But most coders online seem to hate windows, and suggest using ubuntu.
So, should I use ubuntu or Windows for coding?
For ref, I am doing Php work for a living under Windows and learning Golang in my spare time. Work machine at home under Ubuntu and the one at the office running Windows 7.
Be pragmatic about your need. ;)
I suggest you try out a couple of linux based development environments, download all the IDEs and compilers you can find, try them out and see what you like.
For example, I use windows for java and android programming. But I prefer Ubuntu for C/C++, because I think of them as system programming languages and prefer the command line heavy, lightweight IDEs - like CodeBlocks and Geany - prevalent in linux distributions. I like simple lightweight IDEs compared to something like VS.
I also prefer Ubuntu for python, mainly because of Anaconda, though I like WinPython too.
Creating a custom vagrant box is key since you get to put whatever you want on it and not have to rely on someone else's Vagrant base box. Then you can create VM's for different purposes like trying out a new framework or language or upgrades. You also can match it exactly to whatever VPS image you would use for production.
If you don't like it you can always go back but I really doubt you will.
Seriously though a Mac is obviously the best way to go. That or you could justfind an IDE you like and don't worry about the OS. Learning your way around a new operating system is probably overkill if you just want to dabble in a new language as long as your current system supports it well.
I suggest you try both ( dual boot ) and figure it out yourself.
If you enjoy windows for your day to day business, then just code inside of a linux virtual box.
I have many other reasons not to recommend Ubuntu, but that's not one of them.
I'm asking this question because this is the first time I'm reading about Ubuntu in a bad light. And all I can gather from the websites I've seen is that it tracks the user's search history and sends it to Canonical.