What's mac like for web development?

[Peter Mount]

Hello

I've been a pc user since 1994. It's likely that my next computer will be a pc as macs just seem so much more expensive.

I have noticed though that a lot of web professionals prefer macs for web development. Are there any sites that list the pros and cons of using a pc vs a mac for web development?

I have to admit the price difference alone would mean I'd need a VERY good reason to switch to a mac. I could easily buy a pc and put Kubuntu on it for a lot less money than a mac would cost.

Thanks

[DaveBorealis]

Hello Peter,

I use both Mac (10.4.8) and Ubuntu (6.6), and for me it's a wash between the two. The Mac is more polished where things really do just work, and work well, but my Ubuntu has been trouble free so far...and it's free. Can't knock the price!

I'm just a hobbyist coder, however for the bit of java/perl/php/python that I do, I don't notice much difference between using the Mac or Ubuntu. If fact I pretty much use the same programs on both as they're both Unix-like underneath.

Dave

[aysiu]

If you're buying an Intel Mac, you may be in luck, as there's an adapted version of IEs4Linux for Mac, I believe. There's also Crossover Office for Intel Mac.

Those are the only ways with an Intel Mac that you can reliably test how people will see your site in Internet Explorer 6.

My wife has a PowerPC Mac and does a bit of web development. She has to use my Ubuntu (with IEs4Linux) to see how her websites look in IE 6.

Otherwise, Mac is a perfectly fine platform for web development, especially if you like Dreamweaver. If you prefer to hand-edit HTML/CSS/PHP, etc., there are a few good syntax-highlighting Mac programs as well (my wife uses Smultron and Taco).

[Peter Mount]

Thanks for the replies

It's going to be at least 6 months before I buy a new computer anyway. I'd really need to try out a Mac first to see what they are like. I've got no experience with Macs so I really don't know if I like them or not.

Maybe when it's time for me to buy a computer I should try seeing what the Macs are like at the Apple store. I'd still be mindfull of the price difference though.

Have fun

[aysiu]

Macs have beautiful interfaces and some ugly user interactivity.

If you don't like it, you can always install Ubuntu over it, anyway!

[Tipo]

I love my powerbook when it comes to web development. I guess it doesn't really matter what machine you are on when it comes to a text editor and your code, but nothing beats my mac when it comes to designing graphics. Mac + Photoshop = <3

[wongpk]

I just switched to Mac for a few weeks, tried Ubuntu on it as well. If you're a long time PC user, and you like Ubuntu, you'll love it for sure. Both of them (Mac OS and Ubuntu) has some similarity, only that Mac OS has more software choices (Cost $$). I'm a graphic person, so I use Mac for the Photoshop and CMYK thingy, but when surfing on the net or a little touch up on picture, I go for Ubuntu ;)

[bhuot]

There is more advantage in using Ubuntu for web development than using a Mac if you are on a budget or don't need the advanced features of Adobe applications. I have used Dreamweaver and Nvu and I find Nvu works as well or better for my uses and is much simpler to work with and I manage a 20,000 file website. For either one of these, if you are using an Intel Mac they will be very slow as Adobe has not gotten its applications ready for the new Macs.

There are 2 different web design programs that will run fast on the New Macs and are worth checking into if you don't need buzzword compliant programs. Freeway Express and Pro work like Dreamweaver plus Fireworks for a lot less. Much more Mac like application than Dreamweaver. You can do professional designs that you come up with yourself with these very easily. For a hobby site, or if you don't want to come up with the design for yourself, try Rapidweaver.

The other ways of doing the website with text editors or with a content management system, the Mac and Linux will work about the same. And as for Internet Explorer testing, I would stay away from that unless you can use a spare computer just for that, because you can easily get a virus and wipe out your website data. I can't afford to test for Internet Explorer. If people have trouble viewing your website, Firefox is available for Windows and is free.

[lyceum]

My wife does photography, and loves her Mac. As far as the art goes, she thinks the screens are better she like their GUI. Really, the programs & the hardware are what mater. She can use GIMP or Photoshop on our Mac, XP or Ubuntu machines. But, she like the Mac for the above reasons.

[bhuot]

My wife does photography, and loves her Mac. As far as the art goes, she thinks the screens are better she like their GUI. Really, the programs & the hardware are what mater. She can use GIMP or Photoshop on our Mac, XP or Ubuntu machines. But, she like the Mac for the above reasons.

My mom loves the Mac too. The beauty is in the hardware compatibility, the ease of installing and uninstalling programs and how hard it is to screw the system up. There are several areas in graphics where the Mac excels - one is that the gamma is different under OS X than it is in Windows or default on Linux so all graphics appear brighter on the Mac. Another thing that is great is that you can work with small companies that provide much better support for their programs especially in the graphics area. And the other major thing that makes graphics great on the Mac is Quartz 2d for some of the new shareware drawing programs are able to make use of one of the best graphics engines for very little coding, resulting in cheaper products with as good or better results as the big names.

[3rdalbum]

I used to use a Mac for web development.

Macs are definately more trouble-free, so if you really want to get some work done, the Mac will probably pay for itself in lost time (compared to Windows and possibly to Linux). Flash for OS X can export to Windows executable as well as Mac executable, whereas Flash for Windows can't execute directly to Mac executable.

You'll possibly find OS X easier to work with than Windows - there's a lot more transparency in the system's workings than Windows. This is important when you come to install fonts and stuff.

One thing to be aware of with Mac OS X: It's noticably slower than a similar machine running XP Professional, although quicker than XP Home.

[aysiu]

The inability to run Internet Explorer 6 for testing purposes on PowerPC is kind of annoying for web development.

Fortunately, the new Intel Macs can use IEs4Linux...

[Peter Mount]

The inability to run Internet Explorer 6 for testing purposes on PowerPC is kind of annoying for web development.

Fortunately, the new Intel Macs can use IEs4Linux...

Hi

I'm glad the new Intel Macs can use IEs4Linux.

My plan is to run 3 operating systems on the Mac i.e. the Mac OS, Linux (i.e. (K)Ubuntu) and Windows. That way I can have a proper development and testing environment.

Anway, that will be next year so I'll see what hardware is available when the time comes.

Have fun

[AlphaMack]

Hello Peter

What's happenin'...yeeeeah...

Sorry, couldn't resist. 8)


As for web development, I just used Nvu and Photoshop. Even the GIMP has sufficed. Then again, I'm old school. :mrgreen:

[Peter Mount]

As for web development, I just used Nvu and Photoshop. Even the GIMP has sufficed. Then again, I'm old school. :mrgreen:

For web development I'm currently using Quanta+ and The Gimp.

I've used MS PhotoDraw 2000 in the past and that used to drive me up the wall. It had this bug where when I saved a graphic it would automatically resize it by 1 pixel. I tried compensating by adding or subracting 1 pixel from the image but it was like PhotoDraw new what I was doing and it resized it in a different direction. Well, we've heard of "Intellisense", I think they must have made up an "Intellibug".

Anyway, back on topic. I sent an email to Roger Johansson a Swedish designer who has a blog at http://www.456bereastreet.com and he sent me back a well worded reply on why it's good for a Web Developer to have an Intel Mac. So that's what's really swayed me to buy a Intel Mac.

I just need to get some more work for my business so I don't have to wait so long to save up for a Mac. Plus I need to join some Mac User group so I can see about running (K)Ubuntu as well as Windows together with the Mac OS. I could just keep running Kubuntu on my current desktop but my computer is 7 years old now so I don't know how long it's going to last.

Have fun