The only few reason I know so far is software availability, like adobe software, and Microsoft suite. Is there more of major reasons that I missed?

  • cosmic_slate@dmv.socialEnglish
    637·
    10 months ago

    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:

    1. Cross-device integration (at least with Apple) - I already use an iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV. The integration between iOS and macOS is just really, really good. Android+Linux just doesn’t come anywhere close. And that’s even if you put in the hours it’d take to set a bunch of disparate apps up to try to replicate it. Anyone telling you otherwise is completely full of bullshit or is showing that they actually haven’t used Apple devices.
    • Using my iPad as a secondary display takes literally 2 clicks.
    • Setting my Apple Watch to unlock my laptop takes literally 4 clicks.
    • Casting my screen or even just sound takes 2 clicks.
    • Handoff is just magic. If you recently used something on your phone and have the matching app on your Mac, you get a shortcut in your Dock to load whatever you had on your phone on your computer to pick up where you left off. If I am in a Signal chat, I can instantly open the chat I was viewing on my phone. Same for browsing websites, text messages, and a bunch of things.
    • Airdrop between devices “just works”.
    • If I connect to a wifi access point from my phone, my laptop will prompt me to automagically copy the password over (i think) bluetooth. Or if I’m at a friend’s house and they use an iPhone, they’ll get a prompt to share their wifi network password with me.

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

    3. Adequate Unixy bits - The terminal does everything I need, the utilities are fine. I use Nix (and some Homebrew) to maintain various CLI tools.

    4. 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.

      • cosmic_slate@dmv.socialEnglish
        6·
        10 months ago

        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.

        • prole@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          10 months ago

          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.

          • cosmic_slate@dmv.socialEnglish
            1·
            9 months ago

            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.

        • Krafty Kactus@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          2·
          10 months ago

          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.

    • WhiteHotaru@feddit.de
      2·
      9 months ago

      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.

    • Flaky@iusearchlinux.fyiEnglish
      2·
      10 months ago

      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.

    • rishado@lemmy.world
      21·
      10 months ago

      There are good paid alternatives for music. The question was about Linux, not FOSS. Comparing to Ardour is unfair

      • cosmic_slate@dmv.socialEnglish
        4·
        10 months ago

        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.

    • Monument@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      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.

      • cosmic_slate@dmv.socialEnglish
        2·
        10 months ago

        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.

        • Monument@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          1·
          10 months ago

          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.