5 ms·

There has been a definite move. People are buying things like Dell XPS laptops instead of macbooks - you get far faster hardware, and a better development envi

There has been a definite move. People are buying things like Dell XPS laptops instead of macbooks - you get far faster hardware, and a better development environment. I moved at the end of last year. I sometimes have to hop back on my macbook and it pains me when I do so - minutes of watching a rainbow spinner. Compiling things takes forever. The magsafe adapter is awful (Been through so many magsafe adapters, they all fail in exactly the same way). The macbook was the ultimate developers laptop for a good few years there. Now it's just - I don't know - something for hipsters who think removing things makes it better? It's underpowered, overpriced, and the OS seems slower and more clunky than ever.

overcast 10y ago
Sorry, tell me about the better development environment. Especially if one needs xCode? What are you getting that exists on there, that doesn't exist on MacOS?
- akitaonrails 10y ago
  That's one of the points. Back then, using Xcode and develop for iOS were bonuses, yet another reason to buy a Mac. These days, it feels more like I am obligated to buy a Mac if I want to develop for iOS. Not the same pleasure it once was.
- sfifs 10y ago
  Isn't XCode a completely artificial barrier? In Linux and Windows, it's always possible to compile for any platform, at the worst using a VM Essentially Apple is exploiting its developer community by decreeing that you must use a Mac to develop for iOS giving it guaranteed sales.
Joeri 10y ago
How is the dell xps faster than the macbook pro? In what way is the windows dev experience superior to the mac dev experience? There's plenty of actual things to blame apple for without inventing new ones. The issue with the new mbp is not performance.
- whositis 10y ago
  I use Ubuntu. Can't comment on Windows. The Dell XPS+Ubuntu is staggeringly fast. Massive battery life, and no loud annoying fan etc. For the same money as a mbp, you're getting more memory, faster CPU, better battery life, etc etc
- JadeNB 10y ago
  > The issue with the new mbp is not performance. Surely at least in part it is, when one of the major issues is the memory cap?
  - Joeri 10y ago
    The xps 13, the surface book and most other "developer-friendly" laptops don't fit more than 16 gb. I use a t460p which supports 64 gb, but I just have 16 gb in there because even for hadoop development I don't need more. The memory cap issue is a non-issue. 99% of the people who complained wouldn't pay extra to get 32 gb.
- vinylkey 10y ago
  > In what way is the windows dev experience superior to the mac dev experience? To be fair, it's dead simple to install Linux if you don't like Windows.
  - collyw 10y ago
    Its not difficult not install, but there are often a few tweaks that are needed to get everything working. Sometimes that can be quite tricky even for experienced people (I can't get both bluetooth and wireless working reliably one one machine I have, despite having tried 3 or 4 disrtos on it).
    - whositis 10y ago
      The Dell XPS laptop ships with Ubuntu, and all the hardware works flawlessly.
- 10y ago

overcast 10y ago

Sorry, tell me about the better development environment. Especially if one needs xCode? What are you getting that exists on there, that doesn't exist on MacOS?

akitaonrails 10y ago
That's one of the points. Back then, using Xcode and develop for iOS were bonuses, yet another reason to buy a Mac. These days, it feels more like I am obligated to buy a Mac if I want to develop for iOS. Not the same pleasure it once was.
sfifs 10y ago
Isn't XCode a completely artificial barrier? In Linux and Windows, it's always possible to compile for any platform, at the worst using a VM Essentially Apple is exploiting its developer community by decreeing that you must use a Mac to develop for iOS giving it guaranteed sales.

Joeri 10y ago

How is the dell xps faster than the macbook pro? In what way is the windows dev experience superior to the mac dev experience? There's plenty of actual things to blame apple for without inventing new ones. The issue with the new mbp is not performance.

whositis 10y ago
I use Ubuntu. Can't comment on Windows. The Dell XPS+Ubuntu is staggeringly fast. Massive battery life, and no loud annoying fan etc. For the same money as a mbp, you're getting more memory, faster CPU, better battery life, etc etc
JadeNB 10y ago
> The issue with the new mbp is not performance. Surely at least in part it is, when one of the major issues is the memory cap?
- Joeri 10y ago
  The xps 13, the surface book and most other "developer-friendly" laptops don't fit more than 16 gb. I use a t460p which supports 64 gb, but I just have 16 gb in there because even for hadoop development I don't need more. The memory cap issue is a non-issue. 99% of the people who complained wouldn't pay extra to get 32 gb.
vinylkey 10y ago
> In what way is the windows dev experience superior to the mac dev experience? To be fair, it's dead simple to install Linux if you don't like Windows.
- collyw 10y ago
  Its not difficult not install, but there are often a few tweaks that are needed to get everything working. Sometimes that can be quite tricky even for experienced people (I can't get both bluetooth and wireless working reliably one one machine I have, despite having tried 3 or 4 disrtos on it).
  - whositis 10y ago
    The Dell XPS laptop ships with Ubuntu, and all the hardware works flawlessly.
10y ago