Blip6338

I have a surface 8 pro too and the easiest way to set it up was to use Aurora (or bluefin if you prefer Gnome). All the drivers were preloaded and if you want to use luks with the tpm it is a breeze to setup.

https://universal-blue.org/

You can achieve the same with other distros, I've done it with Arch and Nixos too but if you don't have a solid Linux background I strongly suggest Aurora or Bluefin for an easy and solid installation.

This works very well for tech enthusiasts and people who self-host nextcloud at home.

The issue is when you are a government or university, it becomes harder to get all your users (which are probably not all tech savvy) to install a third party app store deal with the Android warnings about installing from third-parties, etc etc.

And this is probably the user base Google are targeting with this move (assuming it's malicious) . When the higher ups complain that their files are not syncing and need to install things with a special procedure they sometimes wonder why they are not using M365 or Google which seems hassle free.

The two options I know of are Headscale and Netbird.

To answer the last part of your post:

So far my experience is that the RCS-iMessage feature is working (or not) depending on the Apple user's provider. I'm on Android with a "cheap" provider in Canada and RCS-iMessage work with my iMessage contacts that are on major providers but those on cheaper providers don't work yet.

So if you are on Android and your basic RCS works you should be good.

Canadian here who used both small and big providers with pixel phones (3, 5 and 7 pro) bought directly from Google (not financed through the provider).

Not all smaller providers provide 5G but they all have LTE or LTE+. I had 5G working with my Pixel 5 without issue when I was with one of the large providers. I'm with a smaller provider now on my Pixel 7 pro and have no issue connecting to LTE(+).

But, you also mention the Pixel watch. I never used a watch with a sim card and I have to say that it is not always clear from the provider's website if they are supported or if they will provide a esim for them or not, and at what cost. This is something that looks a lot more straightforward when with Apple than Android.