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I'm looking to buy a new Macbook to do Web, Android, and iOS development. I now from experience that web development is not an issue as I'm currently developing on my 2011 Macbook Air with 4GB RAM. I tried XCode and Android Studio and the experience was terrible with all the lags especially when I run the emulator. My budget can go up to 1800$, with that I can buy one of the following options:

  1. Macbook Pro / no TouchBar / Intel Dual-core i5 6th Gen (2.0GHz up to 3.1GHz) / 8GB RAM 1866MHz / 256 SSD - At 1500$
  2. Macbook Pro / no TouchBar / Intel Dual-core i5 6th Gen (2.0GHz up to 3.1GHz) / 16GB RAM 1866MHz / 256 SSD - At 1700$
  3. Macbook Pro / no TouchBar / Intel Dual-core i7 6th Gen (2.4GHz up to 3.4GHz) / 8GB RAM 1866MHz / 256 SSD - At 1800$
  4. Macbook Pro / with TouchBar / Intel Dual-core i5 6th Gen (2.9GHz up to 3.1GHz) / 8GB RAM 2133MHz / 256 SSD - At 1800$
  5. Macbook Pro 2015 / Intel Dual-core i7 5th Gen (3.1GHz up to 3.4GHz) / 16GB RAM 1866MHz / 128 SSD - At 1800$
  6. Macbook Air 2015 / Intel Dual-core i7 5th Gen (2.2GHz up to 3.1GHz) / 8GB RAM 1866MHz/ 128 SSD - At 1350$

Things to consider:

  • I'm not looking for the best of these options, I want a computer that can perform with minimum hiccups.
  • I only want a portable machine due to my line of work that's why I only picked Macbooks.
  • The prices displayed are final, there will be no taxes added as I'm buying it using student pricing program.
  • I don't work with external monitor nor do I need SD card, I will only buy a USB-A dongle if I have to.
  • This computer is supposed to last at least 3 years.

Please help me decide which one to buy.

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  • 2
    Have you purchased macbook ? I also want to purchase macbook for same reason, but don't know the right choice
    – Androider
    Dec 8, 2016 at 3:38
  • About ram for Android see this link hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/154/…
    – user5130
    Dec 8, 2016 at 3:42
  • I still haven't bought any Macbook, it's just that I think all the options are awful and a waste of money. Although, my old Macbook keeps crashing and I will have to decide soon.
    – Yousif Al-Raheem
    Dec 10, 2016 at 13:22

1 Answer 1

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I think your best option is number 3. (Macbook Pro / no TouchBar / Intel Dual-core i7 6th Gen (2.4GHz up to 3.4GHz) / 8GB RAM 1866MHz / 256 SSD - At 1800$ )

I can't find specific recommended RAM capacity for xcode, but android studio recommends 8GB. Furthermore, the 6th gen i7 has a better benchmark than the other models mentioned and should suffice.

In Conclusion:

Choose Option 3 Because:

8GB meets the hardware recommendations

The 6th Gen i7 (4700HQ I assume) has a higher benchmark than the other options. This should mean smoother performance.

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