Looking for macbook to handle unity

Hello!

I'm looking for a MacBook that will handle unity. I'm targeting 2D mobile games. Any suggestions?
Of course, the cheaper the better

 

If you don't mind the growing pains that come with early adoption I would just buy an M1 MacBook Air. Old Apple devices are difficult to recommend because you need the latest release of Xcode which itself requires the latest macOS and unlike a PC you can't use a device that is more than five or so years old.

 

I already worked with MacBook in the past so I know how to handle it. I read about MacBook Air and I think it can be too slow for my projects. Can you recommend to me any of the MacBook Pro?

 

You clearly read out of date information. All of Apple's current generation devices use the same hardware.

 

I have an M1 MacBook air, and I would suggest going with a PC. A PC will be cheaper, and with some apps, you will have the pain of it crashing, since most of them don't support Apple Silicon chips. In addition, most gamers game on a PC, so a PC should be perfect for you. The only reason I thought I needed a Mac was because it was a Unix-based OS, which would help in web development, but I don't really see a significant difference between a Mac and a PC in terms of ease of development.
But, if you still really want a Mac, I would recommend a Mac Mini, it's your bang for your buck.

 

What is your budget? Will it be your main machine to work on?

I use the following:

2018 Macbook Pro 15" i7 32GB RAM
2020 Macbook Pro 13" i5 16GB RAM
2020 M1 Macbook Pro 13" 16GB RAM

I don't recommend the M1 Macbook Pro. It only has 2 usb ports (scam).

My 2018 is faster and better for work as it has more RAM. The 13" is more portable and much easier to pack for travel.

However, all 3 are adequate for mobile work. I can compile xcode and build to iPhone on all 3 in relativity short time, like 6 minutes. They are slower for android though. I use my desktop PC to build APKs and bundles.

Out of the 3 I use the 2020 13" i5 the most for work on the go, travel, etc. For home use though desktop PC all the way. If you just want to build for xcode and don't care for work on the go, then mac mini is the cheaper option.

 

Agreed, and you can often find it on sale too. Costco currently has it for $599 if you're fine with the base model.

 

Thanks guys . The main reason that I want MacBook is flexibility. I could take him anywhere I want. Another reason is because of my mobile phone. I got iPhone and it will be easy for me to test games
Mac mini isn't flexible. I still need a screen, keyboard, and mouse for it :/

 

Ok. So basically the more RAM it got it's better. I think I'll hit the first option. Older version of macbook but with more RAM and better processor. Thank you!

 

Be careful when comparing previous devices to the M1. Under the hood it functions very differently thanks to the way it was built. System memory is basically right next to the CPU unlike in a normal computer so it functions much more like a cache than system memory and the SSD is fast enough that it functions more like RAM.

If you check hardware reviews the overwhelming concensus is that the 8GB model outperforms some of the non-M1 models that have had more memory and faster hardware. It can effortlessly handle 4K60 video scrubbing and editing whereas that normally takes a beefy machine.

Concerning the GPU the "8 core" statement might throw some people off but it's equivalent to a GTX 1050 Ti which is far more powerful than you'll ever need for mobile development.

Correction. It has two THUNDERBOLT ports. Thunderbolt is quadruple the performance of USB so with a tiny hub you can hook up far more performance heavy devices. You can attach up to one additional display thanks to this with a maximum resolution of 6K at 60Hz.

 

Yeah I should be more clear on that. When using the M1 I have to travel with an additional usb "hub" as there are only two ports. Typically need 3-4 things connected (i.e. power source, mobile device, monitor, security key, external drive)

They are both on the same side as well, so it is annoying if your power source is on the wrong side

 

If it's your main machine to develop on then the larger macbook pro (15"/16") will be a lot better. They will cool off better and the larger screen will be helpful too. The 13" heats up quickly and really can only be used if you place them flat on a desk (ideally slightly lifted off the desk to allow airflow)

 

Be extremely careful with the 2018 MBPs... do not buy it online, always go and try out the keyboard for real. The very machine you will buy. The keyboards are abysmal in prior MBPs.

I still would buy a Razer instead, BTW. My corp laptop is MBP, my personal one is Razer, I infinitely more happy with my Razer.

 

Oh, right. Butterfly keys. They were consistently breaking for people.

 

One reason though to just go for a larger amount of RAM with the M1 macs, is RAM is not upgradable. Whatever you get it with is as much as it will ever have.

On buying any of the older macs, unfortunately Apple's past history says they will drop support for Intel macs as soon as they can get away with it. The last PowerPC macs sold were in 2006, and support for them ended in 2009. Maybe Apple will be different this time, but they have a similar track record with many other products.

 

Right. I'm not saying you should choose the smaller of the two. I'm just saying that it's not apples to apples when you compare the M1 to previous generation devices.