Switching from Windows to Mac? Essential Tools and Tips for Front‑End Developers

I was a longtime Windows fan and front‑end developer who recently switched to a MacBook Pro, so I had to learn macOS tools and workflows.

1 Package Manager

On Windows I used Chocolatey; on macOS the equivalent is Homebrew (brew), which provides comparable functionality without issues.

2 Terminal

My favorite Windows terminal was ConEmu, which isn’t available on macOS. I switched to iTerm2, complemented by oh‑my‑zsh to display the current Git branch. iTerm2 also supports window arrangement to open tabs for git, serve, and test automatically.

3 Finder

Finder replaces Windows Explorer, but cut/paste works with cmd + c and cmd + option + v instead of ctrl + x / ctrl + v.

4 Hidden Files

Show hidden files in Finder with command + shift + .. To make them visible by default, run:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES; killall Finder;

5 Split Screen

macOS offers Split View for side‑by‑side windows. For more control, the free Rectangle app can manage window tiling.

6 Paint Alternatives

macOS lacks a native Paint app. I use Preview’s shape detection for quick annotations and the web app Sketchpad for more advanced drawing and image composition.

7 Screenshots and Screen Recording

Full‑screen capture: command + shift + 3. Partial capture: command + shift + 4. Capture to clipboard: command + shift + control + 4. Capture a window: command + shift + control + space. Screen recording: command + shift + 5 opens a toolbar to record the whole screen or a region, with a stop button to end recording. The free Shottr app offers additional screenshot features.

8 Keyboard Shortcuts

macOS replaces the Windows Ctrl key with Command and the Alt key with Option. I compiled a list of useful shortcuts for the system, text editing, Chrome, Slack, and VS Code (custom shortcuts for VS Code are also listed).

9 Final Thoughts

While I miss some Windows conveniences, macOS’s Unix base makes it comfortable for back‑end work, and for front‑end development the experience is comparable once you adapt to the new tools.

Helpful resources for the transition include Apple’s Windows‑to‑Mac tips and terminology guide.