Microsoft Visual Studio is coming to Mac, kinda
Even if you're using a Mac, Microsoft still wants to help developers build apps.
Microsoft has a problem: Many developers use Macs, and Mac developers aren't as likely to code for Microsoft platforms if they don't have tools built for their operating system.
That may be why Microsoft announced Monday that a full, native version of its Visual Studio IDE (Integrated Development Environment; a place to code, debug and test) is coming to the Mac.
According to an official Microsoft blog post (since pulled from the web), it'll launch in preview at Microsoft's Connect developer event later this week, and will "look and feel like a native citizen of MacOS."
There's one catch: it's not exactly a built-from-the-ground up version of Visual Studio, but rather (as long-time tech journalist Tim Anderson points out) a rebranding of Xamarin. Microsoft bought Xamarin in February 2016. Perhaps that distinction is why Microsoft pulled the blog post. Microsoft declined to comment.
It's also not technically the first chunk of Visual Studio to make its way to Mac. That would be Visual Studio Code, which went open-source last year.