Over the past year, my MacBook software development environment has undergone some changes. Today, I want to share my latest setup, workflow, and tools to help you enhance your efficiency in software development.

My Work Device 💻

I am currently using the 16-inch MacBook Pro M1 Max. This machine's performance is impressive, easily handling various tasks while maintaining quiet operation and good battery life. Although it is relatively heavy, I prefer using this large-screen device for software development.

Upgrade Considerations

Earlier this year, I tried the M3 Pro version, but ultimately decided to stick with the M1 Max. After testing, the difference in compile times was only 3-5 seconds, which made the upgrade seem not worth it.

IDE Choices 🛠️

I use three different IDEs to meet various development needs:

• Visual Studio Code: I rely on this powerful IDE when handling large projects. With Copilot, I can efficiently build and maintain projects, and the experience is very smooth.

• Sublime Text 4: For quick editing of small projects, Sublime Text 4 is my go-to choice. Its speed and flexibility make text manipulation easy.

• Android Studio: I use Android Studio to develop Flutter applications. Its user-friendly interface helps me stay focused while coding.

Daily Tools 🧰

My toolset remains relatively stable, but I have also discovered some new favorites:

• Servbay: This tool makes it easy to deploy development environments and quickly run Laravel websites, PHP, and Node.js projects locally. The setup is straightforward and highly recommended.

• Sequel Ace: As a database client, Sequel Ace is ideal for handling PostgreSQL and MySQL, being both user-friendly and free.

• Red 2: If the project uses Redis, Red 2 is an excellent client for easily viewing and managing data.

• Termius: I rely on Termius for server management. Its setup is simple, allowing me to effectively organize my servers.

• Bear: As a note-taking app, Bear's search functionality is superior to Apple Notes, making it easy to find the information I need quickly.

• iTerm 2 + Oh My Zsh: This terminal combination allows me to work efficiently; while the setup process is time-consuming, the results are satisfying.

• Postman: For API testing, Postman is my first choice due to its ease of use and powerful features.

• Code to Image Converter: I use this tool to generate images of code snippets, making it easy to share on social media.

• JSON Editor Online: This website has been my go-to for handling JSON data for years.

• Regex101: This is a very useful tool for testing regular expressions, with a user-friendly interface that is easy to use.

Tips for Staying Focused ⌨️

As a programmer, staying focused is a challenge. Here are some effective methods I've summarized:

1. Limit music time to no more than 2-3 hours per day.
2. Schedule two short naps each day, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.
3. Create a daily to-do list to keep work organized.
4. Start the day with a glass of water to maintain good health.
5. Try to stay away from social media while working to reduce distractions.
6. If stuck on a bug for over an hour, take a break and go outside for a walk to relieve stress.
7. Learn one or two new things each day to keep progressing.

Conclusion

In 2024, the MacBook Pro M1 Max remains a powerful development tool. Since I got it, the fan has hardly ever turned on, which makes me very satisfied with its performance. Although the arrival of the M4 chip may bring new surprises, I believe most developers can still get an excellent experience from the M1 Max or M2 machines while saving costs.

Thank you for reading, and I hope my sharing is helpful to you!