Is MacBook Air Good For Programming?
Programmers always prefer laptops to desktops and there are quite a few reasons behind it. Good battery backup, portability, efficiency, lightweight, etc are some of those factors. And almost in every sector, the Macbook air is a game-changer for programmers.
MacBook Air will surely give you over ten hours of battery life while programming and the compact design makes it easy to carry it everywhere. You can also run large programs and programming apps on the MacBook Air effortlessly. The powerful CPU, RAM size, smooth user experience are some of the other factors which make the laptop great for programmers.
MacBook Air is the latest laptop from apple. To know more details about how MacBook Air surpluses almost every demand of a programmer, stay tuned.
What makes a laptop perfect for programming?
When a programmer is in the quest of finding the best laptop, they will look for various properties of a laptop and that’s totally understandable given the complexity of programming. Programming is needed to create games, websites, apps, and almost anything you see on the internet. And to complete such complex tasks, a laptop with many features is very important.
Of all the features, a programmer needs to make sure the laptop has a powerful CPU. As you already know, the CPU is the component that operates the laptop and a powerful processor is very important in order to process all the complex programming logics, conditions and thousand line codes that you will be writing on your laptop.
Then comes the 2nd most vital component, which is the RAM. A RAM with high capacity and frequency is needed to handle the programs faster. A good powerful RAM can help with finishing a task of ten hours in half the time.
Apart from these, a hard drive with great read and write speed is also beneficial. The cooling system in the laptop of a programmer should be top quality because if it fails to heat in check, then it could damage the internal parts and make loud noises.
Reasons why MacBook air is the perfect laptop for programming
I’ve already stated there are many factors that a programmer takes into consideration while choosing which laptop will be the best for programming. Now, I am going to describe those factors and explain why MacBook air is great for programming considering those factors.
CPU, RAM, HDD, fan, display, etc. there are various factors of a laptop. And I have put together details about these sectors of MacBook air and this will surely make you understand why MacBook air will be the best option for you if you are a programmer.
1. The CPU
The new MacBook Air laptops use an ARM-based M1 processor which is faster and more efficient compared to the older versions of the processor. So, if you are a programmer, The M1 CPU can process your large codes easily.
It comes with 8 cores and among them, 4 cores are dedicated for better efficiency and the other 4 are for better performance.
2. Apps supported by MacBook
A MacBook Air is known for its ability to run almost any app effortlessly no matter if it is an IOS app or IPadOs based app. This is possible because of the powerful processor.
So you can use all your apps on your laptop as well which at times makes programming easy for you. On top of that, you can use all of the usual apps as well. So when you buy a MacBook air, you get to use additional apps as well as the typical apps.
3. Display
The display is not much of an issue to programmers and the 13- inch display in the MacBook Air is decent enough for programming.
But if the display seems a bit small to you, don’t forget the advantages like portability because of the compact size. You can easily put the laptop in a backpack and carry it anywhere. The display is of 2560×1600 resolution and it uses an IPS Panel with LED-backlit.
Lastly, if you code for a few weeks using the MacBook air, chances are you will get used to the screen size.
4. Keyboard and trackpad
While coding line after line, for smooth transactions from one line to another you need a smoothly responsive trackpad and that’s exactly what a MacBook Air offers. In addition to that, the built-in keyboard is also built using high-quality materials.
The backlit feature in keyboards makes it easy to type no matter whether you are in a dark room or in low light. And depending on the light source, you can increase or decrease the backlit as well.
Overall the keyboard in a MacBook Air is highly responsive and smooth enough to use which makes it the ideal laptop for programming.
5. Compact design
One of the most important factors which make the MacBook Air so good is its compact design. The slim body comes in different colors like gray, gold, silver, etc. The whole body is made out of aluminum so compared to other laptops, it’s much less fragile.
On top of being slim, it is also very lightweight. So, a programmer can use it while keeping it on the hand while there’s no option to place the laptop. As a result, no matter where you are you can continue to code without taking any break.
6. Battery
No other laptop can come anywhere near the MacBook air when the comparison is about the battery. With minimal use, you are most likely to get around 11 hours of battery life. Hopefully, while using a Macbook, you won’t ever have to pause your programming because of the low battery.
But you should be mindful of the power-draining apps and prevent them from running in the background in order to use your laptop continuously for programming. The battery in MacBook Air is a lithium polymer-based battery that is usually very long-lasting.
7. Hard drive
As a programmer, you will be needing a lot of space to save your hours of work. In other laptops, programmers often run out of hard drive space and have to use external memory. But in MacBook Air, you will get a 256GB hard drive with super-fast read and write speed. Which will make it easy for you to store your files and access them faster. The hard drive used in MacBooks is a solid-state drive. It is way faster compared to the usual HDDs used in typical laptops.
On the other hand, you can even increase the space capacity up to 2 TB, which should be more than enough for your programming life.
[amazon box=”B08N5M7S6K”]What are the advantages and disadvantages of MacBook Air
MacBook Air is widely used by programmers because of the advantages this laptop offers. But then again there are some disadvantages as well. And I want you to have a clear idea about both the advantages and disadvantages of MacBook air before buying it.
Advantages of Macbook Air
You will be glad to know the materials used in building MacBook air are eco-friendly and recyclable. On top of that, the retina display feature is a great addition to the new models. Long hours of programming get easier due to the technology which puts less stress on your eyes.
For security purposes, an innovative touch ID feature is installed where you will only have to scan your finger and save the time of typing passwords. The MacBook Air is the lightest laptop out there with the most elegant design. And on top of that, you will get pretty much all the apps on it.
Thunderbolt 3 is also available on this laptop for a better and faster connection.
Disadvantages of Macbook Air
You won’t face many disadvantages while using a MacBook Air. But one thing which might bother you at the first is the price. Many people find MacBook Air a bit overpriced. And then the limited storage might create an issue for you but that is easily solvable by increasing the storage capacity.
But you can’t upgrade other hardware easily. And that would be the biggest disadvantage of the MacBook Air. Apart from these, some people find the small screen size a bit problematic.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will a Macbook Air last?
Usually, the lifespan of any MacBook varies from three to five years depending on the user. But after that time period, you will start facing different issues with your laptop.
Is the base M1 MacBook air good for programming?
It is decent enough for programming especially if you are a new programmer. But my suggestion would be to get the latest model of MacBook Air.
Is MacBook air good for Python programming?
For Python programming MacBook air is good but you might find it a bit difficult with the small screen size and less RAM capacity.
How Much Does The MacBook Air Cost?
The MacBook Air will cost you almost a thousand dollars if you choose the 13-inch version.
Conclusion
I hope after reading this article there’s no confusion about is MacBook Air good for programming or not. From almost every aspect, this laptop is the ideal one for programming and hopefully you will enjoy coding on this laptop once you get your own MackBook AIr.