[jgm50d]

I am just getting started on a computer science degree. Is Mac OS X a smart choice to use? I already have a mac...I'm just wondering if it's a viable alternative to programming on a PC or SGI.

Thanks

[Since EBCDIC]

It depends upon what you mean by 'viable'. Mac OS X is a UNIX with a pretty face. (More actually, but not for this discussion.)

Once you get the MIT X Window System running on OS X then you have a standard UNIX development workstation at your command. You may learn the program as well as on any other UNIX box.

Of course, if you want to be tied to the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) or something equally bizarre, then OS X is a bad choice for you, because it won't have those things.

Enjoy, and write some good code for all of us.

Best of luck to you...

[sadie]

I'd say OS X is a very good choice - especially if you already have a mac. It offers you pure UNIX programming in C (worth a lot of money); the future of Mac programming in Objective-C (to teach you better programming practise); good C++ (smoothing your way into windows) and a good java environment (for the hyper-fasionable dotcoms). If you look closely, you'll find Perl and PHP in the web server.

I'm nearing the end of my CS degree, and not seen anything that can't be done on OS X.

Just make sure you don't tie yourself down to a single language, platform or environment. Learn as many different things as you can.