--- a/ide/launcher/netbeans.conf	Thu Jan 19 13:54:28 2012 +0100
+++ a/ide/launcher/netbeans.conf	Thu Jan 19 16:25:34 2012 +0100
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@ 
-# ${HOME} will be replaced by JVM user.home system property
-netbeans_default_userdir="${HOME}/.netbeans/dev"
+# On Windows ${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT} will be replaced by the launcher
+# with a path to "<AppData>/NetBeans" folder where <AppData> is user's
+# value of AppData key in Windows Registry under
+#   Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
+# ${DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT} will be replaced by the launcher
+# with a path to "<Local AppData>/NetBeans" folder where <Local AppData>
+# is user's value of Local AppData key in Windows Registry under
+#   Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
+#
+# On Mac ${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT} will be replaced by the launcher
+# with a path to ~/Library/Application Support/NetBeans
+# ${DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT} with a path to ~/Library/Caches/NetBeans
+#
+# On other systems ${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT} will be replaced with
+# a path to ~/.netbeans folder in user's home and
+# ${DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT} with a path to ~/.cache/netbeans folder.
+#
+# NOTE: If an user specify non-default userdir so cachedir
+# will be mapped to ${userdir}/var/cache.
+#
+netbeans_default_userdir="${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT}/dev"
+netbeans_default_cachedir="${DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT}/dev"
 
 # Options used by NetBeans launcher by default, can be overridden by explicit
 # command line switches:
--- a/ide/launcher/unix/netbeans	Thu Jan 19 13:54:28 2012 +0100
+++ a/ide/launcher/unix/netbeans	Thu Jan 19 16:25:34 2012 +0100
@@ -59,6 +59,20 @@ 
 
 progdir=`dirname "$PRG"`
 
+case "`uname`" in
+    Darwin*)
+        # set default userdir and cachedir on MacOS
+        DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT=${HOME}/Library/Application Support/NetBeans
+        DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT=${HOME}/Library/Caches/NetBeans
+        ;;
+    *) 
+        # set default userdir and cachedir on unix systems
+        DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT=${HOME}/.netbeans
+        DEFAULT_CACHEDIR_ROOT=${HOME}/.cache/netbeans
+        ;;
+esac
+
+
 if [ -f "$progdir"/../etc/netbeans.conf ] ; then
     . "$progdir"/../etc/netbeans.conf
 fi
@@ -68,9 +82,12 @@ 
 #     . /etc/netbeans.conf
 # fi
 
+export DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT
 
 # #68373: look for userdir, but do not modify "$@"
 userdir="${netbeans_default_userdir}"
+cachedir="${netbeans_default_cachedir}"
+
 founduserdir=""
 for opt in "$@"; do
     if [ "${founduserdir}" = "yes" ]; then
@@ -80,6 +97,15 @@ 
         founduserdir="yes"
     fi
 done
+foundcachedir=""
+for opt in "$@"; do
+    if [ "${foundcachedir}" = "yes" ]; then
+        cachedir="$opt"
+        break
+    elif [ "$opt" = "--cachedir" ]; then
+        foundcachedir="yes"
+    fi
+done
 
 if [ -f "${userdir}"/etc/netbeans.conf ] ; then
     . "${userdir}"/etc/netbeans.conf
@@ -178,7 +204,11 @@ 
     if [ "${founduserdir}" = "yes" ]; then
         exec $sh "$nbexec" "$@"
     else
-        exec $sh "$nbexec" --userdir "${userdir}" "$@"
+        if [ "${foundcachedir}" = "yes" ]; then
+            exec $sh "$nbexec" --userdir "${userdir}" "$@"
+        else
+            exec $sh "$nbexec" --userdir "${userdir}" --cachedir "${cachedir}" "$@"
+        fi
     fi
 }
 
--- a/o.n.bootstrap/launcher/unix/nbexec	Thu Jan 19 13:54:28 2012 +0100
+++ a/o.n.bootstrap/launcher/unix/nbexec	Thu Jan 19 16:25:34 2012 +0100
@@ -480,6 +480,11 @@ 
 	jargs="-Dnetbeans.system_socks_proxy=\"$socks_proxy_tmp\" $jargs"
 fi
 
+if [ ! -z "${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT}" ] ; then
+	jargs="-Dnetbeans.default_userdir_root=\"${DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT}\" $jargs"
+        unset DEFAULT_USERDIR_ROOT
+fi
+
 # http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/docs/guide/2d/flags.html#pixmaps
 J2D_PIXMAPS=shared
 export J2D_PIXMAPS