This question is for experienced Unix/Linux developers.
If you have found that you like Mac OS X better than *nix as a development platform, why is that?
I know that hardware configuration is more convenient and graphics are generally more polished, but I’m not referring to those things. I’m asking specifically about functionality related to software development.
Also, do the benefits still apply if you are mainly targeting Windows or Unix/Linux?
For most purposes, OS X is Unix. Aside from Xcode (which I personally don’t care for), there isn’t really anything there to make it better or worse than any other Unix-like system for development.
Most of the typical tools, libraries, languages, and interfaces are there, you’ll even be using GCC for C/C++ work. As long as you’re not developing against Apple/OS X-specific interfaces like Cocoa, you are developing on Unix.
I use OS X because it just works, thus not interfering with my development, not because it has magical fairy dust that makes it better than any other Unix for development.