I spent years defending Windows. I'd argue with Mac users about customization, hardware specs, and price-to-performance ratios. I'd roll my eyes at "it just works" comments and call Mac users sheep following the herd.
Then I bought a MacBook.
Within a week, I realized I'd been wrong about everything. Within a month, I couldn't imagine going back. This isn't fanboy talk—it's the story of how switching to Mac changed my development workflow and honestly made coding fun again.
The Windows nightmare
Let me paint a picture of my Windows development experience:
Monday morning: Boot up. Wait for Windows Update. Restart. Wait again. Finally start coding after 15 minutes.
Tuesday afternoon: Docker breaks. WSL2 won't start. Spend two hours on Stack Overflow trying to fix what should just work.
Wednesday evening: Install a new tool. It modifies PATH. Now nothing works. Spend an hour debugging environment variables.
Thursday night: Windows updates mid-deployment. Can't stop it. Watch in horror as laptop restarts.
Friday: Swear I'll switch to Linux. Install Ubuntu. Fight WiFi drivers all weekend. Reinstall Windows by Sunday.
This was my life. Constant friction. Every tool needed workarounds. Every update brought surprises.
The switch: Best decision ever
I bought a MacBook Air M2. Not to be cool—I was just tired of fighting my operating system.
The first week
Setup took 20 minutes. Not hours. Twenty minutes.
Downloaded VS Code, Node.js, Git. Everything installed cleanly. No PATH variables. No registry edits. Just click, install, done.
The trackpad blew my mind. On Windows, I used a mouse because trackpads were garbage. The MacBook trackpad is so good I stopped carrying a mouse entirely. Three-finger swipes between workspaces, smooth gestures—everything just flows.
The first month
My workflow transformed:
Terminal: iTerm2 with Oh My Zsh made command-line work enjoyable. Multiple tabs, split panes, proper Unix commands.
Docker: Just works. No WSL2 weirdness. No virtualization issues. It's invisible infrastructure that does its job.
Homebrew: brew install postgresql and I have Postgres. No hunting for installers, no clicking through setup wizards.
Unix foundation: Mac is Unix-based. All Linux commands work natively. No Git Bash, no WSL. Just real Unix.
Why Mac wins for developers
macOS: Built for development
macOS is Unix-based, which means it matches production servers. Most servers run Linux, most tools assume Unix. On Windows, you're constantly translating bash commands to PowerShell equivalents. On Mac, tutorials just work.
The operating system stays out of your way. No forced updates during work. No driver issues. No random services hogging resources. It's designed for getting work done, not fighting configuration.
Performance: M-series is insane
The M2 chip is genuinely unbelievable. I can:
- Run Docker containers without my laptop becoming a furnace
- Compile large TypeScript projects in seconds
- Keep 50+ browser tabs open without slowdown
- Run servers, databases, and background processes simultaneously
And the battery lasts ALL DAY. Not "all day if you're gentle"—actual 10+ hours while running heavy workloads. On Windows, I'd be hunting for outlets within 2 hours.
Development tools: Mac-first world
Reality check: most dev tools are built for Mac first, then ported to Windows.
- Better documentation (assumes Mac/Linux)
- Fewer bugs (more testing on Mac)
- Native performance (Unix tools on Unix system)
- Better support (everyone uses Mac, solutions exist)
Quality of life improvements
Spotlight: Cmd+Space, type anything, find it instantly. Files, apps, calculations—so fast I don't remember where I save things.
Window management: Rectangle (free) gives keyboard shortcuts for tiling. Cmd+Option+Left snaps windows perfectly.
Mission Control: Three-finger swipe sees all windows. Swipe left/right to switch spaces. No Alt+Tab hunting.
Time Machine: Set up once, automatic backups forever. When disaster strikes, restore everything in minutes.
Retina displays: Everything looks crisp. Windows scaling is still a mess—blurry apps everywhere. Mac just works.
The gaming argument: Missing the point
"But you can't game on Mac!"
You're right. I can't. And I don't care.
Gaming laptops are terrible investments
A gaming laptop is:
- Expensive (₹1,50,000+)
- Heavy (5+ pounds)
- Hot (lap burner)
- Loud (jet engine)
- Dead battery (2 hours max)
- Outdated in 2 years
For that money, buy:
- MacBook for development (₹1,20,000)
- PlayStation 5 for gaming (₹50,000)
Better at both. Gaming laptops compromise on everything.
Focus on what matters
A development machine should make you productive at development. That's it.
I have a MacBook for work and PS5 for gaming. Each device excels at its purpose. Using a Windows laptop for both means being mediocre at both.
If you need "gaming breaks" that badly, fix your discipline or take real breaks. Don't compromise your primary work tool.
The cost argument: Do the math
"MacBooks are too expensive!"
Let's calculate:
Windows laptop: ₹1,00,000
- Replace in 3 years (battery dies, performance drops)
- Hours spent troubleshooting
- Resale value: ₹15,000 after 3 years
MacBook: ₹1,20,000
- Lasts 5+ years easily
- Minimal troubleshooting
- Resale value: ₹65,000 after 3 years
Cost per year:
- Windows: (₹1,00,000 - ₹15,000) / 3 = ₹28,333/year
- Mac: (₹1,20,000 - ₹65,000) / 5 = ₹11,000/year
Mac is CHEAPER. That's before counting your time. What's your hourly rate? How many hours have you wasted fighting Windows? The MacBook pays for itself in months.
The transition: Easier than expected
I'd used Windows for 15+ years. The switch felt daunting.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Cmd instead of Ctrl
- Cmd+Space for search
- Cmd+Tab to switch apps
- Cmd+` for windows in same app
Took a week to feel comfortable, a month to feel fluent.
File system
No C: drive nonsense. Just:
- Applications folder
- Documents folder
- That's it
Everything else is hidden because you don't need it. No Program Files, no Windows folder, no registry hell.
Missing features
Need window snapping? Rectangle. Missing apps? Alternatives exist for everything. Start menu? Spotlight is better.
The learning curve is worth it. Push through the first week of inefficiency. The other side is incredible.
My workflow today
8:00 AM: Open MacBook. Instant wake from sleep. Battery at 100%.
8:01 AM: Open iTerm2. git pull. Brew update. Total time: 30 seconds.
8:05 AM: VS Code with last night's work. Jump right in. Zero friction.
10:00 AM: Need Postgres? brew install postgresql. Done in 2 minutes. No wizards, no configuration.
12:00 PM: Battery at 75%. Unplug, work from cafe. Stays cool and quiet.
6:00 PM: Battery at 40%. Close laptop. Instant sleep. Continue tomorrow.
No drama. No wasted time. Just coding.
Essential apps that complete the experience
Development:
- VS Code (runs better on Mac)
- iTerm2 (terminal with tabs and splits)
- Oh My Zsh (beautiful terminal)
- Docker Desktop (actually works)
- Homebrew (package management)
Productivity:
- Rectangle (window management)
- Alfred or Raycast (Spotlight on steroids)
- Hidden Bar (clean menu bar)
Quality of life:
- CleanShot X (amazing screenshots)
- IINA (media player that works)
- The Unarchiver (any file format)
What I miss about Windows: Nothing important
To be fair:
Gaming: Buy a PS5.
Customization: Windows lets you tweak everything. macOS is opinionated. But Apple's opinions are usually right.
Hardware variety: Windows has 50 laptop options. Mac has 3. But choice paralysis is real.
That's it. For actual development work, I genuinely miss nothing.
The bottom line: Your time is valuable
You're a developer. Every hour fighting your OS is an hour not coding.
Windows makes you fight. Mac gets out of your way.
The price difference is a few thousand rupees. The productivity difference is hundreds of hours per year.
Do the math. Buy the Mac.
My challenge: Try it for 30 days
Still skeptical? Try a Mac for 30 days. Don't fight it, don't compare everything to Windows. Just use it.
After 30 days, ask yourself: am I more productive?
I bet you are. And going back to Windows will feel painful.
Apple has a 14-day return policy. Worst case, you spend two weeks with a different computer.
But you won't return it.
Three years later: Never going back
I'm on my second MacBook now (upgraded because I wanted to, not because the old one died).
I built Courtside—a platform serving 7,000+ users—entirely on Mac.
And through it all, my MacBook has been invisible infrastructure. It doesn't demand attention. It doesn't cause problems. It just works.
Windows never gave me that. Mac does, every single day.
The switch changed my development life. It can change yours too.
P.S. Still not convinced? Stay on Windows. But when you're debugging your third WSL2 issue this month while your Mac-using colleagues are shipping code, remember this post.
P.P.S. Yes, Linux exists. It's great for servers. For development machines, macOS is Linux with a usable interface and hardware that doesn't need driver hunting. Best of both worlds.