“Some people like to be locked in to a limited platform, and others prefer freedom and having the platform trust the user.”
The Mac is less limiting than Windows, in the sense that I can run MacOS, POSIX and Windows software seamlessly in the same environment. MacOS and POSIX software runs natively. Windows requires a VM, but is isolated from the rest of the system so malware isn’t a concern.
Also don’t forget that the excellent Mac development tools are freely available instead of costing hundreds of dollars.
There’s a ton of value with Mac that’s often overlookedk, including the great bundled applications that have no Windows equivalent.
BTW I have no idea what you meant about the platform “trusting” the user.
Virtualization works in windows too. Also see cygwin.
Also don’t forget that the excellent Mac development tools are freely available instead of costing hundreds of dollars.
Microsoft puts out free Express Editions of their software. Apple did a good job of making an easier development environment mainly due to dropping backward compatibility though.
I have no idea what you meant about the platform “trusting” the user.
Linux is the ultimate example of the platform trusting the user. Nothing is locked out, and you can screw with stuff all the way down to the operating system's own scheduler. Windows and Mac are midway, where stuff is locked out (no source code) but there is plenty of room for tinkering. The iPhone and iPad lock you out of everything to the point that you cannot even run an application unless it has already been pre-screened by Apple.