Mac vs Windows for Programming!!

This is a question best asked in the lounge, since you are asking for opinions.

People will couch their opinions as fact, because their preferred system is "clearly and obviously the only operating system to use."

Fire suits issued at the door.
/out
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People will couch their opinions as fact, because their preferred system is "clearly and obviously the only operating system to use."

Obviously Windows is the only way to go.


When I code on Mac/Linux, it's always a multiple step process with the terminal. You could probably just use Visual Studio instead, but then there's no difference between coding on those systems rather than Windows. In the end, anything you can do with one you can do with the other pretty much. It's really a preference. But in my eyes, Mac just sucks. Windows allows for so much more in general. Mac is fine if you're buying a computer to look stylish in college and use Microsoft Word (if that's what you want from a machine you blow tons of $$$ on).

My sister bought a Mac for a bit more than I bought my laptop. The specs of her Mac are laughable at best. Mine has two graphics cards, the one that comes with the CPU and a GTX 1060 6GB card. Both cards are better than hers. The CPU she got was outdated. Speakers were alright, but mine came with two speakers and a sub (JBL speakers). The Mac has a nice screen and keyboard that lit up white. Mine had a 4K screen and RGB keyboard. It feels nicer to type on the Mac, but for gaming it would be a bit annoying with the shallow keystrokes.


Long way to say that I like Windows more than Mac in general - there's so much more versatility with Windows and Apple is a company selling premium feeling devices for a large price tag. I'd say it's really for people looking for simple use, optimized OS, a device that feels premium, and simple experience. If you're looking for all of that + performance, upgradability, freedom with what you can actually do with the machine, and a lower price tag, then you'd choose a Windows computer - granted you should know what the heck you're buying, like always.


Totally off topic at this point, but yea, you can basically code on Windows almost as if it were a Linux with the new features. In the end, the argument with coding on Windows vs Mac/Linux probably didn't have much to do with coding anyway. I find the terminal annoying, but I don't think it would be a deal breaker if that's what I had to do with Windows.
Ideally, use the platform(s) that you're writing code for. But otherwise, from a programmer's perspective, it doesn't matter much.

For the most part, Windows was always a viable choice. Every mainstream platform provides excellent support to programmers. Because of the commercial nature of software development, it's crucial to not just to attract programmers to a platform, but also to make it cost-effective to produce quality software. The health of the whole ecosystem depends on it - and this means development tools are important.

FWIW, my preference in development tools is roughly the opposite of @zapshe's.
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FWIW, my preference in development tools is roughly the opposite of @zapshe's.

We are true mortal enemies.
Can someone please remove OP's post.
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Another example of the new technique spammers are using. Post a rather vague question and then edit the post to add the spam links.

BTW, Ganado, you can report and remove low count posts. Just have to report them twice.
nobody uses mac or linux.

Windows is the future.
nobody uses mac or linux. Windows is the future.


Preach it.
Nobody uses mac or Linux.

No (relatively few) desktop users use Linux, but the whole Internet relies on it.

This is partly why Microsoft's bundles a Linux Kernel with Windows!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Subsystem_for_Linux
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