1) Both vim and Emacs are really really good at basic text manipulation. This means for navigating files and entering/changing text, they're really quick (and don't require a mouse). Most other editors and IDEs are really bad at this.
2) They're amazingly customizable, which means whatever you want your editor to do, they can do.
3) People love messing around with them. I've been there, and I can tell you it's really fun. Finding all the amazing little things Emacs/vim know how to do, finding that extra few lines of code to make that make them do some neat trick, it's all very fun for people who love tinkering with their tools.
Disclaimer: I am not an active Emacs/vim user. But I have used both for long periods, and I respect the amazing things they can do and teach.
1) Both vim and Emacs are really really good at basic text manipulation. This means for navigating files and entering/changing text, they're really quick (and don't require a mouse). Most other editors and IDEs are really bad at this.
2) They're amazingly customizable, which means whatever you want your editor to do, they can do.
3) People love messing around with them. I've been there, and I can tell you it's really fun. Finding all the amazing little things Emacs/vim know how to do, finding that extra few lines of code to make that make them do some neat trick, it's all very fun for people who love tinkering with their tools.
Disclaimer: I am not an active Emacs/vim user. But I have used both for long periods, and I respect the amazing things they can do and teach.