Re: Well
Posted by syalam on 01-24-2008 in Windows vs. MacWindows is a very mature platform yes, and has the largest user-base due to the Microsoft monopoly, however saying they have the richest set of development API's and tools is an over statement.
Visual Studio is one of the best IDE's I've ever used, I'll admit it, but it lacks extendability. This is where Eclipse, owned by IBM shines. You can develop for any platform, free. Visual Studio locks you solely into Microsoft technologies, can you execute Java in Visual Studio? Nope, it will only run under Microsofts Virtual Machine which is not even Java compliant. With Eclipse not only can you develop under ISO defined programming standards, you can even develop for Windows technologies such as .NET. There are no limits.
In response to: Well
I see Windows as just a more mature platform. As a developer, I look for the platform with the richest set of development APIs and tools to work with (I think it's pretty much accepted Visual Studio takes the cake)
From a user perspective, Apple does a lot of things correctly. They ship an end-to-end out of the box experience that's unrivaled by todays OEMs who ship buggy, bloated crapware along side Windows installations.
I think, without going too in depth that both sides can learn from each other. They both have their respective strengths and weaknesses.