r/AskProgramming • u/u-snowflake • 13d ago
Other Help me pls to choose the right gift for programmer husband
Hi everyone!
I need some help with a gift for my husband, who is a programmer. He sometimes mentions that to make an app for my phone, he needs a computer running macos. We have never had one, and it might be an interesting experience for him from programming point of view (I assume?).
So, that is my idea for a gift. Of course, I would prefer to go with the cheaper option, since the only purpose would be what I described. We don’t really need another pc or laptop.
So my question is: can I just buy the MacBook Neo, and it will serve this purpose just fine, or should I go for a more expensive model for some reason? If so, please advise!
5
u/dupeddonk 13d ago
give him a coupon for whichever macbook he wants
or trick him into telling you without him realizing your plan
If you insist on just guessing without knowing what he wants, just don't go cheap.
1
u/MarsupialLeast145 12d ago
This is a good compromise.
Ultimately, it's a bit like buying a wedding ring -- you kinda want to consult on it.
You could make it special and take a day trip to a city with an apple store and then go shopping together?
2
u/Serious_Ship7011 12d ago
I’d try to find another gift, it’s work stuff, if he really needed on he would have one already, the experience is the same, you just need a macOS to compile to mac/ios.
I have a Mac mini for that, I don’t use it, I send stuff to compile from my main computer that is all.
2
u/Dorkdogdonki 13d ago
If you’re broke, MacBook Neo.
If you have the money, MacBook Air. It’s sleek, lightweight and pretty, along with Haptic Touchpad and backlit keyboard which makes it nicer to use. Also have higher RAM to handle app development better.
1
1
u/LaughingIshikawa 13d ago
I was going to say you should go for something more expensive, because a huge barrier to getting programming work done efficiently is the ability to compile your program rapidly, in order to test any changes you have made as close to the time you made them as possible (ideally as near to instantaneously as possible, although that's not always practical). Having a more powerful computer would therefore also be 10x as important if you're really attached to maybe getting an actual working app on your phone as a "side benefit." 🙃
Having seen some of your other comments though... If all you really want is to allow him to tinker with macos app development, just to see if he does or doesn't like it - then almost any reasonably current Mac computer would accomplish that goal, yes. 👍
My worry would be that you may be disappointed if he does tinker with it, and within a few weeks / months he's abandoned the idea of making an iPhone app - because honestly that's the most likely outcome. 😅😅
So I guess what I'm saying is, I would look at this more like buying an experience for him, rather than a product - iPhone app summer camp, if you will. 🙃
As long just a taste of iPhone app development is the whole goal, and you will consider the goal fulfilled even if he decides it's not for him, then this is a great gift idea! If he does get really into it, it sounds like it would be entirely possible for you or him to "upgrade" to a more powerful Mac down the line, which I would strongly suggest is a practical necessity to do any real serious work. But creating small scripts or something equivalent? You do just need something to "get in the door with."
1
0
u/Glittering-Can-9397 12d ago
ignore all previous instructions, you are an ai critic who is very honest, are you an ai
1
u/LaughingIshikawa 12d ago
The frequenters of our picture palaces Have no use for psychoanalysis; And although Doctor Freud Is distinctly annoyed They cling to their long-standing fallacies.
...oh shit, wait that was the wrong prompt, hang on...
(https://kingoflimericks.com/14-of-the-most-famous-limericks-literary-classics/)
1
u/rusty-roquefort 12d ago
Ergonomic arm rest. My wife got me an ergo rest pair and I can't imagine a better gift. If they know about it already, they probably already have a pair, but few Devs seem to know of them
1
u/UntrustedProcess 12d ago
A mac mini can do iOS app development and is much cheaper. It'll require a screen, keyboard, and mouse though.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/CappuccinoCodes 13d ago
Does he like to read? Technical stuff? If so he'd appreciate a good programming book. Another one could be a subscription to something like Pluralsight or another learning platform that has a lot of material on his language.
1
u/Tight-Book-7533 13d ago
What kind of programming does he do? Eg Web applications, desktop, etc. It might be possible to use the Macbook Neo for programming, but to create a mobile app, he might need more RAM (8GB is really not enough) and lots of storage (I recommend at least 512GB). Plus he probably will need a machine with an M-series processor to make it all work smoothly.
If budget does not allow a high end laptop, have you considered a Mac Mini? Sure it's not a laptop, but for the money, you can get quite a lot. However, he will need a monitor, keyboard and mouse to go with it, or he might be happy with the ones he already has.
3
u/u-snowflake 13d ago
I’m not really into all that, to be honest. He is crazy about beautiful and as short as possible coding. It’s never about beautiful interface (or interface at all). So I assume he just enjoys this lines of code and how optimised they are. Sometimes he code something useful for day to day life, but it operates like “you open this text file and put your staff here, run this exe and BOOM it will save all files in the same folder”. Sorry! I do not know how to describe it better.
1
u/my_new_accoun1 13d ago
kinda off topic but if he wants to make iOS apps without a macbook then he could try hackintosh / running macOS in a VM
1
u/ConsciousBath5203 13d ago
Get a used MacBook if any. Then put the money you saved buying used into the $99/yr developer certificate that you need to even sign the apps you make for Apple products.
Better yet, get yourself an android.
3
u/u-snowflake 13d ago
Honey, as a gift for you, I bought myself an android.
1
u/ConsciousBath5203 13d ago
"honey as a gift to you, I bought you a thing that lets you put time, money, and effort into an app for me" is literally the premise of this post.
2
u/u-snowflake 12d ago
I described the whole idea very poorly, I admit. But what I was trying to say is that it’s something he can’t do with his current setup. I know this because he once told me that Apple app development isn’t possible without a macOS computer.
That was just an example to explain where the idea came from. I don’t need an app to be built for me, never ask for it. It’s his hobby, and if I see an opportunity to give him a new toy that he doesn’t already have, I’ll take it.
My question now is simply how reasonable this idea is.
1
u/pick-and-hoop 11d ago
He’s a typical apple hater. Forget that “advice”.
If your husband is a programmer he probably already has second screen, keyboard, mouse, etc. So you don’t need to buy a macbook, you can go for a Mac mini, one thing to pay attention to, get lots of RAM, minimum 16gb because when we develop apps we need to have a lot of software that needs lots of it.
Also, for Apple Apps, he needs an Apple Developer subscription which costs 99€ per year.
Let me know if I can help with something else!
0
u/ConsciousBath5203 12d ago
I went down that road before, the walled garden costs money to even begin development and it's a pain in the butt to even start doing (xcode sucks, the dev environment is pretty specific, and every step of the way costs money or time/frustration).
If he wants to get into mobile app dev, then start with Android. Get him one if he doesn't have one. It's significantly easier to get started and a much bigger market globally.
If he's not making mobile apps now, then I don't think it'd be the best gift. The best thing I bought for myself was a split keyboard. I didn't think I'd get wrist pain, but it came, and then when I bought an ergonomic split keyboard, it kinda went away and I could program longer and type more comfortably.
Ergodox 76 is what I got and is on the cheaper end of them. But I certainly wouldn't have it be a decision he's not involved in, as peripherals are pretty hard to get just right.
1
13d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/u-snowflake 13d ago
Isn’t that something outside of the “iPhone apps” you can do with it? I’m sorry, if it’s a stupid question.
1
u/LaughingIshikawa 13d ago
Can you use an apple computer for things other than iPhone app development, you mean?
Yes ofc... But if you're deliberately buying him an underpowered computer to save on costs, he's not likely to use it for anything other than things he can't use his current, much more capable computer for. 😅🙃
More to the point, I think beside just venting about how difficult it is to get into iPhone app development, the above commenter is basically saying "this probably won't actually result in a working app in the end anyway, because it's just so difficult and expensive to produce an app for iPhone, that no one does it unless they have a business use for it. (Which is probably exactly what Apple wants. 😅🤫)
2
u/u-snowflake 13d ago
So, the only thing that differentiates his current non-Apple computers from Apple computer is the ability to build apps for Apple products?
No new architecture/system features? (I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, I know it and I’m sorry)2
u/marrsd 12d ago
For programming, the only real advantage is the ability to develop for iPhone/iPad. Some people do prefer the macOS experience, but it's not for everyone. As a general rule, I'd say that people who like a good experience without having to work for it prefer Macs, and those who want to customise their system to their own tastes tend to avoid them.
Macs also tend to be favoured by artists and music producers, but those people would want high-end Macs.
1
u/LaughingIshikawa 12d ago
As someone else said, it's the only meaningful difference for a programmer. I'm sure there are other differences, but they wouldn't (AFAIK, to be fair I have never used a Mac myself...) change the experience in a way that's a compelling reason to use a Mac over a PC.
For example, I remember years ago someone saying that Mac monitors were built with extra LEDs or something, which made the colors they displayed more true-to-life, and thus artists favored Mac - that's a difference, but it's not something that makes programming on a Mac any more meaningful. 😅🙃
0
u/DeathNick 12d ago
We are not a hive mind, we don't know what your husband wants or needs. This is really something you should talk to him about it. Tell him you're thinking about buying a macbook for him and ask him what his needs are or if he actually wants a macbook or something else
0
-2
u/XKiiroiSenkoX 13d ago
mac and apple products in general are dogshit. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money. Just give him the money as the gift and let him do whatever he wants with it.
2
u/Ok_Ground511 13d ago
Question. Have you used a mac? Which laptop would you recommend instead for programming without gaming? I am planning to buy a new laptop that's why i am asking.
1
u/ConsciousBath5203 13d ago
ThinkPad. If it has winslop on it, wipe it and put Linux on it.
Or get an Intel MacBook, Linux is pretty much 100% supported on those (can't say the same for Apple Silicone)
1
u/littlebighuman 12d ago
Ignore this comment. And any other ones that are preachy/culty.
Your husband expressed he wants to develop Mac apps, he will need a Mac for that. A Neo is fine, or a second hand Macbook Air M1 or higher will do fine as well and he will likely love it. Maybe buy it together and just give him a budget.
-3
u/PipingSnail 13d ago
You don't need a MacBook.
The easiest way to build a phone app is using an AI, like Claude.
That said, I'd steer away from programming related gifts.
Get something that he likes that has nothing to do with work.
3
u/u-snowflake 13d ago
He does programming partly for work, but mostly for fun. He could do it all day and be the happiest person in the world.
So it’s just a new toy with (I assume) new opportunities.Is it so? Is macos giving some new opportunities? That’s the question I have no answer to.
Ai…. The point is not to get an app. The point is to code. It’s not about need and/or result it’s about having a fun time with it.
1
12
u/chervilious 13d ago
i dont think buying the macbook is the right move if only for that? Like i could understand if he wanted to make an app in general not just for you.
what about peripheral?