How is the MacOS compared to Windows?
How is the MacOS compared to Windows?
based on my experience (I use both, I have a Windows PC and a MacBook Pro), macOS offers a cleaner interface and more consistent design, plus it's quite reliable. but compatibility remains its biggest advantage. Windows 10 sometimes feels outdated in certain areas, which can be frustrating, but it still allows running older software that still works. for most everyday tasks, especially outside of gaming, macOS handles most programs well. having both options is ideal—if something isn’t working on my Mac, I can easily run it on my PC. overall, it's mostly about personal preference; both systems have their merits. Windows shines in compatibility, while macOS excels in usability and stability.
Based on what I've gone through, getting everyone on Mac has been really challenging. If someone like OP is asking this, it suggests they probably aren't familiar with the situation and might struggle more. If you're unsure, talk to the professor, though some have declined help for MAC, claiming their course requires Windows. I personally use Mac for personal and entertainment purposes, but if I didn’t have the budget for a PC, I wouldn’t be advancing my studies due to this specific class requirement from one of the professors who doesn’t recognize students using Mac.
What is going on? He omitted details for reasons unrelated to his intelligence. You're making predictions about what he'll do in class, expecting it to be a compiled executable, and assuming OP can't run Windows in a VM or use alternative tools on Mac.
Even BootCamp could work if someone buys an older Intel MacBook Pro
It seems the issue isn't about Mac or Windows devices but more about misunderstandings and assumptions that every software engineer must rely on Windows. This raises concerns about the instructor's expertise and the course's value. While Windows is widely used, for specialized development you should be comfortable with a terminal and your OS choice should reflect personal preference. Unless you're working with legacy systems, you likely need experience with Linux or Kubernetes, not just Windows. Being limited to Windows because of a lecturer's lack of knowledge isn't ideal.
I’m currently on the phone and won’t be repeating everyone’s points. I haven’t started school yet—I’m still learning independently until next summer. Right now I’m picking up C#, maybe diving into C and some Assembly to understand what kind of computer works best. From what I know, Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code are available for Mac, which are tools used by companies where I plan to work. I’ve never really liked Windows; it tends to be slow, the interface isn’t appealing compared to Macs, and forced updates can be annoying. I’m a gamer—Valorant, BF1, League of Legends—but playing on Mac feels like a plus since it lets me focus more on learning and work. Linux seems strange to me right now; I’m not very familiar with it, but from what I’ve seen quickly, it might require some hacking skills. I’m still open to that idea. I’m not sure about Macs in general—the new models look promising, and next year MacBooks are expected to have better ARM chips at least. Most importantly, looking at past experiences, Macs tend to have fewer issues and better support compared to other laptops like Dell XPS or Lenovo. For this course, a Windows laptop isn’t necessary; there’s no requirement to bring one, especially since the course description doesn’t mention it. In Austria, education is free, but this program costs 5,000 euros, so I don’t think a teacher would refuse help just because I’m using Mac. That’s a lot of money for a class, and people aren’t that foolish. Sorry for the long answer—I forgot to include all this earlier. Edited: a typo.
I claimed he is uninformed because that is what his statement claimed. If he had prior experience with a MAC, then that is relevant and should have been there. And you're claiming that might never be a possibility. So long as the possibility isn't ruled out, you I can't make a recommendation to use a MAC. Again, you could always call the school you're planning to go to, and ask a counselor or academic dean on if a professor at that school can make the same call that my professors have. However, you definitely shouldn't be buying a laptop for a new operating system before you start the course. I wholeheartedly agree with you, but sadly this is the case with public education here in the United States, and I wish I haven't heard similar stories from friends who go to different schools, though it seems my college is particularly bad in this regard. Good news, both MAC and PC both offer options for Linux Command Line virtualization, which would be the extant that most schools would cover anyway. I know a friend who does all his school work on a Linux VM, though through a windows laptop, and it's definitely a skill that anyone would recommend building while you've still got room to make mistakes.
This situation appears quite unique to your school and certain colleagues. I haven’t experienced any problems as a Mac user there, nor have I heard comparable tales from friends or past interns at other North American institutions—most computer science departments seem to lean heavily on Unix, making Windows an unusual choice. Looking back at my own experiences, I never had to distribute applications as EXE files for any class. Introductory lessons mostly involved submitting code in specific file formats so they could compile, while advanced courses included code files with a Makefile. In fact, my professors suggest running our projects remotely on a Linux setup, which is where testing typically occurs. If you’re interested in hearing about real challenges, all my classmates who used Windows faced significant difficulties with C++/C locally, whereas no one on macOS encountered any issues (thanks to Unix compatibility). OP: For development, I strongly favor macOS over Windows. Not only does the interface feel smoother, but the overall workflow is much more efficient. The native terminal supports UNIX, and package management tools are widely used, making it very convenient—especially since you’ll likely encounter Linux more often later in your career. I don’t recall a single Windows professional beyond rare exceptions, so unless you have specific needs, macOS seems to be the better option.