While some coders may find having a larger 16-inch or 17-inch screen on their laptop makes programming more comfortable, other people may find those laptops too big and bulky to easily carry around.

Want to know more? Read our in-depth MacBook Pro 16-inch review. The improved keyboard is another massive boost to this laptop's coding ability, as it's the incredible battery life that will allow you to keep coding throughout the day without needing to plug it in. The large 16-inch screen is gorgeous, and makes looking at pages of code comfortable, and the ProMotion adaptive refresh rate means scrolling through code is smooth and responsive. We were incredibly impressed with how xCode performed on the MacBook Pro 16-inch, so if you're a developer who specialises in Mac or iOS apps, then this is a brilliant choice. Not only does the MacBook Pro 16-inch compile code quickly, it's powerful enough to run you code in test environments, including emulated devices that allow you to see how your game or program works on a variety of products. Replacing the Intel-powered model from 2019, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) comes with a choice of Apple's powerful M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, and these make short work of compiling and running even the most complex code. This is taller than the standard widescreen (16:9) so you can see more code without scrolling up and down.Īpple's large MacBook Pro 16-inch is the best laptop for programming money can buy right now. The screen also needs the perfect ratio – we recommend 16:10. But you do need a large enough area that your eyes won't strain after working for a long time. Unless you've got a massive bag, you probably don't want a beast of a screen as you'll be carrying it around. You'll also want to consider screen size. This means you'll be able to take on more work. Because, of course, the faster you can run and test code, the quicker your project can be finished. Add a multi-core processor into the mix, and you'll be able to compile your code and test it more quickly. We've highlighted the best of these in our guide so look out for those picks.īut what does a laptop need to be awesome for programming on? Well, you need at least 16GB of RAM, for starters. The cost of living crisis means that many of us have less money to spend, but you can still get a brilliant budget laptop for programming on.

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