this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2024
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I switched to a Mac a couple years ago but I'll always at least keep a Linux VM and a separate Linux laptop just in case.
As for why, generally speaking, Apple puts a lot of really, really good work into making a machine that feels immediately productive with little fiddling around, they're ahead of the pack in some ways, and for advanced stuff it's "good enough".
My reasons:
Device restoration - Restoring a Mac is just impressive for how little effort it requires. If someone stole my laptop, I can drive 15 mins to an Apple Store, buy a new laptop, point it at my NAS, and be back running in an hour or less to exactly where I left off. Similarly, If I buy a brand new laptop, copying data from the old one to the new one is incredibly boring -- in all of the right ways. All apps/info/config/etc gets moved over. No weird quirks or workarounds or anything needed.
M-series laptops - At the time, there were no other good options for ARM CPU laptops, especially ones that can be spec'd to 64GB of RAM. The M CPU laptops are crazy fast and efficient. I can literally use my laptop for 9-10 hours in a day going full-hardcore, and still have juice to spare. Yeah I know Asahi Linux works for the most part now, but I don't have time anymore to beta-test my main box.
Adequate Unixy bits - The terminal does everything I need, the utilities are fine. I use Nix (and some Homebrew) to maintain various CLI tools.
Software - I wanted to save this for last since everyone quotes this first. I wanted to meddle with music and Ardour doesn't really scratch the itch the same way Logic Pro does. Another example: as bad as the Mac version of Microsoft Office is, it's still far more nicer feeling than LibreOffice and requires much less work to get a good looking presentation/etc. out the door on a time crunch.
Breath of fresh air comment here on Lemmy.
It really is, after reading whole threads about people shitting on Apple products for no good reason. Not criticism, but name calling etc
I don't like Apple because of the close ecosystem and they choose what they believe its best for you. I like to own my devices , and install whatever I want do whatever I want on them.
Fair enough. I like their ecosystem, even if it’s closed. It just works and that’s all I need. I still don’t understand what you mean by „I like to own my devices”. You bought the phone right?
Oh no I mean phones are so difficult to modify and install another OS. I used to own a Oneplus 3 and I was changing the ROM almost every week , I was so excited to have a different feeling for my phone every time I install a new ROM and even if I brick my phone it was my fault and I wouldn't complain. I like to change the ram , change the hard drive , change the OS my hardware. I don't like being stuck on the same ecosystem and having to relied on a company.
Found a distrohopper haha Kidding, good for you! Personally, I need at least one thing I don’t tinker with, it’s enough I’m on Linux (arch btw lmao)
I am a distrohopper and I don't like companies telling me what I can or can't do with the devices I bought. Lol I don't use arch just Fedora for now but I have the freedom to change to whatever if I had a Mac what else do I have? Asahi Linux?
Give me a rundown on your setup and what you do.
Apple products are generally fine, its their ethos that sucks. Closed, expensive, proprietary.
Its far too limiting IMO. Open MacOS and it would be quite a compelling option
Theyre expensive as any other flagships tho
The hardware is rarely ever comparable. You show me a like for like hardware comparison, and Mac will always be more expensive with fewer upgrade paths.
Alternatively, you can look at a price for price comparison and get some absolutely hilarious discrepancies. For instance, at the price of a full specs Mac pro, you can build a top end pc running dual 4090s. With some cash to spare.
Well yeah, it’s probably more expensive, but hardware is not all you’re paying for though
Which also goes to my oldness argument. Their software is locked, proprietary, and too ingrained Intl the System.
What specifically do you mean when you say “Open MacOS”? Open to what? You can already install anything you want on it. It’s unix based, so your terminal works mostly the same as in Linux. You’ve even got a package manager (homebrew), so you won’t miss apt or whatever else you use. iOS is another discussion, but imho, OSX is “open” enough.
Alterable Desktop Environments, alternative stores, removing integrated packages such as the app store, installable on non Apple hardware, whether arm or x86.
Open air drop as a standard would help too
IMO even windows is too closed for my taste.
We definitely have a long way to go in Linux land lol.
Yeah :/
I almost wonder how far (as an example) System76 or someone could get by mirroring Apple’s approach: build a range of devices and focus aggressively on gluing them together without a care in the world for anything else.
I know Samsung tries for their devices with Windows, but their software always felt like there’s an internal competition for who can add the most number of controls to each UI and it comes across as very clunky.
I'm not really sure the demographic that cares enough to find an alternative to Windows or Mac is the same demographic that would be ok in a walled garden.
My understanding is that one of the selling points for products by System76 and other similar brands is the modularity and ability to upgrade the hardware.
It doesn’t have to be a walled garden, it could just be a system where they only do first-party development of products they product and leave it to the community to expand to others.
I would honestly love to see that even if it used a de like gnome (I'm a kde guy myself) because it could show what Linux is truly capable of.
Superb write-up, well done! Echoes my experience completely.
Regarding point 2, this was why deadmau5 used Mac for a long time during his live gigs. He likes the predictability of a Mac, it makes it easy for him to get back going if something goes wrong.
He's had to stop using it for the Cube stuff though, since it requires a lot of Windows software.
This is my experience as well. I would add: if you like to tinker and have time to spare, use Linux. If you want a Unix and have more money than time, buy a Mac.
There are good paid alternatives for music. The question was about Linux, not FOSS. Comparing to Ardour is unfair
Because in yanks number out of ass 87.74% of threads of “why use X? Linux has Y, it’ll do everything you want”
Ardour/LO/etc are great for what they are and have their uses, but there are some apps that just aren’t available on Linux and the claimed alternatives really don’t work.
This is going to sound weird, but what WiFi system do you use?
I currently use an ASUS mesh system and it’s utter trash with Apple devices.
I’m using a EnGenius EWS377AP and don’t have any complaints.
I had Ubiquiti gear but had some quirks and still wanted something a bit advanced. I don’t know how well meshing works though.
Ooh. Sweet! Thank you!
They’re on the research list.
I almost bought into the Ubiquity ecosystem when I looked last time, but folks complained that the company seemed to be shifting focus a bit, and the first glimmers of them requiring user accounts started to appear. I wound up deferring until it unexpectedly became an emergency issue with a rushed replacement from a big box store.