Mac is not so bad

So today I spent the whole day programming on a Mac-Mini (by Apple) and it turns out that it was not so bad. It was mainly because it was not such a big change from Linux to a Mac. Mac OS X is BSD/Mach based and it comes with many common free (open-source) software tools by default. Here is a short list: bash, grep, curl, vim, x11, and so on. Basically all of my favorite shell tools were readily available. I also found out that the Mac kernel (Darwin) is open-source (well under Apple's open source license). I also got a chance to browse through some header files and most of the kernel seems to be a close match with the FreeBSD kernel which Apple proudly advertises on their developer website. All in all, Mac showed me what Linux can become and also what FreeBSD can also become. Mac OS X is a combination of many open-source/closed source software and you definitely get the Unix feel when you use it. Now I see why Macs are more stable than windows, because it is built on top of well-tested BSD software. I still love Linux, but I have found a new appreciation for Macs (and BSD systems as well).