Reasons developers are switching to Macs

With the flexibility and virtualization options the Mac platform offers, it is no surprise to us that this operating system is becoming the first choice for many developers in today’s world. On top of the ability to virtualize both Windows and Linux on a Mac, developers are also able to code in anything that requires Java (i.e. Google’s Android SDK and RIM’s BlackBerry SDK). This means that by running Mac OS X, developers won’t be missing out on anything and will be able to test almost every possible environment for their application on one machine. These are just a few of the many reasons InfoWorld points out that many developers are now making the switch.

Another reason this is occurring, according to their article, is because of how closely Mac OS X resembles BSD under all of the eye candy Apple has added. This means the OS X environment is close to that of Sun Microsystem’s, making it an even easier switch for developers. On the other end, among the negatives pointed out in the article are the expense of Apple’s machines, as well as the fact that it is a pretty closed system, meaning Apple has some control over what can and can’t happen on their systems. However, what it all comes down to, according to Jason Fried, one of the co-founders of 37signals, is, “When you work on something great, you’re generally going to build something greater.”

Via [InfoWorld]