What is the Best OS for Programming

The technology is evolving at a rapid pace. With such changes, it may seem tricky to follow the latest trends or have a complete understanding of everything thrown your way. This is best seen in the world of software developers.

Favorite programming platforms constantly change, and preferred operating systems for programming are always changing places on the leaderboards. As programming evolves, so do the programmers. Knowing that most of the programming languages work on multiple platforms, we did some research and gathered some useful information about all major operating systems used today, to try and help you decide which OS suits your needs the best.

Windows

Microsoft’s Windows is one of the most used operating systems in the world. They are preinstalled to countless PC’s and laptops and this operating system is known for its user-friendly approach. But what do the developers and programmers think about working with Microsoft Windows?

Knowing it’s so widely used, it’s clear that developers won’t encounter any compatibility issues when working with windows. Practically every piece of hardware and software out there can be accessed through Windows OS. Also, because of this widespread adoption of Windows, developing software for it is best done within Windows itself.

The downside to using Windows is that, well, it was made for the average consumer. Its general purpose was to make personal computers easily operated by regular people with no previous knowledge of programming studies. Because it wasn’t meant for coding, you need to get all of the needed tools yourself and adjust them properly. There’s a steep learning curve when it comes to programming with this OS, as it doesn’t have any coding or programming applications. Also, developers often criticize Windows for being too slow or unresponsive when it comes to dealing with more complex tasks.

Linux

This rebellious open-source operating system can be found in around 3% of all desktop PCs, and it represents a great basis for anyone learning and gaining experience in software development.

Linux supports quite a lot of programming languages with various coding applications. It allows extremely easy and intuitive dual-boot for multiple operating systems, so you can easily use it next to your Windows for example. It’s incredibly easy to install and work with, and it has intuitive interface and loads of online support. Because of its open-source nature, it can be quite easy to learn and master needed skills.

The “catch” with Linux is that there are a large number of different software solutions that are just incompatible with this OS. Some major programs like Adobe Photoshop are completely incompatible with Linux, and it will probably stay that way, so you have to search for alternatives. Working with this OS can be a bit time-consuming, but it can also be quite fun.

MacOS X

This OS has taken the lead when it comes to the most preferred OS for programming in 2016. According to the most developers, MacOS X was the best choice for an operating system, bypassing Windows 7 for quite a significant difference.

MacOS X is based on UNIX – an OS found in most of the servers globally. This gives MacOS X an advantage over non-UNIX based OS because the UNIX knowledge is already there. Another great thing about using MacOS X is its compatibility with most of the major software and hardware, and while developing for Apple devices can be a bit tricky, due to the rules and regulations Apple has, developing for different platforms from MacOS X can be quite rewarding. Most of the developers have stated that this OS provides way more intuitive and understandable UI, and it’s incredibly fast.

This rise in popularity can also be tied to the age demographics of MacOS X users in the last few years. Studies have shown that large numbers of young developers aged below 30 are working with MacOS X. This shows that they’ve kept their college habits, and stayed true to the OS generally used by younger audiences, and they’ve helped the OS develop as such.

Conclusion

If you look at the OS comparison as a race, there would be no clear winner. Each of the aforementioned operating systems has their own benefits and downsides when it comes to programming compatibility. Luckily, the number of developers is constantly rising, and with them, programming capabilities for each OS and platform grow accordingly.
Generally speaking, Linux is probably the most versatile solution. Its extensive library of supported programming languages (PHP, Python, Java, CSS, Perl, C, C++, Ruby, Vala, and many others), as well as the fact that it is an open source OS is a reason enough to be put at the top of this list. The only drawback here is that Microsoft’s Visual Basic works only on Windows, but on the other hand Apple Swift is available for Linux. Software development Sydney experts say that unless you specifically develop apps for Windows, going with Linux is a logical choice. Even when you need to develop something for Windows, you can always do dual boot.

7 thoughts on “What is the Best OS for Programming”

  1. That was a great article,so inspiring ,definitly will put your words
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    a desk..it’s killing me.Thanks for such good advice.Keep em coming.

    Reply
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  5. Sorry to say but Donkey Kong Country is NOT better than its sequel, Diddy’s Kong Quest. Everything that was done well in the first game was done EVEN BETTER in the sequel. Also, Super Metroid is leagues ahead of some of the choices above it, such as DKC, Mario World, and ALTTP (my opinion on those last 2, it is definitely better than DKC). However I think DKC 2 is better than Super Metroid, but they are my favorite and second favorite games respectively.

    Reply
  6. am i the only one that played “”B.O.B”” and thought it should have been number two??? (lets face it Zelda deserved to be number one all day long) or at least on the list at the very least…. i mean a robot going through all that to get his dipstick oily is just to much fun…
    Paul Brown

    Reply

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