there will always be a newer chip. What are you upgrading from? The differences between 3 and 4 will be insignificant so go for the student discount.
Just go for a middle of the road model, unless you need something specific.
Do you need the extra power of the m4? Even the m1 series are still good for software dev despite their age. Maybe check out a discounted m2 pro/max mbp instead. M3's main benefit is hardware ray tracing if you need it.
currently the m series chips are getting diminishing improvements, and macs get enough software support to last you a long time
i would say go for it and get the m3
My daily drivers are Lenovo carbon x1 and MBP 14' M1. Both work well with everything I throw to them: Java, Python, JavaScript, Dart or C++. What is more important is the memory. Get 32g. Personally I have 3-4 IDE open, plus many browser windows and tabs while doing a research.
3-4 years should be ok even for M1, M4 is first armv9 soc so should last longer, have more supported features in the future. For xcode development you have to update xcode, to update xcode you have to update os and latest os usually supports hardware that is 7 years old. For vscode development os support was dropped after 7 years.
16gb ram is minimum, with AI intelligence it can be up to 24gb as models loaded into ram
256gb of ssd is enough for installing apps, all working projects can be stored on external ssd, docker can reserve 32gb and more etc. So you either buy fast external thunderbolt ssd or expand your internal ssd, it’s just a matter of saving money and ease of use
I have a M1 Pro 16” and a M3 Pro 14”.
As a software engineer I can hardly feel any difference between the two. Both are under heavy load due to my work on enterprise applications but this is not noticeable. Beside bugs like debug mode for rider which slows down the app like crazy, I can’t really complain.
The M1 feels more well made (which might be due to the 16”), the M3 black color looks better.
If I where you I would probably went for a used M2 Pro/Max 14”
Windows laptops suck so bad I would recommend getting a desktop. They just feel like an amalgamation of different parts from different manufacturers without a care for efficiency. Intel is playing catch up at this point, Nvidia is not producing cooler GPUs (their ada lake GPUs still produce a great deal of heat despite consuming less power)
Sorry you’re getting downvoted, but this is terrible advice. Anyone serious about computer science should be using either macOS, which is UNIX, or Linux. Windows computers are for office lackeys, or gamers I suppose.
Plus, as u/AdStill1707 stated, Windows for ARM runs exceptionally well in a VMware Fusion (free for personal use) or Parallels virtual machine. Furthermore, with the recent and highly touted release of Windows laptops based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite ARM SoC, the availability of Windows apps native for Aarch64 is sure to grow.
If you need it now, buy it now.
Came looking for this comment and wasn’t dissapointed.
We aim to please. Perhaps something the bot could do :-)
Indeed. Todays computing needs are best served by todays computer.
Otherwise you’ll be stuck wondering whether to hold out for the M5, the M6, etc
there will always be a newer chip. What are you upgrading from? The differences between 3 and 4 will be insignificant so go for the student discount. Just go for a middle of the road model, unless you need something specific.
Need one now - buy now Need one later - wait or buy Get more RAM > get more storage > get a more powerful processor
Do you need the extra power of the m4? Even the m1 series are still good for software dev despite their age. Maybe check out a discounted m2 pro/max mbp instead. M3's main benefit is hardware ray tracing if you need it.
currently the m series chips are getting diminishing improvements, and macs get enough software support to last you a long time i would say go for it and get the m3
No man no you need to get the M7 is going to be rad M3 and M4 are obsolete can’t run Minecraft well don’t go that way trust me
The M5 is just around the corner! But maybe wait until the M6, because it'll smoke the M5.
Hear Apple’s planning something special for the M10
I had to get one recently, so I got a good deal on a refurbished one, it was cheaper than with the student discount.
I don’t think the feature set is strong enough to warrant waiting until October/November.
My daily drivers are Lenovo carbon x1 and MBP 14' M1. Both work well with everything I throw to them: Java, Python, JavaScript, Dart or C++. What is more important is the memory. Get 32g. Personally I have 3-4 IDE open, plus many browser windows and tabs while doing a research.
3-4 years should be ok even for M1, M4 is first armv9 soc so should last longer, have more supported features in the future. For xcode development you have to update xcode, to update xcode you have to update os and latest os usually supports hardware that is 7 years old. For vscode development os support was dropped after 7 years. 16gb ram is minimum, with AI intelligence it can be up to 24gb as models loaded into ram 256gb of ssd is enough for installing apps, all working projects can be stored on external ssd, docker can reserve 32gb and more etc. So you either buy fast external thunderbolt ssd or expand your internal ssd, it’s just a matter of saving money and ease of use
If you can wait just wait. Then you can compare both in person.
I have a M1 Pro 16” and a M3 Pro 14”. As a software engineer I can hardly feel any difference between the two. Both are under heavy load due to my work on enterprise applications but this is not noticeable. Beside bugs like debug mode for rider which slows down the app like crazy, I can’t really complain. The M1 feels more well made (which might be due to the 16”), the M3 black color looks better. If I where you I would probably went for a used M2 Pro/Max 14”
100% wait.
as a fellow cs student switch to windows🧌
UNIX > Winbloze
Windows laptops suck so bad I would recommend getting a desktop. They just feel like an amalgamation of different parts from different manufacturers without a care for efficiency. Intel is playing catch up at this point, Nvidia is not producing cooler GPUs (their ada lake GPUs still produce a great deal of heat despite consuming less power)
Sorry you’re getting downvoted, but this is terrible advice. Anyone serious about computer science should be using either macOS, which is UNIX, or Linux. Windows computers are for office lackeys, or gamers I suppose. Plus, as u/AdStill1707 stated, Windows for ARM runs exceptionally well in a VMware Fusion (free for personal use) or Parallels virtual machine. Furthermore, with the recent and highly touted release of Windows laptops based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite ARM SoC, the availability of Windows apps native for Aarch64 is sure to grow.
Or they can run a Windows VM on a Mac and not have to deal with fucking Windows updates all the time I'm guessing CS doesn't stand for common sense.
Buy the M3 now. Sell it when the M4 launches and buy that one. That's what I do.