? With that screen size? What graphics are they designing - web submit buttons?

 

[Rashaad_Sallie]

For graphic design please dont waste your time with a MacBook Air. U will need a 15-inch and at least a 24 or 27-inch screen.

 

[GreGorGy]

For graphic design please dont waste your time with a MacBook Air. U will need a 15-inch and at least a 24 or 27-inch screen.

Agreed - I wonder if the designers OP spoke of swear by the Mac Pro (rather than the air) but don't know the difference .
(Yup, encountered several of those)

 

[Nether]

For graphic design please dont waste your time with a MacBook Air. U will need a 15-inch and at least a 24 or 27-inch screen.

+1

.Net development with the latest VS 2012 almost requires 2 big displays (XAML + direct 2d 3d apps)

I think the apple devices are largely for fashion statements, with exception to the mac pro. They're not for serious design and development.

I've you're desperate for mobile development, then get a workstation laptop + quadro (graphics).

 

[JStrike]

Looking to buy a MB Air for myself (.net and some Apple development) and for my brother for graphic design.
I know most graphic designers rave about the air but there is not alot of information about using the Air for development.
Thoughts guys? Using a Samsung Series 5 laptop right now and it's OK but looking for something differant and I haven't tried Apple yet.

It's great for development. You cant throw a stone is Silicon Valley without hitting one.
You might want a MBP 15" for graphic design though

 

[GreGorGy]

+1

.Net development with the latest VS 2012 almost requires 2 big displays (XAML + direct 2d 3d apps)

I think the apple devices are largely for fashion statements, with exception to the mac pro. They're not for serious design and development.

I've you're desperate for mobile development, then get a workstation laptop + quadro (graphics).

An entire industry may beg to differ with you there...

 

[Nether]

An entire industry may beg to differ with you there...

Then let them.

I have a Dell XPS 17

I've upgraded it with 2 SSD 128gb in raid and its equipped with a Quadro 5000m.

Remember, I'm only saying this because he talked about development. AFAIK, .Net needs windows. And the rest works just great on my laptop, VM + android emulator.

Primarily I create enterprise applications, so iOS etc is out of the question for me. (Can't sideload apps without breaking TOS)

There is also a matter of price etc

 

[GreGorGy]

Then let them.

I have a Dell XPS 17

I've upgraded it with 2 SSD 128gb in raid and its equipped with a Quadro 5000m.

Remember, I'm only saying this because he talked about development. AFAIK, .Net needs windows. And the rest works just great on my laptop, VM + android emulator.

Primarily I create enterprise applications, so iOS etc is out of the question for me. (Can't sideload apps without breaking TOS)

There is also a matter of price etc

DESIGN != DEVELOPMENT
He mentioned both

iOS != Mac OS X
iOS is for iphones, ipads etc. The computing hardware runs a very different system.

 

[zippy]

DESIGN != DEVELOPMENT
He mentioned both

iOS != Mac OS X
iOS is for iphones, ipads etc. The computing hardware runs a very different system.

A lot of devs outsource the design part. Get their mates to do the graphics etc. My mate's gf does my icons and that sort of thing. She also uses a macbook pro.

I use a macbook pro. I would use a macbook air, but the pro was cheaper

 

[GreGorGy]

A lot of devs outsource the design part. Get their mates to do the graphics etc. My mate's gf does my icons and that sort of thing. She also uses a macbook pro.

I use a macbook pro. I would use a macbook air, but the pro was cheaper

Ed Zachary - design icons and submit buttons on a laptop. But don't try a newspaper - you'd go nuts

I do a couple of magazines on my MBP but with great resistance - I end up plugging my external monitor into it to see what I am doing.

The point is that design is not just the little icons and buttons that form a part of an app - design refers to an industry many know as publishing. Graphics Design is all about formats from that icon to a billboard. From screen to a piece of paper to a livery. Much wider than just some app. And the OP spoke of graphic design - not icon or interface design. Hence my surprise.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Macbook Pro 13-inch all the way (costs the same, offers more)

However be mindful of switching to OSX "for development" as you might find the software suites lacking depending on exactly what you are developing for.

 

[cerebus]

I'm not sure why you think graphic designers rave about the Air. It doesn't even have a dedicated GPU. Sure you don't mean the retina Macbook? Anyway it's not hard to get a Macbook and dual boot Windows if you need MS specific stuff for .Net development.

 

[Nether]

I guess developers here care more about their fashion : /

 

[zippy]

Ed Zachary - design icons and submit buttons on a laptop. But don't try a newspaper - you'd go nuts

I do a couple of magazines on my MBP but with great resistance - I end up plugging my external monitor into it to see what I am doing.

The point is that design is not just the little icons and buttons that form a part of an app - design refers to an industry many know as publishing. Graphics Design is all about formats from that icon to a billboard. From screen to a piece of paper to a livery. Much wider than just some app. And the OP spoke of graphic design - not icon or interface design. Hence my surprise.

Ok. Then the OP has confused development and graphic design. Topic title is misleading.

 

[GreGorGy]

Ok. Then the OP has confused development and graphic design. Topic title is misleading.

Title ja - but opening sentence is pretty clear. I wonder if he got the answer he was looking for. Thing is, whenever a topic around apple hardware comes up, the haters jump in and diss the system. Now, I fully appreciate dissing Apple - but the system is rock solid. Oh well. Lemme go nest a table.

 

[<insert-emo-username>]

Hi all,
Went through all your posts and I understand where you are coming from. At the moment it's between a MB Pro and the new Samsung Laptops. Like I said from my end, it's more about working in a new eco-system. I've worked with Linux and Windows..Wanted to give OSX a shot.

MB Air though sounds like it would be suitable for some GFX design, Picture editing and some music from what I've read here.

How does Parallels and BootCamp work performance wise when the Windows VM is for dev

 

[GreGorGy]

Hi all,
Went through all your posts and I understand where you are coming from. At the moment it's between a MB Pro and the new Samsung Laptops. Like I said from my end, it's more about working in a new eco-system. I've worked with Linux and Windows..Wanted to give OSX a shot.

MB Air though sounds like it would be suitable for some GFX design, Picture editing and some music from what I've read here.

How does Parallels and BootCamp work performance wise when the Windows VM is for dev

MB Pro != MB Air != Mac Pro

MB Air will NOT be suitable for Gfx design - and nothing above suggests that. MB Pro will be better.