A:Answer Geek, I can't speak on the specific programming apps you will be installing on your Mac, however I would definitely recommend going with 16 gb of RAM straight out the box because the RAM is soldered in and therefore un-upgradeable later (an extra $200 investment that can go a long way). 512 gb should definitely be sufficient, but again this all depends on your usage. You can always invest in an external hard drive that can be used as extra storage space if 512 gb ends up not being enough. Again, without knowing exactly what you will be using your Mac for it's hard to tell whether or not you should go with an i5 or i7 processor, but likely i5 would be sufficient. As you go from i5 to i7 you see an increase in the Mac's ability to multitask and run higher end programs. It really boils down to what you will be doing on a day to day basis. A 512 gb ssd, 16 gb RAM, and i5 processor will take care of the average advanced tech person's needs.
