The older I get, the more I value time. Not just in theory, but in how I spend it. When I realized how much time I was losing to Linux system administration across four machines used for web design and programming, I made a decision: I bought a Mac and moved all of my work to macOS.
I wasn’t new to Apple. In 2009, I had an iMac. By 2010, I was an iOS developer. By 2012, I had nine apps on iTunes and Google Play. That stretch, fueled by tools like Pixelmator Pro, was the most productive period of my life. Eventually, the iMac aged, but I kept it around because it held all my source files. Without it, I couldn’t open them. Years went by, and only then did I transition to Linux, which served me well for a time.
Linux served me well. For web design, PHP, WordPress plugin development, it was solid. I invested in Linux-compatible hardware: 1440p monitors, Dell PCs. But in late 2024, Dell released BIOS updates that broke everything. My Inspiron 5680, flawless since 2018, stopped waking from suspend with more than one CPU thread. I tried other distros. Same issue. Windows 11 Home had no problem, but I didn’t want to switch to Windows. So I sold the machine.
Linux no longer met my needs. I explored Mac Mini options and chose a Mac Studio M4 Max base model. It took three months to migrate my workflow. Apple let me reinstall Pixelmator Pro, same license from years ago. That was a full-circle moment.
I kept one Dell PC, a Precision 3440. It doesn’t run Linux like it used to, but GhostBSD runs flawlessly. I moved much of my web design and programming back to GhostBSD and removed Homebrew from the Mac to keep it lean. Now, the Mac Studio is dedicated to LM Studio, where I run 20GB LLMs locally, especially useful during ISP outages.
Six months in, system administration time has dropped from hours per week to minutes. The Mac just works. Today, I’m Linux-free. Even my Zephyrus laptop, once running CachyOS, now runs Windows 11 Pro. And as long as it stays stable, it’ll stay that way.
Time is valuable. If you find yourself constantly troubleshooting, take a step back. Ask if there’s a better way. For me, there was. My setup, Mac Studio, GhostBSD on a Dell, and Windows 11 on the Zephyrus, covers every need. No software I can’t run. No task I can’t tackle.
My only regret? Not switching sooner.
Will I ever give Linux another chance? Not in the near future. Maybe if it reaches 20% desktop share. Until then, I’m good.