Mac mini or MacBook Air?

[GalacticLion7]

Hi everyone,


I am currently using a 12.9" 2018 iPad Pro as my main laptop, and a OnePlus 7 Pro as my phone. Since I got my iPad, I was very happy with it. But I recently got into development, and as you probably know, iPadOS is not good at all for development, unfortunately.

I have tried all the "IDE" and "code editor" apps on the App Store, and they are all very unreliable. There are web apps like JDoodle and Repl.it that are better, but they were still limited, and I prefer a full, native IDE or code editor that utilizes iPadOS, similar to IntelliJ IDEA or Visual Studio Code on an actual desktop/laptop OS (Windows/Mac). It took me a while to figure that something like this is not there yet.

So I figured that I should get a real laptop/desktop with a real laptop/desktop OS to solely use for development, and I would leave everything else to be handled on my iPad. I chose the Raspberry Pi 4 because I didn't want to shell out too much money for something my iPad should've been able to do, and I already have a monitor and keyboard and mouse.

But even when I set it up, the problem was still not solved. I had to use sketchy community builds so the IDEs I want could work with my ARM chipset, and even when they did, they were very slow and annoying and unreliable.

Finally, I figured that I should just get an actual desktop or laptop with an actual OS. No more weird computers. I chose to use a Mac because if I want a real computer OS that I will use solely for productivity, it makes sense to get one. It's also recommended by the developer community to use macOS. I narrowed down my search to the MacBook Air and my Mac mini.

Now I'm still hung up with these two options. If I get the Mac mini, I will get more uniqueness (I guess that matters to me) and better performance for less than the MacBook Air, but I will sacrifice in portability. On the other hand, if I get a MacBook Air, I will pay more for less, but maintain maximum portability. I also heard how the new Magic Keyboard is really good, as my current peripheral setup is not that great, which I'm considering upgrading.

So, which one should I get? I'm sorry if the post got too long. I thought that I should give a backstory so you can help me choose with device is right for me!


Thanks!

 

[Dave Braine]

MacBook. Bought my first 2009, after having a Mini. Said I'd never buy another desktop. A laptop is so much more versatile.

 

[glenthompson]

You never said how much portability you need/want. Will you be doing development on the go? Would the iPad meet your portable needs if you get a desktop? If you need to change locations, how many different locations do you need? Do you already have all the peripherals needed for a Mini or would those be additional costs?

If you only use the computer in two places and already have a plethora or peripherals, then the Mini becomes very easy to move between locations.

 

[NikeNikon]

Mini. Seems like you already have the portability covered. I love having a more powerful desktop, especially for development.

 

[russell_314]

I love my Mac mini but if you want to go use your Mac at Starbucks or a friends house then the Air is the way to go. Only you know how much you want to or don't want to be tied to a desk.

 

[GalacticLion7]

I will probably not be doing much development on the go. I thought of using Parallels Access on my iPad to connect to my Mac to develop on the go in some occasions, but I'm worried about experience issues. I'm also liking the addition of a better mouse, keyboard, and display than the external ones I have are better in the Air. But I'm just worried that the Air might not be enough for me.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I will probably not be doing much development on the go. I thought of using Parallels Access on my iPad to connect to my Mac to develop on the go in some occasions, but I'm worried about experience issues. I'm also liking the addition of a better mouse, keyboard, and display than the external ones I have are better in the Air. But I'm just worried that the Air might not be enough for me.

If you are going to do more serious development definitely get a notebook if you are only getting one computer. Much more versatile. Remote Desktop and VNC etc. usually work fine, but you always need a stable internet connection. Also if a computer crashes or powers off, you are out of luck. You can also use a MacBook like a desktop computer by using it clamshell mode with your own peripherals. As for performance, the CPU in the Air is most probably fine. I got through my Computer Science degree with a MacBook Air that was almost 7 years old by the time I graduated. If you can afford it, get the 16GB RAM and i5 processor. It will last you at least 5 or 6 years if you take care of it.

 

[GalacticLion7]

Thank you everyone for helping! I decided to go for the MacBook Air. Yes, the MacBook Air's ports are restrictive, but it has two Thunderbolt 3 ports and I'm okay with dongles, so that's not a problem for me. It's also less powerful, but I realized that if I get the 10th-gen i7 version, it should be very speedy (faster than my old, sold MacBook Pro). I'm also a big fan of having a laptop form factor, especially in the MacBook Air's specs. In case I would need a Mac mini-like experience, I could just connect my display and peripherals to it. Looking at the poll results, I'm still not very stable with my decision, though.