Why the hell are all app demos done using Macs?

7 pointsdadads14y ago16 comments

When I see demos of web apps (videos, screenshots), I can't help but notice that they are all almost exclusively done using Macs.

Is there some secret to why everyone's doing this? Why am I not seeing more demos on Windows? Or Linux for that matter?

16 comments

tomfakes14y ago

I think there are a few reasons

1. Mac UI looks good, browser fonts look good there too 2. A lot of open source stack developers use OSX as their dev machines, so the code has already been tested there 3. Since OSX is BSD, a lot of the same server code runs, and runs well on OSX, so demos can run well with everything hosted on the same machine without needing VMs or other tricks.

Windows can do all of this too, but some stuff doesn't work as easily on Window. Microsoft server stack runs great on Windows, but 'the cool kids' are all running open source stacks.

watmough14y ago

Also, QuickTime player has a feature right on the file menu to do a screen recording.

http://i.imgur.com/JvmiM.png

I know there are other tools, but it's hard to beat built-in.

Regarding font rending, there's an old article by Joel:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/06/12.html

but the main point is this image. Take your choice.

http://i.imgur.com/qMmXt.png

dadadsOP14y ago

I can say the same thing (open-source stacks) about Linux, and not many Linux demos are out there

tomfakes14y ago

Almost no-one uses Linux as their desktop. A lot of the UI tools don't work as well on Linux, or have no Linux versions at all.

2 more replies

jordandanford14y ago

Mac OS X is generally seen as the most visually appealing OS, so I figure that's likely to be the reasoning

ajsharp14y ago

Chances are, that's what the developers are using to build the product. Same with the people making the screencast, if this is a different party than the developer(s) themselve(s).

PonyGumbo14y ago

I ended up re-doing screenshots of my web app on OSX because the browser windows have slightly thinner frames. It just looked better.

jlambert114y ago

I think a lot of hackers are using macs, and a lot of startups are using them too. It's part of the new "uniform" for startups.

alecbenzer14y ago

The idea of a "hacker" and a "uniform" don't really seem to fit together.

edit: and actually, I think the whole "uniform" mentality is exactly the way that apple wants people to see its products, whereas that kind of thinking makes Linux users' skin crawl (at least this linux user's - coming on HN is making it harder and harder to make myself buy that mbp...)

GHFigs14y ago

What difference does it make?

bloudraak14y ago

The fidelity seems to be better on OS X than on Windows, and therefore the site justs looks more crisp. Its something that I noticed testing websites on both Windows and OS X.

CyberFonic14y ago

If you want to be really funky, create your demos on Haiku (BeOS work-alike) !

hagyma14y ago

What a cool idea! :)

dstein14y ago

pg covered this nicely:

http://www.paulgraham.com/mac.html

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

16 comments

tomfakes14y ago

I think there are a few reasons

Windows can do all of this too, but some stuff doesn't work as easily on Window. Microsoft server stack runs great on Windows, but 'the cool kids' are all running open source stacks.

watmough14y ago

Also, QuickTime player has a feature right on the file menu to do a screen recording.

http://i.imgur.com/JvmiM.png

I know there are other tools, but it's hard to beat built-in.

Regarding font rending, there's an old article by Joel:

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/06/12.html

but the main point is this image. Take your choice.

http://i.imgur.com/qMmXt.png

dadadsOP14y ago

I can say the same thing (open-source stacks) about Linux, and not many Linux demos are out there

tomfakes14y ago

Almost no-one uses Linux as their desktop. A lot of the UI tools don't work as well on Linux, or have no Linux versions at all.

2 more replies

jordandanford14y ago

Mac OS X is generally seen as the most visually appealing OS, so I figure that's likely to be the reasoning

ajsharp14y ago

Chances are, that's what the developers are using to build the product. Same with the people making the screencast, if this is a different party than the developer(s) themselve(s).

PonyGumbo14y ago

I ended up re-doing screenshots of my web app on OSX because the browser windows have slightly thinner frames. It just looked better.

jlambert114y ago

I think a lot of hackers are using macs, and a lot of startups are using them too. It's part of the new "uniform" for startups.

alecbenzer14y ago

The idea of a "hacker" and a "uniform" don't really seem to fit together.

GHFigs14y ago

What difference does it make?

bloudraak14y ago

The fidelity seems to be better on OS X than on Windows, and therefore the site justs looks more crisp. Its something that I noticed testing websites on both Windows and OS X.

CyberFonic14y ago

If you want to be really funky, create your demos on Haiku (BeOS work-alike) !

hagyma14y ago

What a cool idea! :)

dstein14y ago

pg covered this nicely:

http://www.paulgraham.com/mac.html

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse