Introduction

I'm not a Windows guy, even I used windows for more than decade. I'm also not a big fan of Macos or Linux. I'm just a user, people interested in technology, and I want to use the best tool for my work. So, today, I want to share my experience and thoughts on using both laptops for development work, expecially two laptops: Macbook Pro M1 and Dell XPS 15.

I'm using both for my work and personal use. I use Macbook Pro M1 for most of my work, especially for web development, automation, data, ai and so on. I use Dell XPS 15 for some specific tasks that require Windows, such as Revit API development, Autocad API, native Windows applications, Navisworks API,... Almost of the time the reason make me use Windows just because the software only run on Windows, not because I like Windows more than Macos.

This is two years experience of using both laptops, I hope you will find it useful.

Macbook Pro M1

It's really a great laptop for development work. But if you are first time using Macos, you will feel a bit confused and take time to get used to it. I guess aleast 1 month. But after a while, you will love it. The M1 chip is really fast and efficient, the battery life is amazing, and the build quality is excellent. The keyboard and trackpad are also very good. The screen is also very good, with high resolution and good color accuracy.

What I really like about Macbook Pro M1 is the ecosystem. If you are using other Apple products, such as iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, you will love the integration between them. You can easily share files, copy and paste text, and even answer phone calls and messages from your Macbook. The continuity features are really useful and make your workflow smoother. Some case example :

• I can easy capture screenshot from iPhone and paste it to Macbook in conference, it's just magic and in second.
• I can easy share file between Macbook and iPhone, iPad via AirDrop,
• Trackpad is really good, I can easy scroll, zoom, rotate, swipe between apps, and so on.

I don't need shut down my Macbook when I travel, just close the lid and put it in my bag, when I open it again, it's ready to use in second. And for my real word, I really don't know when is the last time I shut down my Macbook, maybe 1 month ago or more.

But some limitations of Macbook Pro M1 are:

• If you are guys doing engineering using software like Revit, Autocad, 3ds Max, Rhino, Sketchup, Navisworks,... you will need to use Windows via Bootcamp or Parallels. But Bootcamp is not supported on M1 chip, so you will need to use Parallels, which is not free and not as good as Bootcamp. And the performance is not as good as native Windows. So, if you are doing engineering work, I don't recommend Macbook Pro M1.

Dell XPS 15

It's also a great laptop for development work. The build quality is excellent, the keyboard and trackpad are also very good. The screen is also very good, with high resolution and good color accuracy. The performance is also very good, with powerful CPU and GPU options. But sometimes It's so hot and noisy when doing heavy tasks.

what I really like about Dell XPS 15 is the flexibility. You can easily upgrade the RAM and storage, and you can also choose different configurations to suit your needs. The windows laptop just easy management in File Explorer than Macos Finder. And the software compatibility is also very good, with most software available for Windows. May be I don't need to pay too much for Sass license just for some unity software.

What I really use almost of the time ?

I could say, I use Macbook Pro M1 for most of my work, especially for web development, automation, data, ai, databricks jobs. The main reason here is it's convinient for me to move around coffee on weekends without worrying about battery life. I can work anywhere, anytime, without worrying about finding a power outlet. The battery life is really amazing, I can easily get 10-12 hours of use on a single charge. Second things is I don't really like like tune off everything for next day, I just close the lid and put it in my bag, when I open it again, that it.

How about PC ?

I wish I will using PC more, if I'm doing real work or WFH, definitely I will use PC more. It's cheaper, more powerful, fast and dual monitor support. That is real productivity. I recommend you should have a good PC for WFH or real work, and a good laptop for travel and coffee.

Which one should you buy ?

It's depend on how much you need to work with. If you are doing multi task, need dual monitor, need to run heavy software, you should buy a good PC for WFH or real work. If you are doing light work, need to travel a lot, need to work in coffee, you should buy a good laptop. If you are doing engineering work, you should buy a good Windows laptop. If you are doing web development, automation, data, ai, you should buy a good Macbook Pro.

Sometime, simple is better because technology just a tool, it's will be quickly outdated, and you will need to upgrade it in few years. So, let's focus on idea, product, learning, connect with people, family, friends,... The life is short.

Some advice for you:

• Don't trust too much on internet review, just try it yourself if you can.
• Don't buy too much expensive laptop, just buy what you need.
• Write down what you need first before you make decision.