A Mac vs. PC Experiment for Developers
Talking about Mac vs. PC could trigger a perpetual and heated discussion for both sides. Before I continue, I should clear some things out. Some of you might already be jumping at the bit to correct me. I understand that technically a Mac falls under the personal computer category, so let me give you a few more details about this experiment. I know there are a lot of users who are very passionate about Linux, Unix or other flavors of operating systems other than Windows and MacOS. I apologize in advance; it is not technically accurate to group all non-MacOS operating systems in the “PC” bucket along with Windows. I’m sorry about that, but for the sake of this experiment, I figured it was the best option.
About a year ago I showed my naivete by asking on my Instagram account @thedevlife why developers preferred Macs to do their work. You see, I made the mistake of assuming Macs were more popular. As you might have guessed, I did receive my fair share of messages full of intensity, for lack of a better word. These came mostly from Linux fans who rightfully felt left out. Recently, a young developer who I admire made a post on Instagram making the same assumption. I made that assumption because pictures of Mac computers are trendy on social media and somehow create the illusion that Macs are more popular in development. This erroneous assumption was the main reason that prompted me to run this experiment on Instagram.
The goal of the experiment is not to show that either side is better, it is not an experiment about hardware either. I am not sure what the primary goal for the research was other than the curiosity to know why developers chose one over the other.
These are the results.
When the Instagram story ended 4061 viewed the story and 3203 people voted, the final percentages were 38% for Mac and 62% for PC. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to capture a screenshot closer to the 24 hours a story post lasts.
Reasons in favor of Mac
· Macs tend to hold their value better
· Simply because they have used a Mac longer than a PC
· The user interface is better
· Is needed to code in Swift and develop iOS applications
· Windows sucks
· Beautiful design
· Easiest way to use a computer
· Better file structure
· AirDrop is really helpful
· No automatic updates
· Terminal environment
· Some applications are made only for Mac
· Easier configuration
· No driver problems
· Better battery life
· Mac is more adequate for UI/UX Design
Reason in favor of PC
· A PC is what employers provide at the respective workplace
· Linux is free
· More affordable than Mac
· Windows is a better platform for gaming
· Windows 10 is stable
· Better memory management
· Needed to work with .NET Framework
· Bigger developer community for Windows
· More applications
· More options on hardware
· Easier to crack a program on Windows
· Love for Visual Studio IDE
· Windows is more mainstream in respective city
Many of the reasons shared are debatable and can start a discussion for decades, but please remember these are personal reasons for choosing one side of the other. There are a plethora of reasons why either side was elected, but looking at the results shows that I was indeed mistaken by assuming Macs were popular among developers. Macs might be more popular in some regions, and Mac users might feel more confident to share pictures of their system on social media, but those numbers don’t necessarily represent the number of developers using Mac vs. PC.
A very special thanks goes to all the followers of thedevlife on Instagram and all the users who took the time to leave a comment and responded to my story post.
