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Recommendation - Mac v Windows
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Recommendation - Mac v Windows
#1
Hi there,

I have an old MacBook now - late 2011. I can't install some of the programs needed to code - I'm a newbie.

It's time for an upgrade.

What would people recommend - MacBook or Windows? If Windows ... what laptop would you recommend?

Thanks
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#2
It's very much up to personal preference. For example in my opinion Apple products are overpriced and I am not interested in purchasing any.
Also you may want to consider Linux. There are plenty of nice distros. I for example use Win 10 in the office with Linux Mint in Virtual Box, and Linux Mint and Win 10 at home as dual-boot PC with Mint being my primary OS.

Recommendation for particular laptop will depend on what else (in addition to programing) you gonna use it for.
By the way - it's interesting what programs you were not able to install on your current Mac.
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#3
Not to disagree with anything buran said, but one nice thing about Macs is their similarity to Linux. They can also be duel/multi-booted if you want multiple operating systems.

Unless you have any good reason to be on a particular platform (e.g. you want to release code for it) then I'd just go with what you're most comfortable with, unless you want to take a risk, which is up to you and your budget.
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#4
As @buran said: upto personal preference. I (for instance) prefer Python coding on Mac. Tried doing it on Windows: bearable, but missing "some essentials" that Mac offers.......

Before Mac, I used Python on Kubuntu. It was nightmare. I switched Kubuntu > Ubuntu and it became more bearable. KDE ( for some strange ( = weird ) reasons doesnt work with Python nicely.
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#5
(Sep-24-2020, 05:37 PM)lasek723 Wrote: I can't install some of the programs needed to code
I find a lot of times that people consider an old computer obsolete when it does not have to be. You can overwrite the OS with linux and rejuvenate the computer for free. I dont mean a virtual box either. I mean delete the old operating system. I do this a lot with Windows desktops. Older computers with a fast linux can be great for average tasks of programming or surfing the web even (not gaming though). I just recently retired a windows laptop from 2006 by installing Arch Linux overtop of Windows Vista. When Vista became obsolete i just deleted it and installed linux. The only reason i threw it away recently was because i dropped it and broke it.

If your interested in linux there are so many distros its a little overwhelming which one to choose. Distro Watch can gives some insight. Kubuntu is just Ubuntu with the KDE desktop environment. You can install these environments in and out of any distro though. That just comes prepackaged with KDE. Same with Xubuntu uses the xfce environment (a lightweight one). You can install xfce desktop within another distro to make it more lightweight for older computers. You dont need to install Xubuntu to do this. You just need to install the environment. AKA You can install Ubuntu and determine it lags the computer too much. then install xfce to eliminate the lag and work from there.

(Oct-06-2020, 12:54 PM)macfanpl Wrote: Before Mac, I used Python on Kubuntu. It was nightmare. I switched Kubuntu > Ubuntu and it became more bearable. KDE ( for some strange ( = weird ) reasons doesnt work with Python nicely.
Ubuntu and its variants are considered one of the clunkiest distros. And KDE is the clunkiest environment of them all. An old computer would be better suited with Arch Linux or similar. If one is not savvy enough for Arch Linux, they always have stripped versions of ubuntu such as Linux Lite. I often use this OS for Windows users that does not want all the bloatware of Ubuntu or has an older laptop.
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#6
To make a long story short, the most noticeable difference between Windows vs Mac operating systems is their interface. Generally speaking, macOS is perceived to be more simple, streamlined, and beautiful while Windows is more complex and feature-rich, with more customization options.

Regards,
Caleb
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#7
A bit late but I hope it's not too late.

Macbooks are known that their keyboards has a lot of issues. If want to code on it that could be a problem.

Some ThinkPad will be the best choice in my opinion. It feels so good to type on their keyboard.
Also, those machines are real work horses.
"As they say in Mexico 'dosvidaniya'. That makes two vidaniyas."
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#8
Give an old MacBook new life with Linux
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#9
Forgot to mention that on the new Macbooks the RAM is soldered on the mainboard. Perhaps the SSD too. You get one and it is what it is. No upgrades
"As they say in Mexico 'dosvidaniya'. That makes two vidaniyas."
https://freedns.afraid.org
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#10
Bunsen Labs Linux easy, simple, looks awesome, free.
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