Mac Envy

Posted by Dominik Holenstein
Feb 26, 2015 at 09:01 AM

A very good question and a great response from Jaslar!

I suppose that most software developed for OSX is based on system specific technology (Cocooa for example). This means that a migration of the code to other platforms like Windows or Linux is not possible or related to a huge and expensive workload one can’t afford. Further, many specific apps are being developed by one person. So they don’t have the resources to develop for different systems.
An example of an app that is available for OSX only and I have been waiting for a Windows version for ages is Tinderbox. There is a hint on their website that they are working on the Windows version for Tinderbox but I personally don’t believe that we will see it soon. Tinderbox is designed and developed by one single person: Mark Bernstein. I have a MacBook Air in the meantime and the first app I purchased was Tinderbox.
I understand all OSX developers who don’t develop for other systems just because I know how difficult and complex software development can be. Apps like Tinderbox are very, very complex and developing it for different platforms with the same features increases the complexity manyfold.

If the developer uses a framework like Java or Qt then then he or she can create an app which runs on OSX and Windows. But even then you can’t just write one version, each system still needs some specific configuration.
A good example for an app that runs on Windwos and OSX including ALL functionality on both platforms is TheBrain. The initial development was on Windows with C++. Then they decided to re-code it with Java which was a very wise decision. The Java foundation makes it possible not even to develop for different systems but also to create a secure web-based app including file sync.

Dominik