====== Why to consider Windows for distributed Docker / Kubernetes software development ======

Over the past five years my primary software development laptop has always been a Macbook Pro.  And I've mostly really enjoyed the experience.  However, this winter I needed a new development laptop again and chose an MSi gaming laptop running Windows 10 Professional instead of a Macbook.  Why?

I thought that sharing my experience might be useful to someone else so I've decided to describe it here.

===== What I haven't been able to do on a Mac =====

Some of the reasons I chose to move back to Windows have to do with things I haven't been able to do (or simply can't achieve) using a Mac.  These are:

  - Relearn IDE keybindings in their MacOS forms
  - Obtain a laptop with more than 16 gigabytes of RAM
  - Obtain a laptop with a high-end GPU for 3d graphics development

The first concern is purely personal.  Some readers will have been using Macs for a long time and already be accustomed to the Mac keybindings for their favorite text editors and/or IDEs.

For me, however, I had been using Linux as my main development environment since 1996, which largely shares its key bindings with Windows.  In five years of using a Mac, I have not been able to achieve the same keyboard speed in my favorite software development environments compared with using Linux or Windows.

I have tried various Mac keyboard hacks.  All of them get me part of the way to speed; none of them have gotten me all the way there.

The second and third concerns were the deal-breakers for me.

For not much more money than a high-end Macbook Pro, one can buy an MSi with 64 gigabytes of RAM and a very nice GPU.  Why do I care?

===== Because Docker is the new OSGi and Kubernetes looks to be the next standard distributed O/S =====

In a new world of containerized applications, RAM is more important than ever.  The single largest factor limiting what I can run directly on my laptop is RAM.

64 Gigabytes of RAM lets me run tens of servers inside Kubernetes on Windows.  Linux can be my main development O/S again.  I just host it under Windows.  

I'm experimenting with building a portable development environment inside a Docker pod inside Kubernetes.  If that experiment succeeds, I'll have a portable development environment that will work anywhere Docker and Kubernetes run.  Including a Mac, ironically.

===== Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are coming into their own, and the best tools are on Windows =====

WebVR is a thing.  WebGL is a thing.

A-Frame makes WebVR dirt easy for web developers.

Unity is one of the best VR and Augmented Reality toolkits--and it runs on Windows.