Leo, What's your primary OS now?

Leo,

I was just curious as to what your current primary OS is now? Are you still using MacOS and iOS as your daily driver? I was just curious because I’ve heard you talking about using the Framework laptop with the GNOME edition of Manjaro. So I was interested to know what you are primarily using and why? :slight_smile: I’ve always thought you were an Apple guy primarily.

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I strongly prefer Linux these days (primarily Manjaro).

I’ve been increasingly dissatisfied with Microsoft and Apple. Linux suits me perfectly because I control every aspect of how it works. I understand that most people don’t want to spend time configuring their OS, but it’s the only way I can get what I want without the intrusive oversight of the big companies.

Of course I have to use MacOS and Windows, and I do. I’ll probably buy a Mac mini to use at home with my big OLED display (it’s currently attached to an Alienware tower running Linux and Windows 11 in dual boot). I’m giving Lisa my M1 Macbook Pro since I use the Framework running Linux as my primary laptop.

In the big studio Manjaro is running on the Lenovo AIO in front of me. In my office I have a System 76 laptop and an iMac.

I’ve always been strongly disposed towards non-proprietary software (i.e. open source). The great news is that it’s now better in every respect than the proprietary crap being foisted on us.

Unfortunately, as today’s Apple event demonstrated, Apple is making the best SOCs in the business. I wish I could run Linux on them, but at least MacOS has BSD under the hood. If they don’t continue to lock it down it will be my strong second choice.

I’ve ordered the base model of the 14" MacBook Pro so we can review it ASAP (10/26 arrival) and a maxed out 16" model which won’t arrive until 11/5. I’m really looking forward to testing the performance on these two.

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Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question Leo! I too, have become dissatisfied with the direction things have been going in regards to privacy. I’ve been an Apple user since 2006 when they made the switch to Intel chips, but I’ve used Linux on secondary machines. Lately I’ve been considering switching to Linux completely, but as you said Apple now has the best hardware around. I just can’t seem to leave. Also if I’m going to continue to use an iPhone, then I might as well continue to use MacOS too. I looked at GrapheneOS as an alternative, but I feel like I would be sacrificing many apps and features in the process.

One other thing that I’ve really become dissatisfied with is the monthly subscription service model for apps. First let me say that I think any GREAT service or app is worth supporting (I’m a member of Club TWiT), but I feel that monthly subscription models don’t make sense for so many apps. For example, Deliveries; a package tracking app, used to cost a couple of bucks, now charges you a couple of bucks per month just to check the status of your packages. I know that there are many free open source alternatives for every application that I have on iOS in the F-Droid Store, but I can’t seem to bring myself to leave the Apple ecosystem currently.

What are you using as your primary phone these days Leo? If it’s Android, are you running a custom ROM?

I’ve dumped Windows, again, recently.

I came up through the mini and mainframe days and was always fascinated by Linux, but we had Macs and later Windows PCs at work, as well as terminals.

(At one point, I had a VT100, a Burroughs terminal, a DEC Rainbow, an IBM PC, an HP 125, an HP 150 (with touch screen) and a Mac Plus on my desk, as I was supporting a range of different applications on each of those platforms and the VAX cluster in the data centre).

I switched to Linux as my main desktop in 2003 and stuck with it until 2007, when I bought an iMac - with the lecturer savings on the iMac, it cost me about as much as a PC + 24" display, but the prices of 24" displays and PCs dropped drastically after that and the Macs just went up in price; and I no longer qualified for a lecturer discount. I was then working for a web design agency and that was all Windows, so I moved back to Windows at home as well and I’ve had a series of jobs since then, where the main platform at work was Windows, but I’ve had enough of Microsoft’s shenanigans with Windows 11 and their, currently, dreadful situation with patching. So I am back on Linux (I went with openSUSE, as I have long been a SUSE user and the Manjaro installer wouldn’t boot on my Ryzen 1700).

Due to currently skyrocketing electricity prices (over 40% increase in the last 3 months), I am seriously considering buying a Mac mini to save electricity, without losing too much raw performance.

Out of interest, what do you use for photo management and photo editing on Manjaro? (Or do you still do that on the Mac?) I was using Capture One + Serif Affinity Photo on Windows and haven’t found anything to match that on Linux. I am trying to get used to Darktable at the moment, for management. But I’d probably go back to Affinity Photo on the Mac, not sure what I’d use for management, I’d have to look at Photos. I used to use Apeture, but they canned that just before I dumped my iMac (Apple stopped supporting it after only a few years).

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iPhone 12 Pro Max and I just bought a Pixel 6 Pro. I also have a Samsung Flip 3. At the moment the iPhone is my daily driver, but the Pixel may well take over.

And thanks for joining Club TWiT! I appreciate the support!!

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