Hi, I am a web programmer and need some advice from existing users on which model is suitable for my needs.

I mainly use the laptop at home 90% of the time, and split between 60% on the lap and 40% dock to thunderbolt display. For using on 60% lap, I do normal web surfing, youtube playback, serious coding on Xcode, Android, python, ruby, and javascript, and ocassionally have 1 Virtual Machine running. I also do basic lightroom processing. For the 40% dock usage, I do similar thing but for more heavyweight CPU processing (like photoshop or photo rendering) or when I need lots of screen estate.

My priority is the laptop cannot heat up my lap too much. I have used Lenovo T61 & Dell e6400, and I find all of them heat up after a while that makes my lap uncomfortable, and I had to use a laptop cooler on the lap. If none of these meet my “heat” need, I would just go for Macbook Pro 15” with laptop cooler as weight is not too much an issue for me, I have muscle and I’m not a girl ;)

Macbook Air 13 might fit my first priority well, but…

My second priority is that the screen has to be of high quality, I find coding annoying when the syntax colors are not displayed properly when the screen is tilted at larger angle. And the terminal text has to be clear enough. I am using Dell T6115.4” currently, and I am happy with the screen size, a bit worry the 13” screen might be too small for my usage…

My third priority is graphics/CPU performance when in dock mode, the window movements have to be snappy enough, I hope 2013’s Macbook Air 13” model is snappy enough on thunderbolt display?

So, with these considerations, what do you Mac gurus suggest?

See on Scoop.it - iLife

Every body is on the content band wagon. Businesses daunted by the prospect of social media are nowing having to recognise that search marketing is converging with social and this needs to fueled by a healthy flow of quality content.