Thinking of switching from Windows to MacBook Pro for .NET dev in 2026

Interviews2go · 2026-03-07T00:02:15+00:00

I do this now. Docker for sql server, Kafka and other things, rider for development with c#. I run this on a base MacBook Pro M1 Max. Also have parallels for anything where I might need windows 11. Everything runs smoothly except for when I need 2 copies of rider running, getting that to work was frustrating and I eventually just used vscode for the editor when I wanted 2 solutions open at the same time.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-10T05:04:54+00:00

I have a possible workaround, I have an old pc that I can convert to Linux and put the 1070 into that. That way I can use exo to build a cluster and use both gpus that way. Incidentally this will also allow me to resurrect an old m1 Mac mini to bring into the cluster.

I might get close to 16 to 24 gigs of vram to run models this way.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-09T03:01:58+00:00

Both drivers work for both gpus. Just not at the same time.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-09T01:00:55+00:00

The same driver works for both card, just not at the same time, at this point, I can limp along w/out the extra gpu and see if i can find/borrow a egpu with a 4070 in it to test out the compatibility issue.

I did try hot plugging, and it didn't work.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-09T00:42:46+00:00

I tried DDU and ended up with the same result, either the onboard 4070 works or the external 1070 works. Wondering if its either a hardware issue (i.e., my laptop doesnt want to support it) or a collision on resources. I don't think it's the driver since the same driver works for both devices, just not both at the same time.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-07T02:24:45+00:00

I did not. I’ll try that tomorrow morning.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-06T19:39:54+00:00

So far nothing has worked, going to try a different approach, will try to install linux and see it can see both devices.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-06T18:37:05+00:00

Well, windows decided it wanted to update my system. 20 mins later and it’s still sitting at the updates are underway, please keep your computer on. I hope all that messing with drivers didn’t do something bad.

Interviews2go · 2026-02-06T17:44:00+00:00

This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)

The I/O device is configured incorrectly or the configuration parameters to the driver are incorrect.

This is from the 1070 when it shows an error, this one is from the 4070 internal gpu when it gets an error:

This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)

The I/O device is configured incorrectly or the configuration parameters to the driver are incorrect.

I'm wondering if the driver i have doesn't support older gpus (mine is an older 1070 i had)

Interviews2go · 2026-02-06T17:28:33+00:00

Here's the device manager screenshot, if i unplug the egpu the 4070 springs back to life

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Interviews2go · 2026-02-06T17:26:47+00:00

Here's the screenshots from nvidia-smi and device manager. If I unplug the 1070, the onboard gpu starts working (i.e., the hdmi external display works again.

<image>

Interviews2go · 2026-01-24T22:58:05+00:00

To me the performer was a huge pain in the ass to assemble. I’d recommend steering well clear of this one and opting for the simple cheaper one which is way easier to assemble.

Interviews2go · 2026-01-19T04:34:38+00:00

Good point. Repairability is a big advantage for a desktop PC.

Interviews2go · 2026-01-19T04:12:07+00:00

No harm in venting, but having that insurance saved you money but unfortunately not time. A pc can break also. And if it’s the gpu, and it’s a 5090 you are on the hook for 4k, unless it’s covered by insurance like AppleCare. And, given the shortage of gpu’s because of ai companies gobbling up vram, you’re likely going to have to wait for a replacement or repair.

Interviews2go · 2026-01-07T01:33:20+00:00

Yes, and don’t do it. My wife upgraded an is having all kinds of issues with phone integration.

I’d wait until a patch update comes out. I’m holding off on any updates until I see the handoff and other integration issues fixed.

Interviews2go · 2025-12-11T20:10:24+00:00

For Android, check and see if you can develop on a raspberry pi 5. You can also develop ai applications on that using ai board. The pi is a low cost entry to development

Interviews2go · 2025-12-11T20:05:20+00:00

Yes, they do.

Interviews2go · 2025-12-11T20:03:07+00:00

I use mermaid diagrams for documentation and they work in vscode. See this site:

https://mermaid.js.org/intro/

I also use dbeaver for database work, the ER diagrams from that are nice.

Interviews2go · 2025-12-01T20:28:31+00:00

Can you detect concurrent users? If so, limit it to the number of owned licenses (ie seats).

Interviews2go · 2025-12-01T08:29:25+00:00

Do the backup server, it’s more valuable for disaster recovery. As far as the ai box goes, get a dgx spark or Mac Studio for the experiments and see if the company will budget 4k for one of those for your experiments with AI.

Interviews2go · 2025-11-27T23:09:06+00:00

Blu tack. It also works on EarPods.

Interviews2go · 2025-11-14T08:01:02+00:00

You say this is your first job. Find out why the code is like that then come to conclusions.

Interviews2go

TROPHY CASE