I Used to Recommend Linux Laptops Over Macs, Then Apple Changed the Rules

If you had told me in 2019 that I would eventually be spending my own money on a Mac, I would have laughed.

I started my software engineering career working on company-provided Intel i7 MacBooks. To put it bluntly: they felt limiting, slow, and weird. They ran hot, the butterfly keyboard was an ergonomic nightmare, and the Touchbar remains one of the worst product decisions in modern hardware history. The ports were also incredibly limited; I could only connect a single external display via one port.

Back then, I was convinced that a 13-inch Linux machine (maybe a Dell XPS) was the ultimate developer setup. I didn’t actually own one because I never needed a personal computer, but it was always sitting there on my wishlist.

The Turning Point#

Things shifted in 2022 when a new workplace handed me an M1 Pro MacBook. I had heard the hype around the M-series chips, but feeling the difference was jarring. The keyboard was finally fixed, the thermal throttling was gone, and the battery life was incredible.

Old habits die hard, though. Even after experiencing the M1 Pro, I still had that lingering desire to get a Linux. At one point, I actually tried to request a Linux machine from work, but the order fell through due to stock issues. Looking back? The IT supply chain intervening was probably for the best. My brother also told me to let it go and stick to the Mac (I did not understand why).

The Pragmatic Conversion#

Fast forward to today. I recently got upgraded to an M4 Max for work, and I cannot complain. It handles everything I throw at it without breaking a sweat.

But the real proof of my conversion happened when it was finally time to buy a personal computer. The XPS and the Linux dream weren’t even considered. I bought a Mac Mini because the price-to-performance ratio just made too much sense. A few months later, again, I grabbed an M5 MacBook Air for working on the road. I don’t think Linux machines are bad, but Mac just makes sense now.

I even find myself recommending them to people outside of tech. A few days ago, while having a chat with a friend about him getting a laptop, I immediately pointed him to the MacBook Air. “It just works, and it lasts”, was my point.

I didn’t switch sides. The tradeoffs just changed.

The One Lingering Itch#

I only have one remaining complaint with Apple: the Right to Repair. I hate the sealed-box, anti-repair approach, even though I know the rest of the industry is moving the “Apple way” to chase the same thermal efficiency.

Though I’ll admit… I still dream about owning a Framework laptop someday.