Ask HN: Is the new MacBook Pro worth its value for a developer?

I used OS X for many years, starting shortly before the transition to Intel.

I disagree with the fact that the UI experience of macOS vs Linux is a joy vs pretty good.

That's only true if you compare macOS vs GNOME/KDE. But that's a false dichotomy. IMHO, Linux truly shines on minimal setups without a desktop environment. Of course this is not suitable for everyone. But if you are a programmer, there are good chances that it is suitable for you.

I would never ever switch back from an environment with StumpWM, Emacs, Firefox and xterm to macOS. And that still doesn't factor in the biggest advantage of Linux, openness and a first-class package manager.

Now, you could even take things further and ask for a purely functional package manager and OS. That would be NixOS. Such a setup has many advantages over traditional UNIX userlands worth investigating.

If you are considering macOS, you should at least also consider this kind of Linux setup. All that said, macOS is terrific and a great option for many developer usecases.

you "should have" gotten the macbook air but apple isn't planning on updating them so its a stale buy. really the lineup of apple is quite confusing. What you're getting other than a mainstream Unix OS is a few hw bells and whistles.

So I guess the new membrane they put into the 2018 MacBook Pros didn’t solve the problem? I had keyboard issues on my 2015 MacBook which I think is the first time they introduced the butterfly switches. I got a 2016 MacBook Pro 15 and the keyboard has worked flawlessly. I’ve gotten 2 2017 MacBook Pro 15s for work. The first one had keyboard issues and the second hasn’t but I’ve only had it for like 4 months.

I’ve been lucky support-wise, but maybe you would get better service from your local Apple Business team if thats an option?

What type of rig do you need to run this? Would a Chromebook be good enough?

Apple forgot how to manufacture macbooks since 2015. Keyboards are absolute garbage and touchbar is a marketing gimmick that rarely anyone uses, even video editors as well since you can go with a MX Master 2S mouse for that. You aren't going to care about touchID, disk encryption, camera and microphone processing as much as you think you will. Because a shit keyboard is going to be painful on your wrists for prolong periods of typing / coding. Trust me it is an AWFUL keyboard, I've touched and felt them before. 2015 feels like a solid mechanical keyboard, 2018 is like the worst nonmechanical keyboard you can buy off amazon. Plus you lose the slick cool lightup apple icon in the back.

Buy a "used" 2015 Macbook pro one on amazon here. Better keyboard, legacy ports (its got USB and HDMI). Look for listings with good images and ratings. Good sellers will tell you the exact battery cycle on the used ones. I've done the homework for you, just bought a 15" macbook pro after 5-10 hours of researching GPU / CPU spec benchmark, thunderbolt2 eGPU compatability, getting opinions from many experts both on reddit forums and youtube, etc. I built my own windows computers since I was 13 so I know what to look for. This is the best spot to buy one since you get Amazon's return policy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00XZGUL8W/ref=dp_ol...

You might want to look at these listings every so often to find a used one you really want. The only trustworthy alternative location IMO is ebay, because that's where the sellers are at.

Its the last good one from apple. You'll spend ~$1500 for a 15". Don't buy a 13" IMO, screen real estate is already small as it is. You may or may not need a built in graphics card, its only about 30% better than the dedicated GPU around that time.

I bought mine for $1500. It was "used". Only had 21 battery cycles, for all intents and purposes it was brand new to me. I chose not to get a built in GPU because of potential issues it might have using an external GPU.

Peripheal accessories, I use a 2nd monitor from Gechic. You need an HDMI based portable monitor, they are the only ones that make it. Because if its not HDMI it causes the CPU fan to spin really loudly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M9CXOTV/ref=oh_aui_sear...

For backpacks to carry macbook, I use this personally, after researching every backpack in the market. Its designed specifically for most HN'ers in mind, IMO

https://www.amazon.com/eBags-Professional-Laptop-Backpack-So...

If I need a more powerful PC I use my windows computer