Anyone programming .Net/Visual Studio on a MB Pro 15/i7 2.0?

martinmsj

martinmsj

[H]ard|Gawd
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Mar 3, 2005
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I just plunked down 1900 on a MB PRO with upgraded matte screen. My stomach is just twisting realizing I just ordered this thing.


Simple enough I need want access to the mac platform but the logistics of using a mac mini don't cut it.

I'm still debating of canceling it and buying the cheapest 13inch and upgrading the ram and maybe an SSD (do the upgrades myself.) What kept me from the 13 incher was the damn screen. On a 14" I already can't stand the vertical resolution and going to a 13 inch one would suck. Not to mention I loathe glossy screens.

But 1200 vs 1900 is a lot to swallow. Let alone moving from my Asus C2D P8200. (Which was fast enough for my needs.)

I keep telling myself it's an investment but I feel sick to my stomach. (Ordered today, I can still cancel.)


martinmsj said:
Right now I'm a programmer/IT Consultant. I don't make as much as that sounds like. This would be used professional. The iphone/mac development is to further help me get paid more. (In addition to helping me practice more C++/C programming since all I do now is Java/.Net.)
I was at this for 12 hours yesterday (almost like buying a car.) This is all I could summarize.


13 2.3GHz MBP
1.) Cheapest.
2.) I already put up with the 14" screen on the Asus.
3.) I already put up with the glossy screen on the Asus although the MBP one is even more glossy. (Seriously WTF.)
4.) Better battery life under windows.
5.) Can afford a bigger SSD and Ram upgrade.


13. 2.7 MBP
1.) Very fast dual core should mean Windows 7 performance should be on par with P8200 Asus or better when working with Visual Studio/Eclipse. (When running both OS's.)
2.) Can afford a moderate SSD and Ram Upgrade.


15 2.0/Matte/HiRez Screen
1.) Large screen
2.) Won't be straining the eyes with a very reflective glossy screen.
3.) Dad is giving the cash (I'm paying him back 1k now, 900ish in two months) so I'm not going to go broke.

I don't program at home. I program at work and for out of work programming I go to starbucks. At home I get too distracted (take WoW breaks, TV, etc..) I may not have a dependable always have a dependable way to connect remotely so a Mac Mini is out of the question. Besides the fact that it adds more hardware versus just replacing my notebook.

And no, I can't remote into it from work. I'm on a high guarded/tracked network and anything I work on at work they will claim ownership.

I swear I feel like such a fucking bitch. Fuck I'm being one. I keep going back and forth between all three. Maybe I should get the cheaper one incase it works out and I want the new redesigned MBP? Ugh I swear this shit is endless and I only but the MBP 15 (2.0 Ghz i7) with the matte screen just to buy it now and not wussy out of it.

Still, fucking 1938ish bux. And I don't even know if the 2.0 Ghz i7 is a good idea since I have a feeling the high clocked dual core i7 would see greater benefits. Besides running multiple projects open I don't see where having 4 cores would help versus a very fast 2 core.

Bah.
Click to expand...
 
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I work on a 13" Mac with Windows 7 on Bootcamp. (VS2010, Eclipse, etc)

It runs windows better than my workstation...

Only thing that pisses me off is the stupid display port... but once you get it connected to a monitor, it works great.
 
I use VS2K10 express for WP7 stuff via bootcamp on my 13 MBP. Works a lot better than I initially expected. You should be fine.
 
Whatsisname said:
Is this for a professional application?
Click to expand...

Right now I'm a programmer/IT Consultant. I don't make as much as that sounds like. This would be used professionally. The iphone/mac development is to further help me get paid more. (In addition to helping me practice more C++/C programming since all I do now is Java/.Net.)
I was at this for 12 hours yesterday (almost like buying a car.) This is all I could summarize.


13 2.3GHz MBP
1.) Cheapest.
2.) I already put up with the 14" screen on the Asus.
3.) I already put up with the glossy screen on the Asus although the MBP one is even more glossy. (Seriously WTF.)
4.) Better battery life under windows.
5.) Can afford a bigger SSD and Ram upgrade.


13. 2.7 MBP
1.) Very fast dual core should mean Windows 7 performance should be on par with P8200 Asus or better when working with Visual Studio/Eclipse. (When running both OS's.)
2.) Can afford a moderate SSD and Ram Upgrade.


15 2.0/Matte/HiRez Screen
1.) Large screen
2.) Won't be straining the eyes with a very reflective glossy screen.
3.) Dad is giving the cash (I'm paying him back 1k now, 900ish in two months) so I'm not going to go broke.

I don't program at home. I program at work and for out of work programming I go to starbucks. At home I get too distracted (take WoW breaks, TV, etc..) I may not have a dependable always have a dependable way to connect remotely so a Mac Mini is out of the question. Besides the fact that it adds more hardware versus just replacing my notebook.

And no, I can't remote into it from work. I'm on a high guarded/tracked network and anything I work on at work they will claim ownership of the code.

I swear I feel like such a fucking bitch. Fuck I'm being one. I keep going back and forth between all three. Maybe I should get the cheaper one in case it works out and I want the new redesigned MBP? Ugh I swear this shit is endless and I only but the MBP 15 (2.0 Ghz i7) with the matte screen just to buy it now and not wussy out of it.

Still, fucking 1938ish bux. And I don't even know if the 2.0 Ghz i7 is a good idea since I have a feeling the high clocked dual core i7 would see greater benefits. Besides running multiple projects open I don't see where having 4 cores would help versus a very fast 2 core.

Bah.
 
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I sometimes do VS2010 development under Windows on old 2009 era Core 2 Mac Mini (connected to a 26" 1920x1200 LCD) and it's more than fine. I could easily use that as a primary system for VS development if I didn't have an i7 laptop that I use most of the of time.

A $1900 MBP seems like overkill for that task, but it is a nice laptop. ;)
 
I cancelled the order. The cheaper 15 is just a bad investment. The iGPU only has 256mb even though it still has moderately good performance it's just a dumb decision. The more expensive 15 incher is a better buy compared to the other. But yea, I was planning to hold on to my Asus for the next 2 years as my fast C2D is pretty awesome. The 9600M GS was sufficient though I only ever played on the notebook when I was switching video cards on my main rig. Otherwise, I never play 3D games on it.

Besides, for an entry onto the Mac/iOS platform it's complete overkill. Looks like the 13incher is the way to go. Now, 2.7 vs 2.3 ghz...Honestly, GPU programming on my end is purely academic.

Bah, this crap never ends.
 
My MBP is late 2010 with Core 2 Duo 2.66 I think Ghz with 4 gigs of ram. It runs Windows 7 / VS2010 like a dream, no slowdowns. Do keep in mind, my VS2010 projects are fairly small (mobile projects, WP7, Playbook), not sure how it would fair with huge builds.

The OSX part runs xcode without a hitch as well, no issues running multiple iOS builds, simulators starts nearly instantly, etc. No issues at all.

Whatever you get i5 or i7, you'll be fine.

Mine has a nvidia 320M card, it scores 5.1 on W7 gaming benchmark. I don't play games on this thing, so I don't care. It works fine with WP7 emulator.

13" incher is perfect for me, it's even better when you can get it connected to a 24/27" screen.
 
If it's a work-related expense, it'll be a tax write off. You'll just have to itemize the rest of your expenses for the year.
 
What about the 13" Air? It has the 1400x900 screen. Everyone at work has either a 15" Pro or a 13" Air.

As far as laptops go, my rule is buy the smallest laptop you can get, but buy the biggest screen for work at home. So get a 24" or 27" screen for when you need to open up 20 windows of stuff.

I have the 13" MBP and 1200x800 stinks when you're trying to build a UI in Interface Builder. It's okay for a iPhone app but it's terrible for a regular application. I would have gotten the 13" Air but it costs quite a bit more and doesn't have the i5. You can get one at Microcenter for $999, if they have an open-box it'll be $899. That's just over half of what the 15" costs.
 
Hi Guys just an update. Funny story, went to buy one then a drink with my friend. Who has always wanted one. Long story short, after a pitcher of Blue Moon on an empty stomach and one french onion soup later, he took the cheapest 13 MBP and I went back and bought the high end 13MBP.

It made me feel much better plunging into it with a buddy. I couldn't justify the 15 incher. It improves the vertical visibility but still no where close to the big HP I have at work (bought the DVI Adapter.)

Of course, all your inputs also alleviated (plus the buddy and blue moon) the horrible feeling in my stomach. But it's a business/career investment.

Now, to find a way so that I can share my itunes folder with both Windows/OSX itunes.
 
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