Some clients who I know are using PC's and I always try and move them over to the Mac. For some reason their reason for why they don't want to use a Mac is always, "Macs are not for programmers". I am aware of "programmer" applications for the Mac, but what is it about the Mac that programmers don't like? I just don't get it.

Thanks,
Mason

[Chuckit]

Your clients are — to put it kindly — blissfully ignorant. Lots of programmers use Macs. Where do they think Mac software comes from? For an interesting perspective, check out this Windows programmer's blog, in which he's gradually been exploring the Mac side of things.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

Some clients who I know are using PC's and I always try and move them over to the Mac. For some reason they're reason for why they don't want to use a Mac is always, "Macs are not for programmers". I am aware of "programmer" applications for the Mac, but what is it about the Mac that programmers don't like? I just don't get it.

Thanks,
Mason

It's simple really. All of the programming work is in the Windows world.

Thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Your clients are — to put it kindly — blissfully ignorant. Lots of programmers use Macs. Where do they think Mac software comes from? For an interesting perspective, check out this Windows programmer's blog, in which he's gradually been exploring the Mac side of things.

Can you provide some applications that will convince them to use the Mac? I agree with your input 100%

[besson3c]

If the incentive is to contribute to the open source movement, most programmers would probably be more interested in programming for Linux or perhaps Windows.

If the incentive is to make money selling software, there is more money to be had in Windows.

It also depends on what kind of software the developer is interested in developing. The Mac is a niche product, where content creation is its greatest strength.

Originally Posted by besson3c 

If the incentive is to contribute to the open source movement, most programmers would probably be more interested in programming for Linux or perhaps Windows.

If the incentive is to make money selling software, there is more money to be had in Windows.

It also depends on what kind of software the developer is interested in developing. The Mac is a niche product, where content creation is its greatest strength.

By programming I also mean coding, websites, HTML, PHP, and more.

[j03]

Well, I'm a new programmer learning c++ on mac, I use Xcode that comes with mac osx , I love it more than I love Visual C++ . I think V C++ is annoying and slow. This xcode is quite impressive, it runs fast, looks great, compiles fast --- wonderful for me.

As for your clients and alot of other windows users, their scared of "change". Anything new they have to learn especially a little different os makes all the difference. Even though mac is 100x better than windows , its a tough door to budge sometimes.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

If the incentive is to make money selling software, there is more money to be had in Windows.

$250,000 in its first month on the market. Two developers. No advertising budget at all.

[mduell]

Visual Studio

For all the things Microsoft doesn't get or does poorly, there's one thing they understand very very well: developers are key. They pour a ton of resources into Visual Studio, and most developers who use it love it. Xcode may be good, but VS is great.

[Thinine]

VS is great if you know how to use it or are used to its way of doing things.

Most developers use Windows because they're developing for Windows. If they aren't, then switching could be a good thing for them. Especially for web development, which is almost totally platform agnostic.

And as others have said, there is a lot of money to be made in the Mac market, especially with its growth potential. If you have a good idea and can implement it well as a Mac app, you're almost guaranteed success.

[j03]

Originally Posted by Thinine 

VS is great if you know how to use it or are used to its way of doing things.

Most developers use Windows because they're developing for Windows. If they aren't, then switching could be a good thing for them. Especially for web development, which is almost totally platform agnostic.

And as others have said, there is a lot of money to be made in the Mac market, especially with its growth potential. If you have a good idea and can implement it well as a Mac app, you're almost guaranteed success.

Fair put.

Thanks for the responses. I will use some of these posts to teach some of my clients about how Macs are good for programmers.

Thanks,
Mason

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

$250,000 in its first month on the market. Two developers. No advertising budget at all.

I remember something else Wil Shipley once said:

Windows: 20 times the marketshare, 30 times the number of programmers.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

I remember something else Wil Shipley once said:

Windows: 20 times the marketshare, 30 times the number of programmers.

He also pointed out that a disproportionately large number of Windows machines are either completely static (i.e., they ain't never installing your software) or owned by cheapskates (i.e., they ain't never paying for your software), while Mac users are more likely to seek out and pay for quality goods.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

$250,000 in its first month on the market. Two developers. No advertising budget at all.

DM is an exception - you're setting these guys up for disappointment if you try to sell them this argument, because frankly there's no way in hell that a Mac shareware developer who is not DM is going to make $250,000 in their first month. Weren't those two programmers ex-Omni guys that were already pretty famous in the Mac world?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

DM is an exception - you're setting these guys up for disappointment if you try to sell them this argument, because frankly there's no way in hell that a Mac shareware developer who is not DM is going to make $250,000 in their first month.

I am not trying to sell anything. I am disputing the idea that "there is more money to be had in Windows." There are many Windows DL knockoffs, and none of them has enjoyed a fraction of the success. I agree that the results are atypical, but they do show that the potential exists.

Originally Posted by CharlesS 

Weren't those two programmers ex-Omni guys that were already pretty famous in the Mac world?

I wouldn't say that. I had heard of Wil Shipley from Omni, but it's not as though I thought, "ZOMG Wil Shipley app! Better jump on this ****!" And I'm more in touch with this sort of stuff than most people, so I really doubt we can shrug it off that easily. Anyway, even if we say that Delicious Monster took in $250,000 simply because Wil Shipley had made a name for himself at another small company, I don't see how that disproves the idea that the Mac can be profitable. If five years of building up a reputation for Omni is enough that one of their coders and one of their icon designers can start a new company and immediately make $250,000 just on rep alone, that's just incredible.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

I am not trying to sell anything. I am disputing the idea that "there is more money to be had in Windows." There are many Windows DL knockoffs, and none of them has enjoyed a fraction of the success. I agree that the results are atypical, but they do show that the potential exists.

You can spin it any way you like... but with around 90% of the OS market share there is more money to me made in the Windows world. You have to look beyond OTS applications. Think about all of the software that exists to support application development itself. Additionally, there is a huge market for custom application development that is non-existent in the OS X world.

[Visnaut]

They're two very succinct markets. Clearly, if certain developers don't "get" the Mac platform, they're just not cut out for developing for it. Just like web developers who don't care for any other browser than IE. To them it's all about numbers; all function and no form.

I can deal with not having those sorts of developers around on the mac platform. They would cheapen the average quality of Mac applications.

I do think we will be seeing more development talent pop up on the Mac platform over the next few years. With the surge of Mac laptop sales among college-aged kids, the ones more likely to have been swayed by the iPod halo effect, we're bound to see more interest in development on the platform.

[DigitalEl]

Originally Posted by ncmason

Can you provide some applications that will convince them to use the Mac?

Just curious. Why are you trying to convince them to use a Mac? What's in it for you?

Not baggin' on you. Just genuinely curious.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

Thanks for the responses. I will use some of these posts to teach some of my clients about how Macs are good for programmers.

Thanks,
Mason

It also depends on what languages you are interested in using. At the heart of programming is simply using a text editor and a compiler, if applicable. If you want to program in a Windows centric or Windows only language, this obviously dictates your direction in terms of platform choice.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

You can spin it any way you like... but with around 90% of the OS market share there is more money to me made in the Windows world.

You are not going to make money from cash registers and ATMs. You are not going to make money from Internet terminals. You are not going to make money from people who have no interest in any software besides Internet Explorer, Word and iTunes. A larger share of the OS market doesn't necessarily translate to a larger potential customer base for your software.

Originally Posted by Atheist 

You have to look beyond OTS applications. Think about all of the software that exists to support application development itself. Additionally, there is a huge market for custom application development that is non-existent in the OS X world.

That's not more money; that's different money. I'm not saying it's impossible to make money programming Windows — that's obviously bullshit — but to say Windows = profit and Mac = ramen noodles is simply not accurate.

Anyway, just for the record, I'm not interested in trying to twist anyone's arm to use the Mac. If somebody is happy with his computer, I say let him be happy. If somebody is looking for something more, then I'm happy to tell him why I feel the Mac is good.

[Jens Peter]

Some people should use a mac and some should not. I try not to force anyone to use a mac - I show them how cool it is, and all the nice features that windows or linux is missing, but I leave it up to them to do the switch. And so far, that have worked in the cases where I tought it would

Some people are simply better off using linux or windows than using a mac. It sounds odd, but I think its true.

Oh, and I'm a programmer, working on a windows machine at work and my lovely 12" pb at home

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

You are not going to make money from cash registers and ATMs. You are not going to make money from Internet terminals. You are not going to make money from people who have no interest in any software besides Internet Explorer, Word and iTunes. A larger share of the OS market doesn't necessarily translate to a larger potential customer base for your software.


That's not more money; that's different money. I'm not saying it's impossible to make money programming Windows — that's obviously bullshit — but to say Windows = profit and Mac = ramen noodles is simply not accurate.

Anyway, just for the record, I'm not interested in trying to twist anyone's arm to use the Mac. If somebody is happy with his computer, I say let him be happy. If somebody is looking for something more, then I'm happy to tell him why I feel the Mac is good.

I believe I've hit a nerve. I'm not quite sure what you're getting at with the cash register and ATM reference. Of course someone made money on those. I also think you aren't grasping the point I was making. From your response it seems all you are taking into consideration is OTS software applications. Single use programs that people purchase and install on their computers. That is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to application development. There is huge money to be made (trust me on this one) developing custom applications. I've been doing it for 20 years. That market just doesn't exist in the Mac world. I wish it did... but it doesn't. Businesses and corporations are where the money is... not writing a program to sell on the Internet for 20 bucks.

[Madrag]

I've got developer friends that program in windows, only because their applications are destined to the windows platform and I suppose it's easier to debug/test...

But they're very into the mac, and the only reason not to get a mac and program in it is the price...
You can get a PC for a fraction of the price of a mac.

I've got six macs, they envy me

[Gee4orce]

As a (mac using) web developer I get to work with Windows only developers all the time. I can tell you, the two big reasons they don't use Macs are simply 1) because they just aren't aware of what the Mac is/can do, and 2) fear of the unknown.

I think 2 is understandable, but 1 is inexcusable. Developers are supposed to have an active and inquisitive interest in technology, and I think there's little argument that it's Apple that's been the most innovative company in IT in recent years. Not finding out more about Macs, if your supposed to be a programmer, is inexcusable to me.

Most developers I know have been very impressed and open minded once they've actually seen a Mac in use and realised that it a powerful system that's also gorgeously attractive.

That said, if I were hiring a programmer, the first question I'd ask them is something about the Mac. Programmers are supposed to be computer enthusiasts, and knowing nothing about the Mac says to me that they don't really have a true, deep love of technology, and generally just doing cool stuff.

Sadly, for most programmers, 'computers' == 'Microsoft Windows'. End of story.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at with the cash register and ATM reference. Of course someone made money on those.

Someone did, but unless it was you, it will never be you. When people talk about market share, they are including all the cash registers, ATMs and other such devices that run Windows but which are not likely customers for your software. Even if you write ATM software, the people aren't generally looking to upgrade. To be explicit: Just because Windows has 90% market share doesn't mean there's potentially nine times the profit from a product.

Originally Posted by Atheist 

I also think you aren't grasping the point I was making. From your response it seems all you are taking into consideration is OTS software applications. Single use programs that people purchase and install on their computers. That is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to application development. There is huge money to be made (trust me on this one) developing custom applications. I've been doing it for 20 years. That market just doesn't exist in the Mac world. I wish it did... but it doesn't. Businesses and corporations are where the money is... not writing a program to sell on the Internet for 20 bucks.

Let's play Who Is Richer:
a) You
b) Adobe

Again, I'm not saying there is no money to be made on the Windows side. I'm not denying that developing custom applications is a viable field. I'm saying that there is money to be made by developers selling real apps for the Mac — that's how all these software companies came to exist. What you're trying to argue here, as far as I can see, is simply irrelevant. It's like I'm saying, "Chocolate truffles are delicious!" and you're over there going, "No, you're wrong! Many people love M&Ms!" You accuse me of only thinking of off-the-shelf apps, but it seems to me you're just doing the opposite.

[Atheist]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Someone did, but unless it was you, it will never be you.

HUH?

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

When people talk about market share, they are including all the cash registers, ATMs and other such devices that run Windows but which are not likely customers for your software. Even if you write ATM software, the people aren't generally looking to upgrade.

Exactly my point. Someone wrote the software. And who cares if they don't upgrade. This is a perfect example of someone making money in the Windows world. How many stores and restaurants have you been to that use Macs for Point of Sale processing? Very few.

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Let's play Who Is Richer:
a) You
b) Adobe

HUH?

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Again, I'm not saying there is no money to be made on the Windows side. I'm not denying that developing custom applications is a viable field. I'm saying that there is money to be made by developers selling real apps for the Mac — that's how all these software companies came to exist. What you're trying to argue here, as far as I can see, is simply irrelevant. It's like I'm saying, "Chocolate truffles are delicious!" and you're over there going, "No, you're wrong! Many people love M&Ms!" You accuse me of only thinking of off-the-shelf apps, but it seems to me you're just doing the opposite.

I apologize if I didn't make my point clear enough. What I've been trying to say all along is that the market for software application development (in ALL aspects.. OTS, custom, whatever) is significantly larger in the Windows world solely because of market share. I'm not denying there is money to be made writing software for the Mac. If I had my druthers I'd never touch a Windows computer again.

To reiterate. I do not deny there is money to be made in developing apps for the Mac. However, I feel there is a much greater market in the Windows arena. I just don't understand how you can deny that. Let's agree to disagree.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Atheist 

HUH?


Exactly my point. Someone wrote the software. And who cares if they don't upgrade. This is a perfect example of someone making money in the Windows world. How many stores and restaurants have you been to that use Macs for Point of Sale processing? Very few.

I think you must have conflated my point about ATMs with my other point. What I was trying to convey is just that, yes, Windows has a much larger market share, but that market share isn't all potential revenue. You'll generally only be able to market yourself to a tiny fraction of that market at any given time, so it's a bit deceptive to say "Windows has 90% of the market! Of course you'll make more money there!"

I wasn't trying to argue that people should program on Mac OS X or shouldn't program on Windows, just that people shouldn't write the Mac off out-of-hand, because people can and do make a good living off of it.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

I wouldn't say that. I had heard of Wil Shipley from Omni, but it's not as though I thought, "ZOMG Wil Shipley app! Better jump on this ****!" And I'm more in touch with this sort of stuff than most people, so I really doubt we can shrug it off that easily. Anyway, even if we say that Delicious Monster took in $250,000 simply because Wil Shipley had made a name for himself at another small company, I don't see how that disproves the idea that the Mac can be profitable. If five years of building up a reputation for Omni is enough that one of their coders and one of their icon designers can start a new company and immediately make $250,000 just on rep alone, that's just incredible.

I don't know when Shipley started for Omni, but Omni was around since the original NextStep OS, so more than likely Shipley is one of the most experienced developers on the Mac platform because he was probably one of the first Cocoa developers ever, if nothing else. Matas was widely known to be the best UI artist on the platform. Not to mention they had tons of money they made at Omni to invest in their startup. Average people have, you know, normal jobs.

It's not like two Joe Six Packs got together and decided to throw together an application in their spare time.

[besson3c]

I think you guys are oversimplifying things. This is not a matter of showing programmers the Mac light and once they bask in the glory that is Mac they switch.

You can look at programming from several different perspectives:

- custom programming specific to a business environment

- commercial programming (Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, etc.)

- web programming/Actionscript/etc.


Going through these one at a time, since most businesses are built on either Windows or Linux/Unix infrastructures, this will determine the languages that are used for programming. If you are developing in Ruby or Python stuff that doesn't have a GUI that will be run on OS X (i.e. most custom programming), there isn't a whole lot of incentive that I can see to do this on the Mac. If you are developing for some Windows-based backend, chances are you'll be using C#/.Net or Visual Basic, or whatever Microsoft language (all of which I know little about).

The choice of platform being designed for comes down to a question of dollars and cents. If you need to run custom applications, perhaps stuff that is developed by somebody else, in many cases it makes sense to run Windows-based systems. If you need solid infrastructure, high reliability and security, a Linux/Unix system is probably your best bet. There is a *whole lot* of custom scripts and apps that are particular to various environments though, a lot of work and important glue that make companies tick. Around here, this is where most of the programming gigs come into play.

There is no great fit for the Mac in enterprise business environments, as has been discussed here to death, therefore as far as custom programming go, there is very little Mac programming.

As far as commercial programming goes, this is easy... Is the company setup to sell Windows based products, Mac based products, Linux/Unix based products, or all of the above? It seems like more and more, commercial programming gigs are becoming more and more rare outside of the big software companies (Microsoft, PeopleSoft, Apple, Adobe, etc.). There are also a lot of companies that rely on open source software, where the motivation for developers to become involved probably varies.

As far as web programming goes, if this involves being tied into some company backend, this may coincide with some of these earlier considerations (i.e. language/platform choice). Generally speaking, if you aren't developing Windows specific web apps (and this seems to be becoming more and more common thanks, in part, to Firefox), your apps are platform agnostic. There is not a whole lot stopping you from developing on the Mac.

[Atheist]

^ Very well put.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

...since most businesses are built on either Windows or Linux/Unix infrastructures, this will determine the languages that are used for programming. If you are developing in Ruby or Python stuff that doesn't have a GUI that will be run on OS X (i.e. most custom programming), there isn't a whole lot of incentive that I can see to do this on the Mac.

Mac OS X is Unix. You can certainly develop something in Ruby or Python very easily, and you can run it on a Linux box or a non-Mac. More platform-agnostic than you might think.

If you need solid infrastructure, high reliability and security, a Linux/Unix system is probably your best bet. There is a *whole lot* of custom scripts and apps that are particular to various environments though, a lot of work and important glue that make companies tick. Around here, this is where most of the programming gigs come into play.

Again, Mac OS X is Unix. The only thing here is that Apple is not seriously pursuing the Enterprise market.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Person Man 

Mac OS X is Unix. You can certainly develop something in Ruby or Python very easily, and you can run it on a Linux box or a non-Mac. More platform-agnostic than you might think.

Sure, but if you are generating faceless scripts, sure you could do this on the Mac, but what is the particular advantage you could sell somebody on in doing so?

Again, Mac OS X is Unix. The only thing here is that Apple is not seriously pursuing the Enterprise market.

OS X is BSD based Unix, which does not necessarily consistently translate into Linux, HP/UX, or Solaris based environments where pathnames and command line environments are setup differently.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

Can you provide some applications that will convince them to use the Mac? I agree with your input 100%

Parallels Desktop for Mac

This allows you to run any version of Windows simultaneously on your Mac. That means you can build applications in Visual Studio and test them with Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, and Mac OS X... all at the same time.

Adobe

All you need for web design on the platform that is Design. Again, if you need to test something with Internet Explorer for Windows, just boot up Parallels.

Actually, I would say that Macintosh is the perfect computer for a programmer.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Parallels Desktop for Mac

This allows you to run any version of Windows simultaneously on your Mac. That means you can build applications in Visual Studio and test them with Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, and Mac OS X... all at the same time.

Adobe

All you need for web design on the platform that is Design. Again, if you need to test something with Internet Explorer for Windows, just boot up Parallels.

Actually, I would say that Macintosh is the perfect computer for a programmer.

The Adobe web design apps are graphic designer/content creator centric. If you are trying to lure programmers to the Mac, perhaps this wouldn't be the best choice?

All programmers I know of are attracted by languages and the nice touches and conveniences offered by these languages, not by graphic design applications.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Sure, but if you are generating faceless scripts, sure you could do this on the Mac, but what is the particular advantage you could sell somebody on in doing so?

Once again, if somebody sees no advantage in the Mac at all, it's probably not for them. But Macs are at least as good for Ruby/Python development as any other platform. If you like the Mac and apps that are available for the Mac, it's a good candidate.

Put another way: You could make just as strong an argument against any other system.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

You are not going to make money from cash registers and ATMs. You are not going to make money from Internet terminals. You are not going to make money from people who have no interest in any software besides Internet Explorer, Word and iTunes. A larger share of the OS market doesn't necessarily translate to a larger potential customer base for your software.

Assuming that the Windows market is all cash registers, ATM's, and Internet terminals is short sighted. Really, this entire argument comes down to knowing your market.

Windows users will buy one type of software, while Mac users will buy a different kind of software. Mac users tend to buy more digital lifestyle software, which lends itself to the Delicious Library's and Photoshops of the market. PC users tend to buy utility software. CD burning software, file conversion software, etc. And if you're a small game developer? You have to release a Windows version. Mac users simply aren't as into games as Windows developers. Ambrosia Software is one example of the Windows platform being necessary for game shops.

The honest truth is that while you can make a lot of money in the Mac software market, it's far easier to make a lot of money in the PC market. In the Windows market, you don't have to win a lot of market share, or be even that successful, to make your rent each month. Yes, there is a lot of crapware in the Windows market that might hurt the visibility of your product. But there is tons of money people throw at Windows crapware each year. Even if you get only 3% of the market on the Windows platform, you're still rolling in money.

If you're looking for a large market share on your platform, fame, and infamy, the Mac market is for you. But the Windows market is where a lot of the bulk purchases happen, and is a market where people (sadly) don't care much about your UI.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Once again, if somebody sees no advantage in the Mac at all, it's probably not for them. But Macs are at least as good for Ruby/Python development as any other platform. If you like the Mac and apps that are available for the Mac, it's a good candidate.

Put another way: You could make just as strong an argument against any other system.

True... There is nothing that would make the Mac bad for Ruby. I suppose the exact converse of what I was saying would apply.

You could get into all of the other arguments about price and stuff, but there are way too many variables to account for there.

Originally Posted by DigitalEl 

Just curious. Why are you trying to convince them to use a Mac? What's in it for you?

Not baggin' on you. Just genuinely curious.

Are you a Mac user? Most Mac users stand up for one another

Also, I like to see more Mac users around than Window users.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

Are you a Mac user? Most Mac users stand up for one another

Also, I like to see more Mac users around than Window users.

Unfortunately, Apple seems more interested in being a niche project at this time.

Originally Posted by besson3c 

Unfortunately, Apple seems more interested in being a niche project at this time.

Is this because of the Leopard delay or the iPhone? Or both?

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

Is this because of the Leopard delay or the iPhone? Or both?

No, it is because they have decided to focus on particular markets, and neglect others.

Originally Posted by besson3c 

No, it is because they have decided to focus on particular markets, and neglect others.

I still have a few questions about programming on a Mac.

1. Java Environment?

2. ASP.net?

3. DOS?

4. Ruby on Rails?


Thanks,
Mason

[besson3c]

What are your questions?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

I still have a few questions about programming on a Mac.

1. Java Environment?

Yes.

Originally Posted by ncmason 

2. ASP.net?

Possible through Mono. I don't do a lot of .NET, but I doubt either Mac or Linux are on par with Windows for development, though, since .NET is a Microsoft technology.

Originally Posted by ncmason 

3. DOS?

Doesn't run on any Mac except through emulation.

Originally Posted by ncmason 

4. Ruby on Rails?

Mac is the primary development platform for Ruby on Rails. All of the main contributors use TextMate, if I recall.

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Yes.


Possible through Mono. I don't do a lot of .NET, but I doubt either Mac or Linux are on par with Windows for development, though, since .NET is a Microsoft technology.


Doesn't run on any Mac except through emulation.


Mac is the primary development platform for Ruby on Rails. All of the main contributors use TextMate, if I recall.

I am trying to get this programmer to move over to the Mac, but now I can see what is holding him back. I appreciate your time and help.

Thanks again,
Mason

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by ncmason 

3. DOS?

Was that a joke?

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Was that a joke?

Nope. I am just trying to get answers to some of the questions the programmers asked me.

[aristotles]

A lot of people are blissfully ignorant of what is available directly from Apple on the Developer Tools CD that comes with each version of OS X. They are also blissfully ignorant of the attach rate of people actually buying software relative to marketshare number let alone understanding the difference between install base, marketshare numbers and marketshare percentages.

I am a windows developer by trade but I use a mac at home and I have dabbled a bit in Cocoa development and using Xcode. I would like to find the time to do more and possibly release something new and useful for the mac community someday.

The windows software market has a high degree of piracy and most niches are so saturated that it can be near impossible for a small developer to get noticed in the sea of "free" adware infested crap for windows.