is a mac or a pc better for a computer programmer

(I'll be going from 2GB to 3GB RAM, here in 2011.) But since the new machine is mediocre by current standards, it is reasonable to expect that it will also be unacceptable before its retirement date. I'm actually slated to get a new machine soon, and it will improve things somewhat. I'm talking about machines with too little RAM to handle their regular workload, which leads to freezing, rebooting, and (no exaggeration) approximately 20 minutes to boot and open the typical applications on a normal Monday. Is this a case of 'penny-wise and pound-foolish' or have I oversimplified the question? Why isn't there universal agreement (even in the 'enterprise') that software developers should have great hardware?Įdit: I should clarify that I'm not talking about a desire for screaming fast performance that would make my friends envious, and/or a SSD. A loss of 1 minute a day ($750) would give a net gain of $1250, which would hardly offset the cost of poor morale. (Not at all a stretch, I'm sure that my machine costs me more than that.) then over 3 years the 125 lost hours would add up to a loss of $7500. If you only save $1000, or $750, it only strengthens my case.) If those cheaper computers only cost you 10 minutes of productivity a day. (These are the most charitable numbers that I can offer the bean-counters. So suppose you can save $2000 every three years by buying cheaper computers, and your average developer is making $60. That's roughly the cost of a top-end iMac or MacBook (17 inch). ($3000/(150 wks * 40 hours))ĭo you need a top-end machine? No, the $3000 here is to represent the most that could possibly be spent not the amount that I would expect. A top end machine is only $3,000, so the cost of buying a truly great computer every three years comes to $0.50/hour. The cost of employing a programmer in my area is $50 to $100 an hour. It is not currently accepting new answers or interactions. This question and its answers are locked because the question is off-topic but has historical significance.

Is a mac or a pc better for a computer programmer