Developer Machine Landscape - David Smith, Independent iOS Developer

With all the exciting news announced yesterday I was particularly struck by how the answer for the best “Developer Machine” has suddenly gotten a lot more interesting. So I sat down and configured a base developer-class machine in each model. The rules was to get the cheapest machine with the following characteristics:

An Intel Core i7 processor.
8GB of RAM, upgraded via macsales.com (if possible)

I think those criteria generally fit with the needs of the average developer. While there will always be improvements possible via bumping specs, this served as a baseline which almost all the machines could meet.

The results are as follows:

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The 24” display listed for the Mac Mini and Mac Pro is a run of the mill Viewsonic from Amazon, which runs $180

Shown graphically sorted by price:

Observations

Based on that data, I’d recommend the Mac Mini as the best choice for a developer looking for a new machine. If you absolutely need portability then the 15” MacBook Pro (Matte) is the clear choice. You would, however, be paying $736 (+58%) for the ability to move it around. You can pick up a refurbished late model 11” MacBook Air for $749, which might be a better choice to get in addition to the Mac Mini.

With either choice, I’d recommend upgrading the internal drive to an SSD, which currently runs you $199 for 115GB. This is probably the biggest reason I’d stay away from the iMac right now. Upgrading the hard drive in an iMac is a risky proposition, at best. The only Apple available SSD option is a $500 256GB add-on.

Model</th	Resolution	CPU	RAM	Cost
11” MB Air	1366x768	1.8Ghz Dual	4GB	$1,349
13” MB Air	1440x900	1.8Ghz Dual	4GB	$1,699
13” MB Pro (Glossy)	1280x800	2.7Ghz Dual	8GB	$1,584
15” MB Pro (Glossy)	1440x900	2.0Ghz Quad	8GB	$1,849
15” MB Pro (Matte)	1680x1050	2.0 Ghz Quad	8GB	$1,999
17” MB Pro (Glossy)	1920x1200	2.2GHz Quad	8GB	$2,549
17” MB Pro (Matte)	1920x1200	2.2GHz Quad	8GB	$2,599
Mac Mini	N/A	2.0Ghz Quad	8GB	$1,083
Mac Mini + Cinema	2560x1440	2.0Ghz Quad	8GB	$2,082
Mac Mini + 24”	1920x1080	2.0Ghz Quad	8GB	$1,263
21.5” iMac	1920x1080	2.8GHz Quad	8GB	$1,784
27” iMac	2560x1440	3.4GHz Quad	8GB	$2,284
Mac Pro	N/A	2.8Ghz Quad Xeon	8GB	$2,659
Mac Pro + Cinema	2560x1440	2.8Ghz Quad Xeon	8GB	$3,658
Mac Pro + 24”	1920x1080	2.8Ghz Quad Xeon	8GB	$2,839