Practicality of MacBook Air M4 16/512 for app and website development

For me it depends on the workload your development tools put on the computer. Internal cooling fans disappeared from the Macbook Air when the M-series was released. Current models are convection-cooled, like the original iMacs...that tended to run a bit hot with more demanding apps.

If that is a concern for you, the entry-level M4 Macbook Pro has one fan. The the M4 Pro and M Max version have two. My new M4 Pro Macbook Pro is the coolest-running laptop I've used. If hardly got warm even with I upgraded it to Tahoe this month.

This Apple article might help with temp questions:

Keep your Mac laptop within acceptable operating temperatures - Apple Support

To that I would add that aftermarket "protection/cleaning" apps and VPNs will increase interior temps. So will using an external monitor.

Re: “First of all, I'm going to create an application that will work on mobile phones. In this case?”

If you are developing apps for iPhones, you would want a Mac running the latest version of Xcode. That is the development environment you would need to use to get an app accepted into the App Store. I would recommend more than 16 GB of RAM for a development machine.

For Android app development, you would want something else.

The computer you are considering would be fine for web development. Most designs would utilize frameworks that would be downloaded to computers any way, so since likely half the computers that would be connecting to the website using your design would be older and less powerful that yours, development of that site one your Mac would not be an issue. The only issue I would see, because of the high performance of the Mac you chose, you could have a website that would be too slow on the older or slower computers.

As for application development for phones, it would also be just fine unless you are developing something like the next Photoshop for phone or a highly complex game for a phone. For simple daily use type of phone apps it would be just fine.

OMAARABULI wrote:

MacBook air M4 16/512 How practical is it for creating applications and websites?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: MacBook M4 Opportunities

That would depend on the apps and development environment you will be using. If you will be using Windows-only apps or if all your coworkers are working in a Windows environment, then you using a Mac would not be a good choice.