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0 pointsutilize18081mo ago0 comments

How many developers are using VSCode? How does that number compare with Emacs/Vim?

In many ways, GUI was developed as the natural evolution of TUI. X server, with its client-server architecture, is meant to allow you to interact with remote sessions via "casted" GUI rather than a terminal.

Countless engineers spent many man-hours to develop theories and frameworks for creating GUI for a reason.

TUI just got the nostalgia "coolness".

0 comments

coldtea1mo ago

>How many developers are using VSCode? How does that number compare with Emacs/Vim?

How many people eat microwave meals? How many eat gourmet Michelin star dishes?

I don't care "how many use VSCode". My argument Emacs/Vim have great, well loved TUIs. And they are used by a huge number of the most respected coders in the industry. Whether a million React jockeys use VSCode doesn't negate this.

>Countless engineers spent many man-hours to develop theories and frameworks for creating GUI for a reason.

Yes, it sells to the masses. Countless food industry scientists aspend many man-hours to develop detrimental ultra-processed crap for a reason too.

9dev1mo ago

The analogy mostly makes a point for snobbishness, but otherwise doesn’t really work. Most people would rather eat meals prepped by a Michelin star cook, but they can only afford microwave meals - whereas EMacs/Vim and VSCode are equally accessible to anyone.

coldtea1mo ago

>Most people would rather eat meals prepped by a Michelin star cook,

You'd be surprised. Most people can't eat anything adventurous or out of the junk-food category with some comfort food staples thrown in.

brabel1mo ago

I love emacs but would never compare that with a Michelin meal! On the contrary, emacs is the DIY option that lets you experiment with whatever ingredients you please without judging your choices!

1 more reply

troupo1mo ago

> My argument Emacs/Vim have great, well loved TUIs.

They... are not great. They provide the absolute bare minimum of an UI.

An UI, even a terminal one, is more than a couple of boxes with text in them. Unfortunately, actual great TUIs more or less died in the 1990s. You can google Turbo Vision for examples.

Pay081mo ago

The vast majority of people don't use the Emacs TUI and it is explicitly recommended to use the GUI.

jazzyb1mo ago

> How many developers are using VSCode? How does that number compare with Emacs/Vim?

Perhaps I'm in some sort of "TUI bubble", but I'd bet good money that Emacs/Vim users outnumber VSCode users by an order of magnitude. But maybe I'm just surrounded by *nix devs.

chrisweekly1mo ago

I'll take that bet

9dev1mo ago

No need to guess, the SO survey is probably still representative of the state of development environments:

https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/technology#1-dev-id-es

Note that respondents may use multiple tools, but around 76% answered VSCode, whereas 24% answered Vim.

So, I’d wager you’re indeed in a *nix bubble.

einpoklum1mo ago

The SO survey was skewed to begin with, and by 2025 it covers a much reduced fraction of past users. See:

https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/437921/1593077

Not that your conclusion is necessarily wrong of course.

jazzyb1mo ago

That is so different than I expected. Thank you for the link.

coldtea1mo ago

It's more indicative of the state of SO users.

Care to bet even those 24% vim devs code circles around the VSCode ones?

1 more reply

troupo1mo ago

> but I'd bet good money that Emacs/Vim users outnumber VSCode users by an order of magnitude

No, no they don't. Enterprise and gaming alone would easily invalidate your bet.

dwb1mo ago

I agree except about the TUI coolness factor. There really is a lot that’s appealing about TUIs, I agree on that with the other commenters here. I want a better synthesis than what we have.

Brian_K_White1mo ago

Buddy, I am here to inform you that you are projecting.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

coldtea1mo ago

>How many developers are using VSCode? How does that number compare with Emacs/Vim?

How many people eat microwave meals? How many eat gourmet Michelin star dishes?

>Countless engineers spent many man-hours to develop theories and frameworks for creating GUI for a reason.

Yes, it sells to the masses. Countless food industry scientists aspend many man-hours to develop detrimental ultra-processed crap for a reason too.

9dev1mo ago

coldtea1mo ago

>Most people would rather eat meals prepped by a Michelin star cook,

You'd be surprised. Most people can't eat anything adventurous or out of the junk-food category with some comfort food staples thrown in.

brabel1mo ago

I love emacs but would never compare that with a Michelin meal! On the contrary, emacs is the DIY option that lets you experiment with whatever ingredients you please without judging your choices!

1 more reply

troupo1mo ago

> My argument Emacs/Vim have great, well loved TUIs.

They... are not great. They provide the absolute bare minimum of an UI.

An UI, even a terminal one, is more than a couple of boxes with text in them. Unfortunately, actual great TUIs more or less died in the 1990s. You can google Turbo Vision for examples.

Pay081mo ago

The vast majority of people don't use the Emacs TUI and it is explicitly recommended to use the GUI.

jazzyb1mo ago

> How many developers are using VSCode? How does that number compare with Emacs/Vim?

Perhaps I'm in some sort of "TUI bubble", but I'd bet good money that Emacs/Vim users outnumber VSCode users by an order of magnitude. But maybe I'm just surrounded by *nix devs.

chrisweekly1mo ago

I'll take that bet

9dev1mo ago

No need to guess, the SO survey is probably still representative of the state of development environments:

https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/technology#1-dev-id-es

Note that respondents may use multiple tools, but around 76% answered VSCode, whereas 24% answered Vim.

So, I’d wager you’re indeed in a *nix bubble.

einpoklum1mo ago

The SO survey was skewed to begin with, and by 2025 it covers a much reduced fraction of past users. See:

https://meta.stackoverflow.com/q/437921/1593077

Not that your conclusion is necessarily wrong of course.

jazzyb1mo ago

That is so different than I expected. Thank you for the link.

coldtea1mo ago

It's more indicative of the state of SO users.

Care to bet even those 24% vim devs code circles around the VSCode ones?

1 more reply

troupo1mo ago

> but I'd bet good money that Emacs/Vim users outnumber VSCode users by an order of magnitude

No, no they don't. Enterprise and gaming alone would easily invalidate your bet.

dwb1mo ago

I agree except about the TUI coolness factor. There really is a lot that’s appealing about TUIs, I agree on that with the other commenters here. I want a better synthesis than what we have.

Brian_K_White1mo ago

Buddy, I am here to inform you that you are projecting.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse