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Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsLooking at the best mobile device: Mac or other tablet, which is best for coding? Is memory a big deciding factor?
Is memory a bigger deciding factor than OS? I do already have a Mac desktop, so maybe being able to sync them outweighs saving money on a different OS. Thanks for the input!
6 Answers
Adam Tatusko
16,589 PointsI would suggest getting a laptop to write code when you are out and about, as the development environments for tablet apps aren't very robust yet.
Dean Wagman
21,591 PointsKeep in mind that if you plan on continuing your Web Development learning, eventually you will need to be using the Command Line and terminal, as well as move and access files. Both of which can't be done on tablets.
Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsI have never heard these terms. What do I need to consider when buying a laptop?
Dean Wagman
21,591 PointsThe terminal is an application on Macs that is used to run certain programs. A lot of software in the development world is ran with this application. There is a whole course on the console on treehouse that I recommend taking a little but later on your path.
As for memory, to be honest it really doesn't matter all that much. I'm working on a 7 year old MacBook Pro and it's perfectly fine. In reality, you're only really typing text files. But if you're doing a lot of graphic design work it might be a factor.
If you ask me, I'd recommend holding off on making a decision until you feel more comfortable with knowing what you will need/want. It sounds like using your desktop for now seems to be working. If you want to get a tablet for fun though hey why not? You could read programming and web design books on it.
But hey, I'm not telling you how to live your life.
Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsWell thanks so much. Lots of good info here! I appreciate being able to see ahead: sort of excited to know that this not so exciting beginning coding will lead somewhere.
Copying your advice on the console course.
No: no need to spend on something like a tablet if it will not be used here. Maybe the old MacBook will limp along for a while with some tweeking.
Again, thanks.
Jacques Vincilione
17,292 PointsThe question you should be asking is "What tablet has the best keyboard accessories," since that is going to be the most important thing. An iPad Mini Retina is the top rated tablet on the market, but I would almost say to go with an iPad Air simply for the larger screen. There are several good IDEs on the App Store.
Adam Tatusko
16,589 PointsCoding is very difficult on a tablet device due to its small size and cumbersome input method. I would stick to using your Mac desktop for writing code.
Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsIt sounds like you really mean that there are also other issues with tablets. I went to price and buy a tablet after reading this since I knew that I could buy a keyboard to go with a tablet (and did). I'll return the keyboard in the next few days.
Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsAdam, Thank you. You can buy a keyboard and tablets are a lot less expensive than most other devices. It would be so nice to get out of the house! I'd seen a blurb here about learning from Treehouse when out and about. I do not recall a specific suggestion for a device.
Lee Ann VanWinckel
1,480 PointsJacques ~
Thanks!