macOS: The OS we love to hate.
There’s an old rule in the tech world: If you lock two developers in a room, they’ll argue about their favorite operating system. Lock three developers in a room, and they’ll split into two camps. And if you have four developers, at least one of them has Linux installed on a toaster.
But amid all this discussion, macOS has occupied a strange position. It’s the operating system that almost everyone uses—but hardly anyone truly loves.
Why developers use macOS (despite everything)
Apple used to be the operating system of designers, creatives, and people who thought “terminal” was related to airports. Then the iPhone came along, Apple became hipper than ever, and suddenly we realized: macOS is actually a pretty good developer OS.
1. It’s a Unix system!
We all remember the iconic scene in Jurassic Park when the little girl discovers a Unix machine and says, “I know the system!” While the dinosaurs were ambushing the security officer, Hollywood was revealing an unintended truth: Unix is everywhere.
macOS is Unix-certified. This means it has a robust terminal, allows real shell scripts, and Docker works without you having to sift through ten Stack Overflow posts. It’s the best of both worlds: the stability of Unix with a UI that doesn’t look like it’s stuck in 1995.
2. Homebrew is the app store we deserve
Linux has apt-get, Windows has… eh… Chocolatey (yes, it really does exist), but Mac users have Homebrew. It’s what the App Store should be: a quick, hassle-free tool for installing software without Apple asking every five minutes, “Are you sure? Are you REALLY sure?”
3. Hardware that doesn’t hurt
Every developer who’s ever worked on a MacBook knows the feeling: The keyboard doesn’t sound like a 90s printer, the trackpad isn’t from hell, and the display looks like it flew in from a parallel universe in 8K.
Yes, Macs are expensive. Yes, they don’t even have USB-A anymore. But let’s be honest: You have a MacBook because your boss
Why developers hate macOS
Of course, macOS wouldn’t be macOS if there weren’t things that drive us crazy.
1. The Finder is garbage
Apple builds the most intuitive interfaces in the world. And then there’s the Finder, which looks like someone in 2003 decided, “That’s enough, right?”
Why can I cut files in Windows but not in macOS? Why does every damn Finder window open at a different size? Why can’t I rename files with the Enter key, but instead have to wait for a strange “delay”?
2. macOS loves Apple – and no one else
Try connecting a MacBook to a non-Apple monitor. You’ll get exactly two options: Either the screen looks like a blurry PowerPoint presentation from 2005—or you’re in luck.
Oh, and if you think you can just install Windows on a Mac to get the best of both worlds? Think again. Apple has essentially deserted Boot Camp, and if you’re not prepared to wrestle with virtual machines, your M1/M2/M3 chip will give you the friendly middle finger.
3. Updates that take you out of the flow
You’re working on an important project, open your MacBook, and—BAM!—macOS has decided overnight that it needs an update RIGHT NOW. Your windows? All closed. Your Terminal setup? Gone. Your workflow? Dead.
Yes, yes, security is important. But you know what’s even more important? Not ruining my RAM with an invisible Spotlight indexing process.
Conclusion: Stay or go?
Despite all these quirks, macOS remains the operating system of choice for many developers. Not because it’s perfect—but because it hurts the least. It offers a stable, Unix-based environment with a UI that doesn’t remind you of a drab office routine.
Will Apple ever fix all these little frustrations? Probably not. But as long as Microsoft thinks we need Teams as the standard OS and Linux continues to question its suitability for the mass market, macOS will remain just that: the developer platform we don’t deserve but use anyway.