this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
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I have multiple machines for different use cases, so I switch between Windows, MacOS, and different Linux flavors constantly. They all have their benefits and drawbacks.
People like to push Linux gaming, but 90% game support still can't beat 100% support. Meanwhile, I wouldn't let Windows ever even touch a server machine. You can trust software like Ubuntu Server or Amazon Linux to be stable if you're not touching it, while Windows likes to keep you on your toes...
MacOS is a good middle ground but not one I would personally use outside of a work machine. It's fairly stable, and it has a Unix style base so it can run Shell happily. Meanwhile software is seemingly a horrible mixed bag that has only been exasperated with the Arm jump. For a computer noob however, it's great. If you don't mind staying in Apple's little zoo then you're not going to have issues.
I don't know why I went on this ramble.
I fail to see how it's a "middle ground" between the drawbacks you mentioned before.
When it comes to gaming, Mac OS is the absolute bottom of the barrel, compatibility is utterly atrocious. With Apple's insistence not to allow Vulkan drivers, they pulled the rug out of any leaps Mac OS could have made in that regard (like Linux did).
Apple also pulled the plug on any server capabilities Mac OS once had.
So, when it comes to gaming or server use, Mac OS would be my absolute last choice, not a middle ground.
Software choice is limited, but software quality is generally high and for some professions, the choice is flawless: when it comes to content creation, Apple's ecosystem is hard to beat.
'Middle ground for the layman' might have been better wording.
For my work specifically, native Shell support is a big plus over Windows.
Did they give any reason for that (no Vulcan) decision?
They're pushing their proprietary "Metal" API, which is iOS and MacOS compatible. Just Apple being Apple.
I haven't had this experience - The rosetta emulation is so good I honestly couldn't tell you whether much of anything is Apple Silicon native or running in emulation mode.
Might be specific to my ops job then, as I seem to keep running into software that goes 'lol the fuck are you doing'. Most of my Mac experience is post-Arm jump so maybe they're mostly general MacOS issues.
That's fair. I would also agree with your "If you don’t mind staying in Apple’s little zoo then you’re not going to have issues." sentiment. It used to be better in the Apple ecosystem where there were many ways to skin the cat, but it seems like if something gets "sherlocked" by Apple, most people seem to be fine with keeping the Apple thing and not straying too far afield.
Why Ubuntu? Just use Debian.
Just what came to mind first.
You don't get 100% support on Windows. “it works on my machine, format and reinstall Windows” is 99% of the support you will get on Windows. I can play dozens of retro games on Linux today that no longer work on Windows and never will ever again. And that's not even counting the myriad of game breaking bug reports that are reduced to “yeah, we don't care” that never get fixed.