I enjoy doing improv comedy.
I’ve been meaning to go all-in on Linux for years; The terrible mess that MacOS has become, gave me the final push; Couldn’t be happier and don’t understand many points of OP.
> The foundation of Linux desktop is weak. It’s all strings and patches hooked together with no consistent foundation
That’s literally what MacOS and Linux are; Strings and patches hooked together.
> Graphics are still an issue. Scaling and multi-monitor support is weak.
I have a tiny 11" with 2K resolution so scaling is a must for me; It was okay on LXQt with openbox (1/10 apps would not scale), and it’s even better on Wayland and Sway with fractional scaling. I have 1.25 on my Laptop, and 1.5 on my attached screen.
> Touchpad calibration (scrolling, dragging, tapping etc) is nowhere close to that of MacBook and macOS’
I do miss some of the stunts I could do on MacOS but I’m much more productive, without these stunts.
> Most commercial software doesn’t support Linux
True; That was a real problem like 15 years ago. Now everything is in the cloud, and what I need on my Laptop, usually runs better on Linux, than Mac - granted, these are dev tools.
> Most open source applications are copies of one another.
One of the things I thought I’d miss was Sketch. Wow, did I love Sketch on Mac.
Never used it again; In fact, got more productive with Wireframes and never again had the issue with sharing files (oh, you don’t have a Mac and MacOS - too bad).
> Wayland still feels like a work in progress (and it is)
So, MacOS is not a work in progress?
> Battery life is still weak on Intel based laptops
Totally agree; Most I ever got was 8 1/2 hours but am I going to switch to an inferior platform, for better battery life? No ~
> There is no solid PDF editor (as compared to PDF Expert, Adobe Acrobat) and there is no central software that can handle e-Books
Calibre? I used it to sync epubs to my cracked Kindle.
Syncs back progress and notes. It’s fu** great.
> Despite a gazillion dictionaries, there is no dictionary that we can actually use
Don’t get this point; I have a dict (en/de) in every app, and it works great.
> Flatpak? Snaps? Binaries? AppImage?
Versus what? App Store and brew? Funny.
Also you forget npm, pip, … you still need these on MacOS.
That being said, people are working on this; Nix / Guix for ex.
> No equivalent that comes close to Time Machine
In terms of what? GUI?
- Restic can do pretty much 1:1 the same
- Guix takes time machine, and applies it to the system-level; Can your Apple do that?
> Apple Silicon beats the pants off Intel/AMD
Don’t get that point; In terms of what?
- Most machines are idle 95% of the time
- At the price point, the difference is minimal and will be gone tomorrow
Your view on Linux and preference for macOS are subjective, and many of your critiques are overblown or ignore Linux’s strengths and advancements. Linux’s diversity, often seen as fragmentation, actually provides extensive customization and caters to various preferences. The FOSS model, which you criticize as “strings and patches,” actually fosters rapid innovation and development. The availability of source code in a FOSS program ensures transparency, indicating that it performs precisely as advertised. This aspect is particularly crucial for those who prioritize privacy and security. On the contrary, while macOS may give you a feeling of security, it does not guarantee privacy. (Source)
Linux has greatly improved in graphics, scaling, and multi-monitor support, with tools like Wayland evolving and desktop environments increasingly supporting high DPI displays. Linux’s touchpad support, including gestures and smooth scrolling, has significantly improved, although it may not fully match macOS yet.
The commercial software landscape for Linux is changing, with growing recognition and a rich array of open-source alternatives. The variety of open-source projects encourages innovation and offers users choices that best fit their needs. Linux also has competent PDF and eBook tools like Okular and Calibre, providing capable alternatives to macOS applications.
Wayland’s ongoing development shows promise, despite being a work in progress. Linux also offers tools like TLP to enhance battery life, and its hardware support is continuously improving. Linux provides several dictionary tools and language support, which, while not as integrated as macOS, are effective. Package management diversity in Linux, through Flatpak, Snaps, and AppImages, allows users to select what suits them best. For backups, Linux has solutions like Déjà Dup, Timeshift, and rsync, comparable to macOS’s Time Machine.
In short, the Linux desktop has evolved and improved significantly, and while it may not be the perfect fit for everyone, it’s far from the bleak picture you’ve painted.
I had a similar issue when I had nothing better to do with a Linux system often ending up back on Windows because I would spend less time customizing due to it being less customizable.
Now I work on Linux because I have things to do that Linux makes easy.
Turns out, I was just bored and liked tinkering. I had no reason to use Linux over other things, but now I do.
Yeah you left Linux, who cares.
You should ask for your refund on what you paid for all those Linux distros and the software that was bundled with them
I mean sure if you prefer macos that’s fine. But I personally could never use it - just having to wait a full second everytime I maximise a window would drive me mad.
After ten years of building my own cars with modular kits, I finally caved and bought a pre-built car from the dealership. People–you won’t believe how much LESS I have to work on my car!
That’s because you have been using DEs that are constantly trying to reinvent the wheel (I’m looking at you, Gnome). Try KDE. It’s a simple, traditional UI that you can customize to your heart’s content, but only if you wish so. I’ve been using it for the last 6 years, and I’ve never felt the need to try anything else.
I made completely the opposite switch. I used macbook for decades but since 2 years I was facing a series of endless bugs with Apple’s default apps + I was sick of the ethical direction that Apple was taking in recent years, so I switched to Fedora 39/Gnome on a brand new fully speced X13 Gen 4 AMD and everything literally worked out of the box like a charm, and I believe no way I will go back to macos. In fact, I regret spending all that time with Apple devices.
My conclusion: I don’t have so much money to buy a cheap macbook. And I will not buy it in any way possible. I was delirious about macbooks and OSX back in Leopard/Snow Leopard times, but rotting Nvidia-gate stopped and saved me from wasting that much fortune.
I am absolutely aware of Linux desktop disadvantages, but at least Ubuntu is pretty usable for daily computing at home, I mean the computer you are solely responsible for. “Workplaces” at work should only worry an admin who is responsible for the company’s infrastructure, as a user I silently log-in and do my piece of job whatever the OS is. (Sometimes I see people working with samples of legacy industrial equipment managed by DOS and 286 as realtime systems and those systems are going to work until facility is demolished and the land is sold to another owner.
Maybe just use what the professor advises or what allows you to complete your homework on time like a good little student.
I agree, gtk2 was great, I even liked how they looked on windows. gnome devs have been only quite harmful to the linux community since around gtk3.
Linux to me is good enough in the desktop, I’ve been running it for some years and I love the speed, the look, etc. I have good compatible hardware so never had a problem in that respect.
I don’t like Apple because of its arrogance.
Been there, done that. Started using Linux as my daily driver around 2010, started also with Debian - also loved the old Gnome and since GTK3 I can’t stand it 
I’ve tried, it just so much not for me almost like it was engineered to 
distro hopped a few years (mainly Debian derivatives), later Suse in my case etc etc the typical journey - only exception being lack of Arch phase (maybe I’ll come to love it like some here).
I was constantly lacking something - either it was stable, the flow was okay but I was lacking features/felt outdated/limiting OR I had new distro that was going to be “it” and… I was constantly fixing.
Around 2020 I got new PCs and this time I tried to stick to this: one to do work, one for fun/tinkering.
I’m on Debian+KDE (needless to say X not Wayland, stablest and most boring you can imagine) - and it just fucking works. I code on it, I share my screen, I write essays - I get shit done. Then on the other one there is the rollercoaster, right now Suse Tumbleweed, probably Nixos next week - here stuff is great, it just never 100% works.
MacOS is great, I have one Mac too - it’s just too boring and locked - hence it’s like my Debian setup, just worse because even more limiting.
IMO it’s not a problem in Linux desktop, it’s a problem with what I wanted (and what you want, from the read of it). You won’t have the cake and eat it - either you’re limited and it’s stable and predictable and it works OR you have the power to change everything at your fingertips - but you spend 50% of your time micro-managing the fuckups. Mac just moves you to the stable side of things.
Glad you found what works best for you. I gave MacOS a try and had issues with the lack of fractional scaling, especially when using Adobe products (menus too small to read). Maybe I was just doing something wrong in the OS? Each to their own my friend. Enjoy your Macbook.
Most open source applications are copies of one another. Instead of channeling that energy to once central piece of software, most of the community work on different things, which results in poor userland software. Examples are Hyprland, Sway, Wayfire, WayCooler, dwl, and the list goes on
They’re allowed to do that. That’s what freedom means. If I want to take any of those projects, fork it myself, and fork it ten times each day, I get to do that. And I’m fine with that. I don’t use proprietary software.
as much as I want to tell you how wrong/easily fixable every point is, most of them are a preference rather than an actual Limitation, so I’ll just address the ones that stood out to me:
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Wayland is not 100% there yet, but if your applications don’t work yet nobody forces you to use it. X is still there and will stay, maybe not forever updated on your distro/DE, but Wayland is close to being done
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Thats an Intel Issue, not Linux - my FW13 with AMD 7640U runs 10 hours of light use no issues, ~2h of heavy Load.
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thats just wrong. Currently, AMD and Apple are racing head-to-head for best Performance per Watt, Zen4 on 28W smashes M2 on 40. M3 is currently ahead, but that’ll change when new AMD Chips drop. Since Apple only compares to Intel in their marketing, being better is quite easy
Apple silicon doesn’t beat a traditional PC, it only does in energy efficiency. An Nvidia 4070 is still much better than an M3.
This as a collection of takes is a terrible take.