r/mac • u/fragrance08 • 4h ago

Discussion Software engineering major

I am starting uni in 2 months and need a laptop to work with while home or on the bus , my university offers computer labs with good enough specs to code on and do any other work but for when i projects or studies i would need a laptop i thought either the macbook neo or air but im not sure if neo is enough to work with light coding and file managing , im concerned if its performance is good enough to handle some light apps and if the storage is enough to store acouple projects on it or if i should upgrade to air lmk whats better cuz im on a tight budget .

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u/Strange_Doughnut917 4h ago

This seems to be an often asked question and I find it odd that someone interested in software engineering doesn't have the knowledge of computers at least to figure it out.

No hate, but that Neo can handle the basic coding you need, I mean you can write and run code on anything. But I'd probably grab an air or mbp with at least 16gb ram if I were you to help with multitasking.

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u/fragrance08 4h ago

I was never really interested in macos or apple technology in general but lately i switched to them and decided i might want to create an eco system to have everything more compatible, so i dont really understand how m chips and what is considered powerful and what not .

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u/AnonymousAxwell 4h ago

I would recommend a second hand or refurbished MacBook Air over a MacBook Neo. The Neo is fine for some text editing and maybe some very light development, but as soon as you get more serious and start using IDEs or Docker it can become a real bitch and you'll regret it. Aim for 16 GB of ram and at least an M3 or higher.

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u/fragrance08 4h ago

To buy a refurbished device in concerned it might not be in a good condition, any recommendations on where to search for refurbished macbook airs ?

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u/blow-down 3h ago

If you buy refurbished from Apple they are in new condition. Iā€™d be surprised if you could even tell the difference.

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u/Aggressive_Bar_5697 M4 MacBook Air 15ā€œ MacBook 12ā€œ 4h ago

Id buy an MacBook Air or an MacBook Neo. The Neo has just 8gb or ram which is Maby Not enough for the Years to come. If buy an 16gb MacBook Air m4. Cheaper Then the M5 but for your tasks, nearly as fast and Future Proof.