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Comment by nestlequ1k | Hacker News Reader

Apple seems to forget people still have to develop all those iOS apps. Their mac lineup has been horrendously badly suited for devs. I feel like the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro 17 are regrettable casualties to their disinterest in the market.

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I really don't see why a MacPro or Macbook Pro 17 are in the least bit necessary for iOS development. Developing iOS apps really doesn't require that much power, just screen real estate if you are using Interface Builder. For iOS development, the 27" iMac or any one of the Macbook Pros or Airs paired with a 27" Thunderbolt display are more than adequate for the job.

FWIW I just sold my Macbook Pro 17 inch after my new job gave me a 13" Air. After using the Air, I can't even imagine lugging around 17" anymore. The convenience of the Air paired with a large external display when necessary is perfect.

The only professionals that have a legitimate complaint about the MacPros and Macbook Pro 17 are those doing a lot of intensive video and audio work.

Well, xcode is such a memory hog that an air is impractical. With 4gb of ram, xcode runs so poorly its not worth it. With 8gb or ram, you can BARELY run xcode, don't bother have anything else open. 16gb is optimal.

I agree that MacPro or MB17 are overkill. A smaller macbook pro or mac mini with an external are good. A basic mac mini is most cost effective for only $550, plus $100 for 16gb. When my macbook pro died, I bought a mac mini and I'm very happy with it.

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