Macbook for web developer

[Frysski]

Hello,

 

I got into the college (IT). I want to be a web developer (i have experience), but I don't have a laptop.

I want to buy a Mac, a used one, but I don't know what to look for. I don't need the most powerful one. I know that coding in JS (or any framework) is not that demanding. I have Ryzen 5600X inside my PC and it won't reach more than 50C while generating a website build. This is the reason why I think JS coding is not demanding (for small to medium apps). I need that laptop for school and some coding.

 

My question is: do I need four cores or two is it just enough? 
I don't want to spend a lot of money. My friend told me that Macbook Pro from late 2013 (4 cores / 8 threads) is a good option. 

Thanks for all the answers and ideas!

[Lightwreather]

Honestly, I would suggest an M1 powered macbook air mostly because INtel-based macs are generally prone to over heating. Apple.com has some really good deals on refurbished m1 MBAs and you might be able to find some on other second hand retailers.

[RONOTHAN##]

If you're gonna get a Mac, the M1s are probably your best bet. Since you're a student, you'll be able to get a student discount from Apple.com and can get a pretty decent deal, not much more than getting a somewhat recent Macbook pro used. Plus, even though Apple has said they're planning to maintain support for Intel Macs for a while, they said the same about PowerPC and they didn't support them for more than 2-3 years. Personally, it's not a great time to buy anything but the M1 Macs if you're gonna buy a Mac.

[KhakiHat]

M1 chips far outperform any of the Intel model based MacBooks

[BondiBlue]

The base model MacBook Air M1 will stomp all over a Late 2013 MacBook Pro while delivering MUCH better battery life and thermals. 

[Frysski]

Thanks for all the answers!
I know that MacBook Air with M1 is really powerful but i don't need it. It is nice to have a powerful machine but I just don't need one. It is also too expensive, it is gonna be used (mostly) for taking notes and some not demanding coding, I don't see why I should spend 1000$ on the machine that will do this kind of work. 
What kind of laptop would you suggest buying (under 1000$)?. Does not have to be Mac.

[BondiBlue]

3 minutes ago, Frysski said:

Thanks for all the answers!
I know that MacBook Air with M1 is really powerful but i don't need it. It is nice to have a powerful machine but I just don't need one. It is also too expensive, it is gonna be used (mostly) for taking notes and some not demanding coding, I don't see why I should spend 1000$ on the machine that will do this kind of work. 
What kind of laptop would you suggest buying (under 1000$)?. Does not have to be Mac.

Is that price in USD? If so, the MacBook Air costs quite a bit less than that when you get it refurbished.

[Frysski]

3 minutes ago, BondiBlue said:

Is that price in USD? If so, the MacBook Air costs quite a bit less than that when you get it refurbished.

Yes it is USD, refurbished sits around 850$ with M1. It is still a lot in my opinion but i know nothing about laptops, thats why im asking.

[Darkseth]

1 hour ago, Frysski said:

Thanks for all the answers!
I know that MacBook Air with M1 is really powerful but i don't need it. It is nice to have a powerful machine but I just don't need one. It is also too expensive, it is gonna be used (mostly) for taking notes and some not demanding coding, I don't see why I should spend 1000$ on the machine that will do this kind of work. 
What kind of laptop would you suggest buying (under 1000$)?. Does not have to be Mac.

Performance is not the only thing, that makes a Laptop more expensive.

Let's say, you don't need the full performance of the M1 chip, but you're still getting:

- up to 16 hours battery life in basic Tasks

- pretty much no heat output, and it will NEVER make any noise, because there is no fan

- almost no standby power consumption. No more shutting down, just close the lid, and the next day you lost maybe 1-2% Battery. No more waiting for boot, you open it up, and it's ready to go.

- Great Trackpad and usability with all the nice integrated gestures

- best in class Speakers, very good Display, above average Webcam, and very good microphones

- High quiality build and feel

 

For significantly cheaper, i'd check out Ideapad 5 (pro) series, Thinkpad E14 G3, Dell Inspiron 5000 maybe.

[Lightwreather]

1 hour ago, Frysski said:

Yes it is USD, refurbished sits around 850$ with M1. It is still a lot in my opinion but i know nothing about laptops, thats why im asking.

Have you seen the LTT review on the m1 machines, if not, watch them.

But I do get what you're trying to tell.

However, most intel macs rn are unlikely to be supported for very long into the future. Also, I do get that itis a lot of money to be spending onto a device, it is. But think of it as an investment. It will almost certainly be supported for beyond 5 years. and considering the battery life and performance of the m1, I'm sure that whatever project you may have (assuming that they are related to programming), it'll be able to fly through it, and you'll have more time to debug should there be an issue and more time to spend.

 

[Frysski]

Thanks for all the replies!
I need to think about it, look into it. I am starting to think that I'll just buy Mac with M1.
For now, it's everything, thank you guys, again, you helped a lot!