Why do so many developers use Mac?

11.02.2020 1,713 12

Martin Pramatarov

Have you ever noticed the vast majority of Mac laptops in each developers’ conference? Why is that? What advantages do they have over Windows or Linux laptops?

UNIX-based OS

macOS is an operating system based on UNIX. That is a huge advantage over Windows. You will be able to use the Terminal application natively. You can use it to write code, test it, and execute it. Run programs that are written in many different languages without difficulties. AppleScript, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Ruby, Swift, Objective-C, C++, Pure C, C#, etc.

Software

There is so much software out there for Mac. Plenty of great tools such as Xcode (for installing UNIX tools), Sublime Text (code editor), SourceTree (GUI for Git) and more.

You can see almost any major application with a version for macOS. You can use the whole Adobe Creative Cloud on a Mac laptop. Something that can’t be said for the Linux computers.

Cross-platform

Having a Mac makes it easy to develop for iOS or macOS. But on a Mac, you can also create a virtual environment and software for Windows, Android or Linux. It is a universal coding machine that can serve you for any platform.

Resell value

Have you ever checked out the prices for a second-hand mac computer? Even after a few years it still holds a relatively high value. Yes, a brand new Mac laptop is expensive to buy but at least you can get something in return later on. The same can’t be said about a Windows laptop. It will depreciate more quickly.

Aesthetics

It may sound superficial, but it’s very important for many users – the appearance. Apple has produced many good-looking devices over the years. The Mac computers usually have gorgeous, high-resolution screens and very nice keyboards for typing (mind that there were some issues with the butterfly keyboard).

These are some of the reasons why many developers prefer Mac. A Mac Book Pro can be like a Swiss knife for a developer. A universal and great-looking tool.