I'm writing this comment on a new MacBook Pro which I purchased in order to write Xamarin mobile applications (including iOS, hence the Mac). In the case of iO

I'm writing this comment on a new MacBook Pro which I purchased in order to write Xamarin mobile applications (including iOS, hence the Mac). In the case of iOS apps you have to have a Mac and Xcode installed and up to date. As for the rest of the existential "why do you use that" the answer is mostly "because they are the best tools given the job requirement" and I take the jobs because they pay well and are fun. Perhaps a better question is: why are you drawn to the area of programming that you are? For me, the idea that my apps are used on PERSONAL devices and are HELD AND TOUCHED by the end users is a powerful thing. Line of business web apps have the antiseptic separation between the screen and the user: you need a mouse to proxy your physical gestures to the computer. Mobile apps have a sense of being with you at all times as opposed to something on a desk. In a world of decreasing personal interaction, creating mobile apps seems like a very high-touch and personal way to affect people.