4 ms·

Do most developers really need anything with a CPU more powerful than an iPhone 5 to build apps or web pages? In most cases if they do they're doing it wrong.

SonicSoul 10y ago
yes. it's not needed if you're building a JavaScript app with Sublime text. But compiled environments such as .Net take a lot of cpu and memory. It's not uncommon to have 2-4 visual studios open which can take up 10 gigs of ram. Couple that up with continuous build/unit test frameworks and 5-10 VS add-ons and you need a powerful machine to make it responsive
- grandalf 10y ago
  I'd argue that some of what you describe should probably be an anti-pattern, or is at least a byproduct of very fast, cheap CPU power. Emacs has worked for years on much lower-end hardware and has been used to build some very elaborate systems. These days a typical developer laptop is 5x more powerful than the system the code will be used on (mobile device, virtual server, etc.)
  - SonicSoul 10y ago
    I do not disagree with anything you said. The only reason for powerful developer workstations is that each second of delay is compounded when you use your machine as a tool. I do use lightweight tools but Visual Studio is still extremely powerful and not easily replaceable (I've been using it every day for past 10 years). Visual Studio is NOT fast. Especially when you add ReSharper into the mix. You could go on arguing about what is the best IDE and if ReSharper is necessary. The fact is that lots of people still use it and a powerful machine is needed today to make those responsive
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
ReverseCold 10y ago
Until you need to work with something that requires babel/gulp/etc builds, it's fine. The second either is added to the project, you will need a much more powerful computer.
- grandalf 10y ago
  True those are slow. But I think most projects could compile a lot faster if the dependencies were compiled into a separate bundle once a day and the app code into its own bundle when it changed.
PHPApple 10y ago
Yes, in many cases. Building is very CPU and memory intense. Many times you have to run local severs to debug on. I often find myself running local servers, building my apps, running my IDE, creating assets in Photoshop, and more all at once.
wlll 10y ago
It helps. No reason to artificially limit processing power available. If I spend seconds more waiting for my Go command line program to compile, or Rails to boot up, or a complex web page to load, or my VMs to respond, or Elasticsearch to boot etc. etc. it all adds up. It's time that I can spend doing other stuff.
- grandalf 10y ago
  True, but we were all using most of that same technology when a core2 duo was a top end laptop, and it's not as though productivity has gone through the roof just because we can get an i7 laptop. Mobile CPUs are approach mobile core 2 duo performance.

SonicSoul 10y ago

yes. it's not needed if you're building a JavaScript app with Sublime text. But compiled environments such as .Net take a lot of cpu and memory. It's not uncommon to have 2-4 visual studios open which can take up 10 gigs of ram. Couple that up with continuous build/unit test frameworks and 5-10 VS add-ons and you need a powerful machine to make it responsive

grandalf 10y ago
I'd argue that some of what you describe should probably be an anti-pattern, or is at least a byproduct of very fast, cheap CPU power. Emacs has worked for years on much lower-end hardware and has been used to build some very elaborate systems. These days a typical developer laptop is 5x more powerful than the system the code will be used on (mobile device, virtual server, etc.)
- SonicSoul 10y ago
  I do not disagree with anything you said. The only reason for powerful developer workstations is that each second of delay is compounded when you use your machine as a tool. I do use lightweight tools but Visual Studio is still extremely powerful and not easily replaceable (I've been using it every day for past 10 years). Visual Studio is NOT fast. Especially when you add ReSharper into the mix. You could go on arguing about what is the best IDE and if ReSharper is necessary. The fact is that lots of people still use it and a powerful machine is needed today to make those responsive

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

ReverseCold 10y ago

Until you need to work with something that requires babel/gulp/etc builds, it's fine. The second either is added to the project, you will need a much more powerful computer.

grandalf 10y ago
True those are slow. But I think most projects could compile a lot faster if the dependencies were compiled into a separate bundle once a day and the app code into its own bundle when it changed.

PHPApple 10y ago

Yes, in many cases. Building is very CPU and memory intense. Many times you have to run local severs to debug on. I often find myself running local servers, building my apps, running my IDE, creating assets in Photoshop, and more all at once.

wlll 10y ago

It helps. No reason to artificially limit processing power available. If I spend seconds more waiting for my Go command line program to compile, or Rails to boot up, or a complex web page to load, or my VMs to respond, or Elasticsearch to boot etc. etc. it all adds up. It's time that I can spend doing other stuff.

grandalf 10y ago
True, but we were all using most of that same technology when a core2 duo was a top end laptop, and it's not as though productivity has gone through the roof just because we can get an i7 laptop. Mobile CPUs are approach mobile core 2 duo performance.