Why I Still Use A 2015 Mac Pro

Most developers in 2026 are running on M5 Max chips with 128GB of unified memory. They spin up 20 docker containers, run 3 Electron apps, and leave 50 Chrome tabs open without blinking.

I don't have that luxury.

I code on a 2015 Mac Pro (Trash Can Edition).

• CPU: Intel i5 something (whatever apple put in there...)
• RAM: 8GB DDR3 (ECC)
• Storage: 120GB SSD

The Constraint

When your computer screams if you open too many tabs, you learn to close tabs. When your build takes 45 seconds, you learn to write clean code the first time. When your local server crashes because of memory leaks, you learn to fix the leaks.

Modern web development has become lazy. We ship 5MB JavaScript bundles because "everyone has fast internet." We build unoptimized React apps because "devices are fast."

My device isn't fast. Browsing the modern web on this machine is painful. And that's why I use it.

If it runs here, it flies there.

If I can make a website feel instant on this 11-year-old trash can, it will feel like magic on your iPhone 17. Constraints aren't a bug. They're a feature.

The Stack

This website is built with:

• Next.js 16 (App Router)
• Tailwind CSS v4
• Phosphor Icons

No heavy libraries. No massive tracking scripts. Just code.