The MacBook Air is not the fastest Mac laptop you can buy, but whether that matters depends a lot on what you will be doing with it, and what your priorities are when looking for a new Mac.
- Sep 22, 2020 The MacBook Pro is your best bet if you need serious power. In 2019, Apple updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro, giving every model a Touch Bar and an eighth-generation Intel processor.
- Mac Mini + eGPU + AMD RX Vega64 – Best eGPU for Mac Mini – Best Gaming Combo. This gaming combo will give you a great gaming experience on the Mac system. You will get a great FPS using a good quality eGPU. This box doesn’t include display monitors but other units to build a good mac for gaming.
- The first one is the newly released Windows 10 in the list of best OS for gaming.
- 15' MacBook Pros and all other iMacs have dedicated/discrete graphics cards which have their own memory, much better for gaming. Apple use mobile versions of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards in these Macs (not including the iMac Pro) - the iMac is essentially a bigger, sometimes more powerful, desktop version of the 15' MacBook Pro.
Which Mac should I buy to learn coding and programming?
Learning how to code is a great idea: programming and coding is an increasingly important skill to acquire. And coding and programming are increasingly part of the school curriculum, so it's something to consider when buying a Mac for your family - which Mac would be best as a machine on which to learn coding?
The first thing we'll say is this: get a Mac over all other kinds of computer. Trust us on this. If you want to learn to code, you want to buy a Mac. Read our guide: Why programmers think Macs are best for coding.
We have lots of guides to learning to code, and you can discover a lot by reading our Complete guide to coding & programming on Mac article.
See also:
Best Mac buying guide 2016
Best MacBook 2016: Find out which Mac laptop is best for you
Best Mac for students 2016: Which Mac should you buy for university?
Best MacBook 2016: Find out which Mac laptop is best for you
Best Mac for students 2016: Which Mac should you buy for university?
Best Mac for coding: Power requirements
The good news is that you don't need a powerful, expensive Mac to learn programming.
Many newcomers think that because programming is an advanced part of computing, they need an advanced computer. Actually, the opposite is true. Programming enables you to work closely with the hardware of a computer, and as a novice you're unlikely to place any demands on it.
Advanced app developers may have bigger requirements. See our Best Mac for app development feature if you already know how to program, and are looking to develop apps professionally.
But newcomers don't need a high-end Mac. Learning to code is much less demanding than using software developed by professionals. Compared to other activities, like video editing or playing video games, coding is an absolute featherweight when it comes to hardware demands.
In fact, the activity you do around coding, such as watching video clips on training sites and using interactive websites like Codecademy, are all going to be more demanding than coding itself.
Coding doesn't have heavy data requirements either. Apple's Xcode developer environment takes up a hefty 10GB of storage space, but that aside the programs you write will tend to be quite small.
So you don't need speed, and you don't need storage. What do you need to learn coding on a Mac?
Read next: Macmini vsMacBookAir: Which is thebestcheapMac?
Best Mac for coding and programming: Types of Mac
Apple currently offers six different types of Mac (three laptops, three desktops):
Best Mac Gaming Setup
MacBook
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
Mac mini
iMac
Mac Pro
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
Mac mini
iMac
Mac Pro
You can learn to code on any of these machines, but each one offers different advantages. The first question is whether you want to learn coding on a desktop or laptop.
Both are valid choices. Coding requires focus and concentration, so working on a desktop in a quiet room is a good idea. But you can do that just as well on a laptop, and still take your Mac with you when you need to work on the move.
Laptops are more expensive than desktops. The cheapest desktop (the Mac mini) starts at £399 while the cheapest MacBook is the MacBook Air (£749).
Best Mac for coding and programming: Best laptop for learning to code
The new MacBook is a stylish machine, and its Retina display is gorgeous. But it is expensive and small.
The MacBook Air is a more cost-effective choice, offering a little more power for less money. We use a MacBook Air 11-inch to code, and it runs just fine. The additional screen estate on the 13-inch model is a good investment, though.
The MacBook Pro 15-inch is the best choice. The extra screen estate makes it easier to view two or more windows at the same time. This is handy for learning as you'll often have a text editor, or IDE (Integrated Developer Environment) open alongside a web browser or PDF document displaying a tutorial.
We are currently waiting for Apple to announce a new MacBook Pro range though, and expect the new model to have a flash interactive LED function bar. So right now is not a good time to buy a MacBook Pro, if you can hold out until after October 2016 you'll have much better options all around.
Best Mac for coding and programming: Best desktop for learning to code
One thing developers have in common, is that they all value large screens (and having lots of screen estate). You'll often find developers using two, or three screens at the same time.
With this in mind we're going to rule out the Mac Pro. It's expensive for what it offers anyway, but for a beginner learning to code the Mac Pro is a vast expensive and absolute overkill.
That leaves you choosing between a Mac mini and iMac. Pcg converter for mac. There's a big price difference between the two, and if you have a spare monitor, keyboard and mouse we see no problem with the entry-level Mac mini for learning to code.
If you want to other tasks, like run design software or play games then it's better to upgrade to the mid-range Mac mini model. It has a much faster processor.
If you don't have any of the parts required for a Mac mini, then it's better to get an iMac. Buy the entry-level 21-inch or 27-inch Retina display is our advice. The larger screen is gorgeous and well worth the money.
Best Mac for coding and programming: Conclusion
You can learn to code on any Mac, so the best Mac you can afford is the one to get. But don't feel pressured to buy the latest Mac. In fact, you can pick up a pretty good deal on the refurb store. We've been seeing entry-level Mac mini computers for £339 lately, which is a great entry point for newcomers.
Gaming On A Macbook
If we had to pick any Mac to learn to code with, it'd be the iMac with 27-inch Retina display. The huge screen estate makes it easy to run many programs at once. It has all the power you need and is a joy to behold.
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Is the MacBook Pro good for gaming? Being one of the most popular laptops in the recent past, the MacBook has made its way up the ladder, making Apple one of the most trusted brands. However, the scene for MacBooks is a little complicated when it comes to gaming action. Apple devices can support 2D graphic games very well, but they sometimes falter with 3D graphics. However, the MacBook Pro might be changing this notion for Apple users, including the perfect combination of a fast and strong processor with effective graphics.
Apple has been one of the front runners among computers. With some of the best technologies, the MacBook has been rather popular in this regard. After years of hard work, Apple has brought out an efficient device that is promised to be lighter and thinner. Some rather impressive changes and updates have been included in the latest MacBook Pro. Let us look into some of the most interesting features that make the MacBook Pro good for gaming.
For starters, the design has been revamped to bring out the best in the device. This is a thinner device as compared to previous models and weighs only 1.58 kilograms. In addition, a special OLED display touch panel has been incorporated at the top of the keyboard to get rid of the physical functions. According to reports, this LED display panel might be specific to different applications. This means that the functions on the panel will vary depending upon the applications. The 13.3-inch MacBook Pro can actually give a good first impression. Accompanying the internal specifications, the device is teamed with Intel Core i5, which is well-suited to fast and rigorous activities, clocking in at 2.7 GHz. In terms of storage capacities, the 8GB system memory packs quite the punch, coupled with 128 GB of SSD storage. With the Intel Iris Graphics 6100 processor, we can expect a lot from this device.
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Usually, Apple devices do not provide the best results when it comes to high-end gaming activities. This has been one of the issues faced by this otherwise effective device. However, the new MacBook Pro, with its superior hardware and graphics, includes major changes that can give you some of the best gaming experiences.
For starters, the iMacs take up much less space as compared to previous models. Second, the quad-core processors pack a lot of power, which aids in gaming activities. Finally, the NVIDIA GPUs place the cherry on top. Video studio for mac free. Much to the delight of avid gamers, new indie games will be available to MacBook Pro users at the same time they are made available to everyone else.
The world of gaming is not a simple one. For small games like Angry Birds and Plants Versus Zombies, which do not require high-end graphics and device specifications, two-dimensional graphics would be more than enough. This is why most MacBooks are able to handle these kinds of gaming activities. The problem crops up when we move on to more high-definition games that require three-dimensional graphics. These high-speed action games tend to put a lot of pressure on MacBooks. That is why there is a need for a strong and fast processor that can accommodate fast gaming actions and provide good performance. Ideally, a dual core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 can do this job perfectly, clocking in at speeds of 2.0 GHz or more. This is why the MacBook Pro can be a good choice if you are an avid gamer.
However, sometimes even a faster processor is not able to live up to the requirements of some games. The MacBook has the perfect solution to this issue. It incorporates a high-end graphics card, popularly known as a Graphics Processing Unit, over and above the usual processor. This can significantly boost your computer’s speed to deal with fast games with superior graphics. When it comes to the GPUs, there are two broad varieties. The first is the integrated type which ensures greater speeds for the computer but shares the device’s RAM with the CPU. On the other hand, the discrete variety of the GPUs is specially designed, keeping in mind the requirements of 3D graphics.
It has its own high-speed memory to enhance the performance of the device. Now Apple incorporates a series of such integrated and discrete GPUs in the Mac series. For instance, the cheaper versions of MacBook Pro come with Iris 6100. It has been found that this sort of GPU does not work well with action games and graphics. That is why a more superior version of Iris in the form of Iris Pro has been included in the newer and more expensive MacBook Pro, which makes it an ideal match for gamers. The Iris Pro also brings with it 128GB of storage space for its own use. In addition, the 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro works with AMD Radeon R9 M370X, which tends to bring out pretty impressive gaming action.
When it comes to a good gaming display, the MacBook Pro stands out once again. The high-resolution display in this device, coupled with the Intel HD 5300 graphics, could give you a rather impressive performance when it comes to high-definition video games, all 2D games and some 3D games.
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Pros:
· The Intel Iris 6100 graphics prove to be a charm for most games.
· The 128 GB solid state drive helps in participating in high-end gaming action.
· The backlit keyboard and touchpad with the extra OLED display touch panel for the MacBook Pro Retina proves useful.
Cons:
Security updates are what help protect your Mac from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.You'll no longer receive phone or chat technical support.No further updates to support content will be provided. But here's what the end of support means for you:.You'll no longer receive Office for Mac 2011 software updates from Microsoft Update.You'll no longer receive security updates. Rest assured that all your Office 2011 apps will continue to function—they won't disappear from your Mac, nor will you lose any data. Support for Office for Mac 2011 ended October 10, 2017. Onenote for mac.
· The MacBook Pro comes with Intel HD 5300 Graphics that might be well suited for most 2D games, but cannot cater to a lot of the 3D gaming action.
Which Mac Is The Best For Gaming Computers
· For the 2.5GHz version of the MacBook Pro, coming with an AMD Radeon R9 M370X graphics card, you will have to shell out quite a sum of money to comfortably engage in 3D graphics gaming.
Mac Gaming Laptop
With the inclusion of superior graphics and a fast processor, the MacBook Pro could bring about revolutionary changes in Apple products for avid gamers. This might well be the turning point for Apple when it comes to a gaming laptop, bringing a glimmer of hope to all gaming enthusiasts.