



Meanwhile on a Mac, you can easily install Windows or Linux using a virtual environment. It’s difficult to run OS X on a Windows PC (or Linux PC), and you need to find, and install, hacked versions of OS X. If you get a Mac, you can quickly run all the main operating systems, which is a big plus for those learning programming. Things like DLL Hell can lead to hours of frustration trying to figure out why the wrong library is loading.” Why programmers & coders love Mac OS X: OS X has better cross-platform compatibility “I used to work at Microsoft, so it pains me to say this, but it is a bear to maintain a PC, even as a developer. “Macs require less maintenance,” says hacker Roy Williams. “Their build quality is very good,” says software developer Christopher Miles, “and you need to use Apple hardware to construct effectively software for the iPhones and the iPad.” Developers spend a lot of time working with their computers, and most have pretty exacting standards. The quality of Apple machines plays a part. “Almost all the commercial software vendors provide a reliable Mac version.” Why programmers & coders love Mac OS X: Mac build quality “Why doesn’t Adobe provide Creative Suite software for Linux?” asks software engineer Tharaka Manawardhana. That combination of Unix with regular computing devices seems to be at the heart of many developers. If you have an Intel box, you’ll install Ubuntu and have a perfect mirror of your server (at the cost of certain business tools like GoTo meeting.)” So you can drop to a Unix command line and closely emulate your target server. “As a developer, that’s your target,” he says.
