Looking for a new machine to get into Swift/MacOS/iOS development

Compiling is compute intensive, but typically you can wait a moment while it finishes. Compiling is NOT as right-this-instant as Full-Motion Video, unless that is what you are developing. Swift has lots of added Libraries, so your code gets BIG in a hurry. But the tools allow you to MAKE only the modified files.

Your RAM and minimum disk sizes look reasonable. NOT smaller on RAM. You can add as many external drives as you like.

If you really need portability, you pay dearly for that set of features built in. Can you live with a built-in keyboard placed for portability, not for comfortable use? Also consider that the computer is optimized for Light Weight, not for heavy all day use. If you are immediately bypassing most of those MacBook Pro features or if you are closing the built-in display, the MacBook Pro is just more expensive, not more useful.

You could also consider a Mac mini, or also consider MacBook Air. The downside of moving down the spectrum is that the low-end models support only ONE external display, (two if you count the Internal display, or first display on a Mini.) The compute-power is excellent in every model, unless you are doing high-end computations like 3-D wireframe models and shading, or modeling akin to airframe stress analysis or weather forecasting.

Unless you need the portability of a MacBook Pro, I'd stick with the desktops.

A Mac Studio seems like overkill for Swift development. Unless you are editing and rendering 4K video or intensive 3D graphics or you need more than 3 displays you don't really need the Studio. A higher end Mac Mini should do fine.

Concentrate on adding RAM (32GB) and you can save at least $300 on the Mac which you can spend on a good display.

<<. Every upgrade I would attempt, the price increase is just too much for me at the moment. "'

I was not suggesting UPGRADES. I am saying the system you specified is MORE computer than you need and more money than you want to pay..

Mac mini is perfectly adequate and CHEAPER.

if you type all day, you will want your own keyboard, not the light weight built-in keyboard.

The display built into MacBook Pro is very nice for full motion video or magazine-cover graphics. For program listings, any-old-display will do the Job, and you already likely own some.

The compute power of ANY apple-silicon Mac is remarkably good. You will NOT see slowness.

compute-power differences between models {plain, PRO, MAX} are somewhat based on memory access times. The higher-end models can get to RAM memory faster because the memory bus is wider. NONE are considered slow. M2 and M3 models are incremental differences, and may not be worth the money for THIS application.

...

As for me, the moment the first M2 model was announced, I bought an M1, because the price became cheaper, and for ordinary purposes, performance was not measurably different. I have no regrets.

drakiula wrote:

As for the Mac Mini, is the M2 (max RAM is 24 GB though) enough for Xcode and decent compile times, or should I go for the M2 Pro?

Unfortunately if I go for a higher end Mac Mini, it reaches towards the price of the entry level Mac Studio.

I'd expect the regular M2 and 24GB of RAM should still be fine for regular Xcode development and compile times should not be affected in any considerable way.