<p>1) Which one
2) Pros
3) Cons</p>
<p>Thank You!</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Apple computers run Unix. So in a way you don’t need to choose between Mac and Linux.</p>
<p>Biggest benefit of linux is a easy way to get [url=<a href=“http://debathena.mit.edu/install]debathena[/url”>Installing Debathena]debathena[/url</a>] onto your computer. (Yes. MacAthena exists. It’s not nearly as easy as the two lines to get debathena. Also I think it’s less well supported?) Also cheap :D</p>
<p>Biggest benefit of a mac is reliability. That thing probably won’t break on you, but if it does, you’re in trouble. As a longer battery life, but let’s be honest. No one has a 14 hour battery life. I just carry my charger with me.</p>
<p>Biggest benefit of windows? CAD and its relatives, and games. Also easy to dual-boot with ubuntu.</p>
<p>(I have a Windows/Ubuntu dual-booted machine. It’s amazing.)</p>
<p>I have the choice of either getting a macbook pro or a windows laptop and then dual booting it to linux. Another problem is, wouldn’t it be exhausting to always program on such a small 13 inch screen? Shouldn’t I get a desktop, shouldn’t you guys get a desktop lol?</p>
<p>You could always get an external monitor - gets you portability and a nice screen. The thing that I wouldn’t like about that setup is the lack of space (which is solvable by an external drive, but not my preference :P).</p>
<p>The OS depends on what you want. I use Windows for compiling “serious” programs. I use OSX for most of my work and for “simpler” compiling. I use Linux only on my cloud server, but I never installed it on my computer.</p>
<p>Re: 13 inch screen</p>
<p>Xmonad! And secondaries are pretty nice. W20-575 has some “stations” with secondary screens, keyboards, and mice.</p>
<p>I’ve considered getting a desktop but really haven’t gotten around to it yet (although I’m probably going to just get a miniserver instead). Not for actual work but as a mail server/backup server.</p>
<p>But then again, I’m the person who thought mixing Mint and BioLinux was a good idea.</p>
<p>Re: compiling and stuff…</p>
<p>I thought most of MIT used python, which is fairly cross platform? 6.005 uses Java, which is also cross platform. There’s at least one course 6 class that <em>requires</em> you to use MIT Athena computers/servers, but other than that I think any OS is okay?</p>
<p><em>shrug</em></p>
<p>More importantly than the ability to compile is the ability to version control, I think. And everyone I know uses git, but that might be an artefact of the social circles I hang out in…</p>
<p>Actually, git and dev setups are the reason why I use Ubuntu - because it’s a lot easier when your OS and your server’s OS are the same…</p>