I am a huge Linux fan. Love it. It's my preferred operating system, hands down. I ran Ubuntu on a Dell XPS 1330 for all four years of college while I was gettin

I am a huge Linux fan. Love it. It's my preferred operating system, hands down. I ran Ubuntu on a Dell XPS 1330 for all four years of college while I was getting my CS degree. My first programming job after college came with a Macbook Air. Since then, I've never bought anything but a Macbook. It's just a better built machine and I have no qualms paying a premium for quality. I use a Macbook Pro for my job now and I can't imagine using any other machine for programming. I could care less about OSX. It's the quality hardware package that Apple gives you. Yeah, you can get better specs for cheaper elsewhere, but nothing retains its quality over the years like a Macbook. The Macbook Pro 15" Retina is what I would recommend for a serious dev, but any Macbook down to the MBA would do. It's similar to buying a car. After college I could've bought a Ford with all the fancy features for cheaper, but I went with a Toyota because Toyotas are just better built cars that will last. EDIT: I always buy refurbished Apple. You get a great discount and still are eligible for Applecare.