Why is the Macintosh operating system best to use for scientists?

Answer 1

Mac OS X is the best to use for scientists because many experiments and their subsequent data acquisition scripts are run on clusters of UNIX/Linux machines. Since Mac OS X is based on UNIX, and has UNIX tools such as a bash shell built in (Applications > Utilities > Terminal), the Macintosh operating system is a clear choice for both scientific work (where Linux would suffice as well), but also personal computing, where one may desire a more easy to use, beautifully executed, and a more mainstream operating system than a Linux distribution can provide.

I am a scientist, and a user of the three major OS choices that are normally talked about, Mac OS X on a MacBook Pro, Windows 7 on a ThinkPad, and Fedora (open-sourced Linux OS courtesy of Red Hat) also on that ThinkPad, and I must honestly say that for a single OS that combines work and play into a excellent package, Mac OS X is a clear winner. Many will say that Linux is progressing and becoming more user friendly and cohesive, and that is completely true; however, at this point in time, I would still choose to get another MacBook Pro because the attention to detail is tremendous, and leads to a fantastic computer for one to use. Linux can be made into a very nice operating system, both operationally and aesthetically, but to get it running like a Mac requires much, much work, and if something goes wrong, you really don't have anyone to point fingers to since the operating system is, after all, free. Linux is great for large scale scientific computing, a scalable operating system that can be cloned without licensing issues and distributed across thousands of computers for no cost, at least no cost for the operating system itself. Mac OS X is great for a personal machine, but can also interface with a UNIX/Linux cluster seamlessly if need be.

In addition, as a scientist, I'm also a substantial programmer, and the UNIX tools on Mac OS X makes programming a pleasure (bash shell, X windows system, etc..), though I find it very inefficient and plane annoying on Windows. Linux is also great for programming, but like I've said, the fit and finish of a Mac is leagues above a Linux distribution, and thus is my operating system of choice.