The author Xie Enming Reprint please indicate the source The public, “programmers alliance” (WeChat ID: ProgrammerLeague) : the original www.jianshu.com/p/96eafdac3…
Content abstract
- preface
- Good memories
- The advantages of the Mac
- The Mac also has flaws
- conclusion
1. Introduction
I’ve wanted to write this article for a long time, but I’ve been putting it off. Thanks to my friend JM from Knowledge Planet, I decided to write this article.
- The title is directed at programmers. Those of you who are not programmers are not included in this article, and as a programmer I don’t have much to say. But it’s good to see.
- Company computers That’s up to the company. We’re talking about personal computers.
- I wrote “Should have one,” not that programmers should only use Macs. For example, I own two computers: a 2015 Macbook Pro 13 inch and a ThinkPad 15 inch (with dual systems: Windows 7 and Ubuntu 16.04).
- This article isn’t about Windows or Linux being bad, it’s about why Macs are relatively good for programmers to use as PCS. Not wanting to cause any “factionalism”, I myself now use Mac, Linux and Windows.
- Mac, Mac system, Mac OS, and Mac OS X are all Mac OS X systems.
This article is long, because I have my own story, I hope to encourage those who want to learn programming. After years of using Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, I decided to use the Mac. I want you to be patient.
First of all, I think it is a little narrow for those who are not willing to use such and such system.
Some of my colleagues, for example, are only in love with Linux and are often cynical about Windows or Mac, feeling that Linux is the only operating system for programmers.
I don’t agree with this idea. How can you know if you haven’t used any other system? What’s more, every operating system has something to recommend it and is unique. Just like everyone, there is something to learn, even if it’s a little.
I’m thankful for Windows, because it helped me get started when I couldn’t play Linux or Mac before I started programming. Windows is, after all, the most user-friendly and simple for the general public.
I think if you haven’t started programming yet and your PC is Windows, you should start. Wait until you get started before you consider using a Mac.
If you’re on a tight budget (Macs are expensive) or are a student and don’t have a lot of income, start with a Windows PC. It’s cheap and you can install Linux. Wait for your job to save up for a Mac (Macbook Pro if you’re a programmer).
2. Good memories
My family bought a DESKTOP computer, a TCL brand, when I was a freshman in high school (2003). Windows system: Win XP.
This desktop computer, I used to browse the web, watch movies, play games. That got me a little bit interested in computers, and it was amazing that something the size of a box could do so much.
The computer is still in service, but my parents sent it to be reinstalled and replaced with new accessories. It’s been 14 years now (I’m writing this on September 21, 2017) and it’s almost a family heirloom.
My first personal laptop was an HP 15 “PC I bought before I came to France in 2009. To save money for my family, I chose a cheap basic version, about 4,000 yuan (computers were still expensive in those days).
It has 1GB of ram, an i5 processor, a 200 GB hard drive and Windows XP. It’s pretty low spec now, but it was good enough at the time, and I didn’t play high-end games.
I was very excited when I got this laptop. After all, I finally had a computer.
Later, I used this HP computer to learn programming “crazily” (every day I went to bed at 1:00 am, woke up at 6:00 am, and studied mostly except for eating, sleeping, exercising, going to school, and doing internships). This is described in detail in About Me:.
At the time, the computer was wired up to work with a built-in development board I had bought.
Of course, I used to play Dota, but after I started to learn programming hard, I uninstalled Dota and stopped playing games on my computer.
This computer was used in 2011, and its computing power and speed could not keep up with my study needs. When I returned home in August, I bought my second laptop, a ThinkPad 15-inch, which is the “surviving” one (well maintained, good except for the battery).
It was replaced with 4 GB of RAM, an i5 processor, and a 500 GB hard drive. The price also changed to 5,300 yuan. This computer, of course, started with Windows, Windows 7.
Later ON, I started to learn Linux by myself. I installed Ubuntu 10.04 (dual system with Windows 7), followed some tutorials such as “Bird’s Linux Home Dishes” to get started with Linux, and continued to learn how to embed. I also used it to enter the 2012 Embedded Linux Competition held by French company OpenWide, where I was the only Asian finalist (though this contest was also a small one, with fewer than 100 entries).
It’s like a whole new world has opened up since you started using Linux, especially the command line. Finally, I also can be “the world is in our hands” : Linux exploration trip | the second part of the second class: the command line, the world is in our hands – Jane books.
At this point, I felt that Windows was “holding me back.”
As we all know, Windows’s built-in CMD is quite limited, and the commands are far from the Linux/Unix family.
While you can install command-line alternatives such as Cygwin (see this article), running the command line on Windows can feel like a dead end, like Iron Man taking off his suit and losing his powers.
Since I entered the workplace in 2012, my work has been mostly embedded, so the operating system USED in my work is basically Linux distribution:
- The first job uses OpenSuse
- The second job is Ubuntu
- The third work uses Fedora
- The fourth job (currently at Ercom in Paris) uses Ubuntu
Most of my homeschooling was on Ubuntu (mostly Mac now, of course), which is my favorite Linux distribution.
Later on, I continued to use Ubuntu for Android development, because at that time Ubuntu was the default system for Android source code compilation.
And finally, our hero of the day: Mac OS X.
When I used to see people using Macs, I was a little indifferent because I thought it would be hard to adapt to a new system because people like to be comfortable and don’t like change.
I bought my first Mac at the end of 2014, and it was only after that that I started the “Programmers Union” we-media, which is memorable.
At that time, I read some great programmers’ articles, saying that programmers should use Macs and how good macs are. Also, He advises programmers to buy a Macbook Pro instead of, say, a Macbook Air.
In 2014, I had been working for more than a year and had some savings, so I bought a Macbook Pro with the best specs: 2014 model, 15 “, 512 GB mechanical hard disk, 16 GB MEMORY, Intel I7 processor, Retina display.
I bought this computer from a shopping site in France. It was much cheaper than apple’s website, but it also cost me 1800 euros.
I was so excited the day it arrived that I unwrapped the Mac as if it were a valuable piece of art, moving it lightly for fear that my nails might scratch it.
My previous two laptops had plastic cases, so any scratches didn’t show. The Macbook Pro’s metal case, beautifully designed, makes people feel particularly calm atmosphere.
At first, I was a little uncomfortable with the Mac operating system. First of all, with the touch pad, I don’t need a mouse anymore. And Spotlight on the Mac is so easy to use that it can quickly launch any application and find files.
On Windows computers, it’s almost impossible to live without a mouse. In Linux, you can do almost everything without a mouse, relying on shortcut keys and the command line.
Mac shortcuts are different from Windows shortcuts, so you have to start over. To get started, I read an online post that explained how to get started with the Mac.
Of course, since I’m going to use a good, lean Mac, I don’t need a trackpad for anything that basically uses shortcuts. It took a while, but I finally mastered the Mac.
At this time, I also wrote a lot of articles on the “programmer union” public account. At the time, it felt like the Mac’s built-in photo-editing software was too good to use.
Unfortunately, after a year in service, the computer was stolen during its first month in Paris when it was transferred from the south of France: a burglary. I called the police and got prints. Nothing.
Fortunately, I quickly put this frustration behind me and went back to my ThinkPad. Well, it’s nice to have a spare tire.
I’m using a 2015 13-inch Macbook Pro I bought in 2016:8 GB of RAM, i5 processor, and 512GB SSD hard drive.
Because once you’ve used a Mac, you really can’t go back.
3. The Mac advantage
Having used Windows, Linux and the Mac for many years, I think I’m qualified to enumerate the advantages of choosing the Mac as a PERSONAL computer for programmers:
- Integrated Windows and Linux
You can say “Mac in hand, Windows and Linux in hand”.
We often complain that the Windows command line doesn’t work and that Linux has too few features and software. In both cases, the UI is not subtle enough.
Don’t panic, the Mac will help you “rule the world” : Not only does it have a gorgeous, detailed graphical interface, convenient and powerful features, lots of beautifully designed applications, and a command line, yes, a built-in Unix-like command line (the Mac is based on a variant of FreeBSD, a Unix-like system).
As a result, the Mac system has many similarities to Linux (which was originally designed with reference to Unix), and the basic commands on the command line are the same.
- Easy to install and uninstall software
Mac to install the general software, is a copy/paste. To install the software, you double-click the Dmg or Pkg file of the downloaded software and drag the application directly into the Applications folder.
It’s easier to uninstall an app. Just find the app in the Applications folder and throw it in the trash (Cmd + Backspace or Backspace).
I love this design. Installing a software in Windows has much trouble I don’t say, for example, installing a QQ, I have to go to the official website to download the EXE file, and then double-click to run, and then all kinds of next step, select the installation directory, wait for the installation progress bar to read, less said for several minutes.
Of course. You said you had some kind of housekeeper. Well, butler so-and-so can slow down Windows.
Uninstall is more troublesome, such as Office software, installed have said pit, because to uninstall sometimes uninstall not clean, the registry will make you want to cry. Linux under the installation of software is also more convenient, often a command to fix, but uninstall? You have to give orders. You can’t just delete it like a Mac.
- Suitable for the development of
I have a Mac, I can do basic Windows development, I can do Linux development, I can do iOS and Mac OS X software development (which can only be done on the Mac), I can do Android development, I can do Web development easily, and I can do game development as well.
In contrast, Both Windows and Linux have a type of development that they can’t handle.
- Comply with the tide
What does that mean?
I don’t know if you usually watch Google or Apple and other tech companies’ press conferences. Each of these events is basically a Mac show.
You can see that the audience is full of Macs, and the computers on stage are Also Macs. Abroad each big programming contest, the contestant basically is the courage Mac computer.
If you watch Youtube videos or some instructional programming videos, you’ll see that most of the videos were recorded on the Mac.
Foreign programming gurus, and even some white-hat hackers, choose the Mac. We programmers, shouldn’t we learn and imitate the bulls.
What their trend is, we try to be close to it. The fact that they like to use the Mac proves that the Mac is good for programming.
- Can develop aesthetic appreciation
The Mac’s applications and system ICONS are well designed.
I sometimes look at Mac app ICONS and get bored (or maybe I do). Because the resolution is very high, very beautiful.
The image above has been compressed for image size, and the actual Mac icon is much clearer.
Look at the Mac Dock:
In contrast, Windows:
Looking at this jumble of ICONS and menus, the idea of useless minutes.
Personally, I can’t appreciate the Metro interface of Win:
This is as good as it gets. The Windows 7 system icon looks like this:
So a lot of people who do music, who do painting, who do animation, they like to work on Macs, because the Mac is so artistic.
- The software is well designed
Mac apps are generally pretty good.
QuickTime players, for example, can record screens, record audio, record cameras, and so on.
What else can Windows player do besides play some basic video and audio files? Can Windows live without a good third-party player or screen recording software?
In general, the Mac already has enough software for every day.
Take the Mac’s own three-piece suite for Office.
In Mac, the software corresponding to PPT (Power Point) is Keynote, the software corresponding to Word is Pages, and the software corresponding to Excel is Numbers.
Among them, Keynote is my favorite. I learned Mr. Xu Cen’s slide making tutorial before and appreciated the excellence of Keynote.
For example, when you open a powerpoint presentation, the menu bar is filled with ICONS and buttons, many of which you will never use.
Whereas Keynote is very clean, the interface is clean, there are not so many ICONS to disturb you, you need to use some extra features, you can add them to the main interface.
And make slides, Keynote is much more efficient than PPT.
For example, PPT inside there is no good alignment function, the alignment function in Keynote is very easy to use.
Not to mention Keynote comes with the “magic move” this function, in PPT to achieve the same effect as the “magic move”, then you have to add their own animation effect.
Other homegrown apps, such as GarageBand for music and iMovie for videos, are so powerful that you don’t need to download third-party software at all.
- Speed is fast
Mac apps start and close quickly.
It also turns on and off quickly, thanks to its excellent operating system and hardware.
On my previous 16-GIGAByte Macbook Pro, it took me two seconds to access the desktop every time I pressed the power button.
I won’t even talk about Windows. You can get a glass of water. Linux can be configured to boot in a few seconds, but two seconds is really hard. Of course you said that embedded Linux boot speeds can be as little as a fraction of a second, well, that’s off the table.
- Life is long
Macs have a very durable battery. Even if you put all the apps on the Mac at once, you can still run for a long time without getting stuck.
You can’t open many applications on Windows, the CPU or memory is dead. I’ve used the Surface Pro for Windows, and it’s always hard to open a few apps without losing power.
So most speakers will be using Macs.
- The screen is good
Anyone who’s ever used a Macbook Pro will love its Retina display. The display on this screen is really nice, very detailed and eye protective.
- Good quality
Mac hardware quality is still very good, with good software, a Mac computer, good maintenance, seven years is not a problem.
Windows PCS usually start to die after the second year. Windows will give you a break, or the task manager will get stuck, etc.
- High appearance level
I’ll save that for last, so you don’t call me “appearance oriented.”
You can’t help it. It looks like a beautiful artifact, and you can just watch it strut its stuff on your desk.
4. The Mac has flaws, too
Don’t get mad if you love Windows or Linux, but the Mac has its flaws.
For example, there are some inconvenient operations on the Mac:
- The “cut/paste” operation is not convenient
On Windows, this would be Ctrl + X, then Ctrl + V.
On the Mac, this only works with text, not files or folders. To do it, use “Cmd + C” followed by “Alt + Cmd + V.”
- Windows filling the screen is inconvenient
Making the window full screen is convenient, but filling the screen instead of full screen is not.
If you want your browser to fill up the screen, you can use Shift + Alt and click the full screen button that turns into a +. But there are applications on the Mac that don’t fill up the screen in this way.
In Windows or Linux, just double-click on the top of the window.
- The bin cannot batch restore files
I once accidentally deleted a bunch of folders on my Mac, and I went to the trash to batch restore them: no, just one at a time. It’s like, “Oh my god.”
In Windows, you can restore all your deleted files at once with a single click in the trash.
- One last obvious drawback: expensive
But for higher-paid programmers, a Macbook Pro is still acceptable.
I didn’t say I had to switch to a Mac as soon as I learned programming. You can use the Windowa computers until you save up.
If you don’t have the money to buy a Mac after working as a programmer for a while, I have to question your ability to manage money after you work.
5. To summarize
So: No operating system or computer is perfect.
Still, for programmers, the Mac is overwhelmingly the best personal computer to own.
The Mac’s pros and cons are definitely more than that, and this is just a tentative thought. Welcome to comment to add, if have say wrong place, also please correct, thank you.
If you want to use Linux or Windows on your Mac. Very simple, just install a virtual machine.
My company operating system is Ubuntu (a Linux distribution), so I installed The VirtualBox virtual machine software and installed Windows 7 on it.
VirtualBox is free software, and it’s fast, almost like a real machine. Highly recommended.
Hopefully, after reading this “long and hard” article, you (especially programmers) have a clue about your personal computer choice.
In fact, today I have officially counted the various operating systems I have used over the years. It is also these systems that have accompanied me through my programming years. Thanks to the companies and individuals who have developed these excellent operating systems.
Of course, please forgive the “Windows bashing” in this article for the sake of humor and exaggerated contrast. After all, Windows has been very good to me.
It’s just that over the years, I did feel that the Mac was the best PC for programmers to use.
I am Xie Enming, a software engineer working in Paris. I have created the knowledge planet of the programmers Union, welcome to join. Love life, like swimming, a little cooking. Life motto: “Run straight to the benchmark”