# QOTD: Eclipse is the PC of IDEs when IntelliJ IDEA is the Mac

> Unpack the developer analogy: Eclipse is the PC of IDEs and IntelliJ IDEA is the Mac, focusing on setup vs. seamless productivity.

Author: [Guillaume Laforge](https://glaforge.dev/) | Published: 2007-06-22 | Topics: groovy | Canonical: https://glaforge.dev/posts/2007/06/22/qotd-eclipse-is-the-pc-of-ides-when-intellij-idea-is-the-mac/


Funny [quote on the Groovy user mailing-list](http://www.nabble.com/Status-of-the-eclipse-plug-in--tf3962848.html#a11256927), when someone was complaining that [IntelliJ IDEA](http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/) wasn't Open-Source:

> I want a platform that "just works" i don't care what it looks like underneath. It is why I have a Mac with Mac OS X and why I use [IntelliJ IDEA](http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/). Eclipse is the PC of IDEs. When you're younger and have the time and energy to spend hours settings things up, dealing with driver problems (read plugins), install things over and over and deal with the incomptabilities between different drivers (read plugins) you're ok with a PC (read Eclipse)  
>   
> When you get passed this phase and just want to get things done on a platform that doesn't get in the way and becomes invasive then you choose a platform that does this for you like the Mac (read IntelliJ). It just works out the box and everythig is nicely integrated, including the [Groovy plugin](http://groovy.codehaus.org/IntelliJ+IDEA+Plugin+(JetBrains+Edition)) ;-)