Best Computer for Web Design?
November 17th, 2011
I get this all the time:
Stef,
You’re a nerd and professional web designer, what computer would you recommend for someone wanting to get into the web design or web programming business?
My answer:
Being a professional nerd presents many challenges, and one of them shouldn’t be fighting with your computer, viruses or installing hardware!
You also need something very fast and what most people don’t know, a huge part of a computer’s speed is not found in the processor (everyone just thinks processor!!) … no, the biggest bottleneck these days is disk access. Or as we hard-core nerds like to call it: IO.
What is IO?
IO is short for: input / output
… It is the speed of sending and receiving information to and from your computer hard disk. Hard disk speed is huge!!
So what computer has the best IO out there?
MacBook Air
Buy it and be amazed at how fast a computer can move!! Check it out:
http://www.apple.com/macbookair/
PS: I am not a Mac/Steve Jobs fan-boy … I have an Android phone!!
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
No viruses on IOS? LOL you should say that to my 3 friends with macbooks who have lost their emails accounts this month.
Hi Stef,
I have to commend you on your style of teaching, it’s very refreshing. I’ve learnt a lot from your videos and blogs.
My PC has been virus free since I built it about 3 years ago (self taught after a severe spinal injury stopped me from doing my job). The best upgrade so far was a SSD drive. With cost coming down, I think anyone in this industry should invest in one.
I’m now starting to learn web design and web programming, it’s a big change in my life and I’m glad there are some good resources out there to help me get back on my feet.
Thanks,
Rob
It is true, sadly.
Almost all the other companies release at that price gaming laptops with good CPU/GPU combos along with awful battery life and displays.
Lenovo is always a good alternative. But for someone who looks for balance, Thinkpad = not for games; Ideapad = good GPU but meh displays.
Because, Macbook Air has “flash hard disc”.
Hey Stefan
I too think that the MacBook Air is a sweet computer but as far as IO speed I might suggest that one look into a solid state drive if just a swap out of IO type is the only concern.
As far as I know, the SSD on the Mac Air has been integrated into the motherboard itself … this contributes to the speed as it removes a bottleneck that you see in other machines with SSD.
Stefan
Axel:
If you are going to comment, do the community a favor and actually read what is written before just hating and disagreeing. He DID NOT say macbook isn’t prone to viruses, (although that may be true). He said what to look for in a design computer, and one of those things was speed, and that the mac excelled at THAT.
Also, if you do have a legitimate argument, try some facts. Because we don’t know if your “friends” had no anti-virus; what they were doing; or where they were doing it.
But just to keep it at a level playing field, as all that probably went over your head, here is my rebuttal: My 235,543 friends never got a virus with their mac’s…
i thought any one who uploaded nearly 587 videos on youtube for just teaching purpose is just amazing….i thought u also one of that person who creates new ways for people who cant understand by seeing just theory u making it in practical……..keep on doing…..good work….
@anthony,
Glad you like the videos.
We have much bigger things about to be released.
S
Also, using a Mac in combination with a virtualizer (VMWare, VirtualBox, Parallels), you can have both OSes in one.
I use VMWare with, count ‘em, FOUR version of Windows on my box so I can test: IE6, IE7, IE8 and IE9, along with all the other standard browsers.
Makes it faster and easier to develop and test web sites as I build them.