I would get the original M1 MacBook Air from 2020, cheapest deal you can find, something used / refurb / etc. ($700-$850).
Why? It's the cheapest product w/ a full Mac experience. You don't want to plug in a mouse and windows keyboard w/ a random Monitor and save $200, if you've never used a Mac before. You're not going to experience using a MacBook w/ gestures and all the bells and whistles a normal user would have, and that might end up holding you back.
It's like not having a real iOS / Android test device & testing in emulators – you can verify the buttons do what you expect, but you'll never discover the app "feels broken" without Android back button support.
I'm assuming you have enough traction or a serious reason to pursue working on this app, and you're looking to support it long-term, not just a quick port for a project or contract work. If this is starting to sound like too much work for your project, obviously my experience doesn't apply. MacInCloud is a good service if this is like, a contract gig or something minor, or you're not ready to buy an expensive test device.
At the price point though, it's hard to find a fast, Retina Intel model that saves you enough money to be worth it.
There's also some minor packaging quirks for an Electron "universal" installer that will work on both an Intel and M1 Mac. If you get it to build for universal it'll also run on an Intel Mac.
If it feels like a solid app on the 2020 M1 Air, it'll feel right at home on the latest unannounced $4,000 MacBook Pro coming out next month as well. You just have to imagine the notch.
USB-C charging too, so you won't have to worry about replacing a proprietary charger someday, or buying accessories that won't work on your other devices.
Here's some common OS differences to look out for, as well, during development:
- Test your app full-screen and in windowed mode. There's some interaction quirks you might not be used to when you go full-screen and end up with multiple workspaces
- Understand the drag and drop app installation experience, if you've never seen that before. Counterintuitively, most people probably won't prefer to get your app from the macOS App Store (but you probably want to avoid an unsigned app from an "unidentified developer" – could impact your conversion rates)
- If you use menubar functionality test a few other apps to get a feel for the norms around this – people seem to hate electron-looking apps that look non-native in the menubar. Might be a nice thing to add, if it improves your app experience (seems like a mostly unused feature on Windows)
Why? It's the cheapest product w/ a full Mac experience. You don't want to plug in a mouse and windows keyboard w/ a random Monitor and save $200, if you've never used a Mac before. You're not going to experience using a MacBook w/ gestures and all the bells and whistles a normal user would have, and that might end up holding you back.
It's like not having a real iOS / Android test device & testing in emulators – you can verify the buttons do what you expect, but you'll never discover the app "feels broken" without Android back button support.
I'm assuming you have enough traction or a serious reason to pursue working on this app, and you're looking to support it long-term, not just a quick port for a project or contract work. If this is starting to sound like too much work for your project, obviously my experience doesn't apply. MacInCloud is a good service if this is like, a contract gig or something minor, or you're not ready to buy an expensive test device.
At the price point though, it's hard to find a fast, Retina Intel model that saves you enough money to be worth it.
There's also some minor packaging quirks for an Electron "universal" installer that will work on both an Intel and M1 Mac. If you get it to build for universal it'll also run on an Intel Mac.
If it feels like a solid app on the 2020 M1 Air, it'll feel right at home on the latest unannounced $4,000 MacBook Pro coming out next month as well. You just have to imagine the notch.
USB-C charging too, so you won't have to worry about replacing a proprietary charger someday, or buying accessories that won't work on your other devices.
Here's some common OS differences to look out for, as well, during development:
- Test your app full-screen and in windowed mode. There's some interaction quirks you might not be used to when you go full-screen and end up with multiple workspaces
- Understand the drag and drop app installation experience, if you've never seen that before. Counterintuitively, most people probably won't prefer to get your app from the macOS App Store (but you probably want to avoid an unsigned app from an "unidentified developer" – could impact your conversion rates)
- If you use menubar functionality test a few other apps to get a feel for the norms around this – people seem to hate electron-looking apps that look non-native in the menubar. Might be a nice thing to add, if it improves your app experience (seems like a mostly unused feature on Windows)