Being a web developer one never fails to hear about the excellent features of the Mac. Though many people love to talk about their Mac, is it really that good or it is just an elitist computer. Does Mac really offer value for money for web developers? A windows PC has many features that can help web developers become more efficient in their work. Besides most of the software for web developers are free to use.

Notepad + + code editor

This is touted as the best text editor by web development professionals. In addition to the common features that you get from a standard web editor, you can increase its applications by any of the free plug-ins that is best suited to you. Some of the features that make the notepad outstanding are:

- FTP Synchronize

This allows you to connect to a server by FTP and edit files in Notepad + +.When the file is saved it is automatically uploaded back to the server .This alleviates the problem of saving the files in an editor and then firing up a separate FTP client. The FTP synchronize also has a ‘Keep Alive’ that pings the server at regular intervals to stop the connection from being closed.

-Document compare

When you open two versions of the same document the differences between them are automatically highlighted. This is especially important in troubleshooting of code.

-Code auto-completion

Though auto completion is a fairly standard feature the Notepad + + code libraries can downloaded from the website and installed manually. It is easy to update on the language changes and creating your own library file is even simpler.

-Panel-Views

This feature allows you to view two files all at once, side by side. This is particularly applicable if you have a large monitor.

-Easy to duplicate a line

To copy a line you simply need to press Ctrl + D.

Text expander

Texter is a free application provided by lifehacker.It allows you to type a list of characters and then after pressing the tab key the characters will be rep [laced by a string of text. This is important for answering e mails. Moreover the texter lets you specify key presses.

Apache, PHP and MySQL

Installing a web server on your PC is important as it allows you to test everything easily and instantly during the course of the web development.Wampserver packs an Apache, PHP, and My SQL install all in one simple executable file and so the server will be running in a very short time.

Clipboard manager

This is a sidebar widget from vista. It displays a list of the most recent items that have been copied. This is useful when working on a document for re-arranging chunks of the page or copying properties from one object to another. Clipboard manager reduces the time of recopying the same list again and again.

-Writing your own shortcuts

Autohotkeys allows you to create your own hot keys or to modify existing ones. For instance pressing caps lock+ w closes the window.

All the above features really make windows still the dominant OS for web developers. Despite the growth of the Mac it still has a long way to go before it catches up with windows.