Need to buy a Macbook Air/Pro

gnolan

Hi,

I'm currently studying application development and in order to develop apps for iOS i need to get a MacBook of some kind. I'm kind of confused about what route to go down.

My current laptop needs to be replaced at the moment and if i didn't need to get a MacBook I'd definitely be getting a Windows laptop. I've always used Windows and I know the OS well from a troubleshooting and diagnostics point of view. Not that i want to get into one of those arguments, but i believe i'd get more bang-for-my-buck with a Windows laptop.

So i need advice on what to do. Should i get the cheapest possible MacBook Air for developing applications (11-inch 64GB) or should i really go all out and get something better? I guess it's also important to find out whether Apple are releasing a new generation of devices soon, which i don't know.

whiterebel

Probably better asking here in the mac forum.mthis is for the iPod, iPad iPhone.....

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=108

gnolan

whiterebel wrote: »

Probably better asking here in the mac forum.mthis is for the iPod, iPad iPhone.....

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=108

Ah right, thanks for that - didn't realise.

Maybe a mod could move it if possible?

padraig_f

I've done some recreational iPhone development, the specs for XCode aren't that demanding in terms of CPU/RAM. What you do need though is screen-space. I used a 15" MacBook, and would've liked a bigger screen. There are a lot of little windows and you'd like to have them all visible at once. With a smaller screen you have no option but to hide them behind each other and you end up flipping between them a lot. It's workable, but it's not that nice. I haven't used a MacBook Air but I imagine the smaller screens would be a bit frustrating to use in this respect. The larger-screen MacBooks are expensive so maybe an iMac is worth considering.

Found some useful discussion here on the subject:
MacBook Air 11" or 13" for X-code 4?

Looks like the 13" MBA has the same resolution as a 15" MBP.

gnolan

Thanks for your input Padraig.

Does anyone have any experience buying refurb products from Apple? My budget is limited. Do I have the option of purchasing the 3-year warranty? Is this a good idea to get?

pcbscott

I have spent the last two years teaching myself to make websites, for the most part I did this on a 13' Macbook Pro, but recently have bought an external 27 inch monitor as I simply could not continue on the small screen.

Now I have the best of both worlds as the laptops portable but at home I plug in to the screen and have a desktop.

I also carry the adapter with me, so if im out an about there always the option to plug in to whatever larger screen might be available.

jester77

I wouldn't fancy having to develop on a 11 inch screen, 13 is even a push but doable. If you don't need to lug around a macbook then a mac mini is probably a better alternative plus you could always just remote access it if you need to access from somewhere else.

gnolan

Thanks for those responses. That thread that Padraig posted seems to answer a lot of my questions. It seems the 13inch air has the same resolution as a 15inch pro, which is obviously important if i'm developing.

Although i do honestly resent having to fork over so much money, i think i might have to go for the 13 inch air. I have a few more questions though:

1. Has anyone used the refurb store and are they happy with their purchase?
2. Is there such thing as thunderbolt to hdmi and does it provide sound?
3. Is it advised to purchase the 3-year warranty when buying either new or from the refurb store?

Sad Professor

1. People generally report very positive experiences with the refurb store. Personally I'd have no hesitation buying from it. If you aren't happy for any reason you can just return it and re-order no questions asked.

2. A Thunderbolt compatable Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter should work.

3. You can purchase AppleCare anytime within the first year. I would generally recommend it for the convenience it offers, but you are already entitled to similar protection under Irish consumer law. However getting sellers to comply with this can be a hassle.

gnolan

Sad Professor wrote: »

1. People generally report very positive experiences with the refurb store. Personally I'd have no hesitation buying from it. If you aren't happy for any reason you can just return it and re-order no questions asked.

2. A Thunderbolt compatable Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter should work.

3. You can purchase AppleCare anytime within the first year. I would generally recommend it for the convenience it offers, but you are already entitled to similar protection under Irish consumer law. However getting sellers to comply with this can be a hassle.

I assume this is the Sale of Goods Act you're referring to. Would this cover me for something more like 18 months? Is it a bit fast and loose with regard to how long you should expect a product to last/work properly? I suppose i'm assuming that it won't cover me for the 3 years that the extended apple warranty will.

Sad Professor

Yeah, how long depends on the product. But you would reasonably expect a computer to last 3 years. I'm not sure if the item being a refurb makes any difference since its technically considered second hand.

goalscoringhero

gnolan wrote: »

Has anyone used the refurb store and are they happy with their purchase?

I bought a (then 6 months old) top-spec imac 15 months ago from the refurb store and am still very happy with it. Saved me around 300 EUR compared to the price for a new machine.

gnolan wrote: »

Is it advised to purchase the 3-year warranty when buying either new or from the refurb store?

It comes with 1 year warranty and you can purchase the 3-year upgrade at any point in time during that first year. I probably would have done this (albeit, towards the end of the first year) but opted not to: The imac 'survived' the collapse of the ceiling of my room and a fall during a burst water tank in last year's big freeze, and got wet in the process, and Apple's warranty is void in case of water damage and they are able to detect it. So I thought in case something goes wrong later the 3-year warranty won't protect me as the imac had gotten wet.
After a week of natural drying, and fast-forward 1 year, I'm still enjoying the unimpaired services of the machine on a mega screen, and software development is very relaxing (i.e. no shift of attention or loss of focus due to flicking through windows).