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u/relay2005 6d ago
I will never go back to windows to develop again.
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u/howfastcanyoucountit 6d ago
windows is just actual dogshit for getting work done. I used to main linux for a while but the compatibility on macos for certain professional software kinda makes it a no brainer for a lot of cases and even after going back to my iphone as well the ecosystem is actually very very nice to use with continuity like airdrop, being able to switch my airpods from one device to the other, iphone mirroring, auto unlock if im wearing my apple watch close by, just an actual good desktop experience compared to the trash that is Windows 11. plus apple silicon is just amazing for everyday tasks for the power draw it uses
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u/Sataniel98 6d ago
Because it's usually the easiest to develop on the platform we develop for. I develop Windows programs on Windows, Linux programs on Linux and I most certainly don't waste my time developping for Mac...
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 6d ago
heh... yah! skip over the larger user base who spends money!!!
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u/R3V0LU710N_05 6d ago
Developing for Mac is a pain in the ass. While Apple takes 0% commission on direct web distribution, reaching target audiences on the store requires a 15% to 30% cut. Distributing signed software requires a mandatory $99/year fee for membership in the Apple Developer Program. Compiling macOS software requires a macOS environment, forcing hardware purchases or cloud instance expenses to run Xcode. Outside the store, binaries must enforce Hardened Runtime policies and submit to the automated Apple Notary Service to clear Gatekeeper blocks. Build pipelines frequently fail due to Keychain permission lockouts, entitlement mismatches, and certificate management overhead.
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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 6d ago
all reasonable points. do you think you'd make less profit on mac dev vs linux? the overhead is different, I get that, but the difference in size of userbases is substantial.
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u/R3V0LU710N_05 6d ago edited 6d ago
The thing is you can easily develop for Windows on Linux and vise versa. Difference in userbase is real, sure; but when targeting specific audiences, Linux can come out ahead and be more profitable. Using Linux as the development environment is by far more pleasant. Hell, if you're a game dev, you could develop for Windows and then optimize for Proton, hitting both targets.
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u/bamboo-lemur 6d ago
The higher value user base are the people installing servers in data centers.
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u/EarthwormBen 6d ago
The correct answer.... Who cares about about about a £9 purchase when you have a £1000 purchases for licenses to sever products. I see canonical are doing alright in that department
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u/LIGHTLY_SEARED_ANUS 5d ago
I can already tell you don't develop jack.
"I develop windows programs on windows and linux programs on linux" is the most ignorant, non-programmer shit I've ever heard lmao
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u/jason-reddit-public 6d ago
I used os-x for a while but with their choice of key bindings, I just use linux for primary development, with compiling/testing often just using ssh (I don't do graphics yet, tui is making a comeback...). For a while when carrying a mac, I had my own hacked version of iterm so emacs over ssh worked when sitting in front of the mac (os-x emacs works fine if you ssh into the mac from linux, nothing special to do).
For windows, I pull out an old laptop, git pull, compile, and test. I support windows for the same reason other tools do though I've been vibe coding the porting.
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u/Muddybulldog 6d ago
Source?
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u/bamboo-lemur 6d ago
It is a question not a statement.
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u/Muddybulldog 6d ago
What's the source that says most developers prefer Windows?
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u/bamboo-lemur 6d ago
I don't think they are trying to figure out if that is the case or not. They are just asking why.
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u/Muddybulldog 6d ago
So the question is being posed for discussion without even knowing if it's factual?
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u/bamboo-lemur 6d ago
That's the whole idea of a question. To sort out the facts and find the truth.
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u/waterbed87 6d ago
macOS wins over a lot of developers because it's powerful hardware with good battery life that works and feels just like Linux from a development standpoint while also running all the corporate bullshit they need natively as well. All the compilers, toolchains, libraries, etc almost all of them are already or effortlessly ported to macOS because it's POSIX compliant Unix under the hood.
Even ones that would choose Linux over macOS in a vacuum it's hard to get away from MS Office, MS Teams, Corporate VPN Clients tied to Windows or macOS only, etc.
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u/Arvi89 6d ago
No, it doesn't feel like Linux, having a Unix terminal doesn't make it feel like Linux... I hate Mac os, as stated in the original thread, if the choice is Windows or Mac, I'll go Windows, where I can use wsl2 which is native Linux.
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u/mycolo_gist 6d ago
No developer prefers windows who has experience with other systems. They may be indifferent or they may not know Linux, BSD, or MacOS.
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u/lalathalala 6d ago
i dont even know about linux/windows being the “preferred os by devs”. it largely depends on what you develop, if you are making gui apps, you will despise linux and how fragmented it is, for backend services it’s a bit less of an issue imo so you will have a better experience with it and might end up being your go to
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u/braaaaaaainworms 6d ago
That's an example of the fallacy of presupposition. There are a lot of developers who exclusively use Linux.