Workstations

Workstations are the key to website development productivity.

Web site development is not easy, time consuming, and expensive. Optimizing the website development environment is critical.

The key hardware for website developers are workstations that run the Developers Integrated Development Environment (IDE). They need to be:

Fast
Reliable
Supportable
Secure
Support Large or Multiple Screens
Run Software Development Applications

The contemporary choice for web development workstations are Apple, Linux, and Microsoft. My experience building and maintaining web sites with purchased or bare metal built Linux or Microsoft systems, was my reason choosing Apple products for exploring Internet technologies and creating web sites.

Traditionally these companies built workstation products with Intel processors. They are diversifying their product line with ARM-based and RISC-architecture processors

Apple

Apple is a computer manufacturing company delivering workstation products with Apple developed macOS certified UNIX operating systems.

Apple has released Mac products built with the ARM-based, M3 Apple silicon designed system on a chip containing 20 billion transistors, solid-state drive, and optimized for the Mac operating system. The system on a chip means there are no mother board plugins, memory, or solid-state drive upgrades, possible. The configuration is chosen at purchase time.

Apple products prices may be higher than their competitors. It is mitigated by the robustness, reliability, security, speed, vendor hardware and software support, and relative ease of use.

Any web developer workstation downtime is expensive. Apple has responsibility for maintaining their hardware and software products from sale to retirement. Apple Stores and other services are equipped to diagnose and repair Apple products using some of the same test equipment used my Apple manufacturing.

Operating systems updates have been free for years, and work when applied.

Apple continues to have the highest customer satisfaction in the industry.

Linux

Linux is an examples of free and open-source software collaboration. The source code may be used, modified and distributed commercially or non-commercially by anyone under the terms of its respective licenses

Linux is the leading operating system on web servers. Its greatest success in the consumer market is mobile device. Android being one of the dominant smartphones Linux-based operating system

There are a some Linux vendor supporting hardware platforms or Linux software distributions. The diversity of Linux distributions means that not all software or hardware runs all distributions or applications. Software and hardware repositories may be specific to particular distributions

Not all peripheral device vendors support Linux. The Linux open-source community supplies several missing device drivers.

The price of Linux-based systems is attractive. The operating system software is free. Ready-made hardware platforms are available, or can be bare metal built by choosing hardware and software components, and having the skills to assemble and maintain them.

The robustness, reliability, security, and speed of Linux systems varies from high to low, depending on the knowledge and skills of the vendors, builders and maintainers

Responsibility for maintaining Linux workstation hardware, operating systems, and device drivers is fragmented or doesn't exist, except from some vendors, builders and maintainers

There are computer repair services that are equipped to diagnosed and repaired Linux systems, but not to the extent of Apple Stores

Microsoft

Microsoft is the creators of the Windows operating. Many companies sell systems with Windows installed, and many peripheral device vendors support Windows drivers.

Consumer versions of Windows were originally designed for ease-of-use on a single-user PC without a network connection, and did not have security features built in from the outset. Windows updates are regularly improving security.

Windows is one of hackers prime data hunting grounds, even with frequent security updates. Windows systems are everywhere and stores or has access to vast amounts of data. There are Windows installations that do not keep Windows updated. One reason may be issues with updates. Some Microsoft Windows update problems have been legendary.

The reliability, robustness, security, and supportability of Microsoft systems varies from high to low, depending on the knowledge and skills of vendors, builders and maintainers. The combinations and permutations of vendor hardware platforms, software applications, peripheral vendors and device support, may be contributing to some of Microsoft Windows update problems.

There are computer repair services that are equipped to diagnosed and repaired Windows systems, but not to the extent of Apple Stores.