Python on a MacBook Pro (not my machine)

[John Ladasky]

Hi folks,

My side job as a Python tutor continues to grow.  In two weeks, I will start working with a high-school student who owns a MacBook Pro.  

I have had students with Linux systems (my preference) and Windows systems before, but not Macs.  On my first visit, I set up each student's computer with Python 3.x, and SciTE for editing.  I would like to do something similar for my Mac student, and I want to make sure that it goes smoothly.

My first question is whether Mac OS X ships with Python 2.x, and whether I need to be aware of any compatibility issues when I install 3.x.  (It's 2013, and my students are new to programming.  I refuse to hitch them to Python 2.)

Second: it doesn't look like I will be able to obtain SciTE for this student.  SciTE is free for Windows and Linux.  Apparently, it's $42 for Mac OSX?  If I recall, SciTE is open-source, so I suppose that I could compile the source myself.  But since it is not my computer, and I'm being paid for my time, and I haven't done much with Macs (to say nothing of building from source code), I don't think that this is appropriate.

I know, we can use IDLE.  I continue to find IDLE clumsy.  Also, there are potential issues with event handling which arise when you use IDLE.  I am working with an adult professional who is developing a Telnet application, which refuses to cooperate with IDLE/Tk.  I had similar issues myself with wxPython applications I was writing.  While these issues may not affect a beginning student, these experiences have informed my choices.

So, what other free and lightweight editing options do I have for a Mac?  I have found a few (fairly old) discussions on comp.lang.python which suggest Eric (http://eric-ide.python-projects.org/) and Editra (http://editra.org/).  Opinions on these and other choices are appreciated.

Thanks!