I switched from Linux to MacOs: My First Month Experience
Good morning everyone, Dimitri Bellini here! Welcome back to my channel, Quadrata, where we dive into the world of open source and IT. If you've been following along, you'll know I recently discussed my decision to potentially move from my trusty Linux setup to the world of Apple laptops.
Well, the temptation won. I bought it. After over 20 years deeply rooted in the Linux ecosystem, primarily using Fedora on various ThinkPads for the last decade, I took the plunge and acquired a MacBook Pro M4. It was a step I took with some apprehension, mainly driven by a quest for increased productivity and hardware that felt truly integrated and powerful, especially after my ThinkPad T14S started showing its age with battery life and overheating issues during video calls and rendering.
The Machine: Why the MacBook Pro M4?
I didn't go for the Air as initially considered. I found a fantastic deal on a MacBook Pro M4 (around €1650), which made the decision easier. Here’s what I got:
CPU/GPU: 12 cores (4 performance, 8 efficiency) + GPU cores + Neural Engine
RAM: 24GB Unified Memory (great for VMs and local AI models)
Storage: 512GB SSD (the compromise for the price – 1TB was significantly more expensive)
Display: A stunning high-resolution display with excellent brightness.
Coming from years of using used ThinkPads – which were workhorses, true Swiss Army knives – this felt like a significant hardware upgrade, especially considering the price point I managed to secure.
Hardware Impressions: The Good, The Bad, and The Workarounds
Hardware: The Good Stuff
Battery Life: This is a game-changer. I'm easily getting 10-12 hours of normal use (coding, web browsing, conferences, shell usage). Standby time is phenomenal; I barely turn it off anymore. This was simply unattainable on my previous x86 Linux laptops.
Display: Truly gorgeous. It's hard to compare with most laptops in the same price range I found this Mac in.
Touchpad: Exceptional. The haptic feedback and precision are on another level. It genuinely enhances the daily user experience.
Speakers: Finally! Decent built-in audio. I can actually listen to music with bass and clarity. This also translates to much better web call experiences – the microphone and speaker combination works so well I often don't need a headset.
Performance (CPU/GPU/Neural Engine): It handles my workload smoothly. The real surprise was running local AI models. I tested Gemma 3 (around 10GB, 12 billion parameters) and got around 23 tokens/second. This opens up possibilities for local AI experimentation without needing a dedicated GPU rig.
USB-C Flexibility: Having three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports is adequate, and the ability to charge via any of them using a Power Delivery hub (which also connects my peripherals) is incredibly convenient. One cable does it all.
Hardware: The Not-So-Good
Keyboard: This is my biggest hardware gripe. The key travel is very shallow. While better than some cheap laptops, it feels like typing on plastic compared to the ThinkPad keyboards I'm used to.
Weight: At 1.6kg, the MacBook Pro is noticeably heavier than my old T14S. Quality materials add weight, I suppose.
Non-Upgradeable Storage: 512GB isn't huge, and knowing I can't upgrade it later means careful storage management is essential. You *must* choose your storage size wisely at purchase.
Hardware Workarounds
To address the storage limitation for non-critical files, I found a neat gadget: the BaseQi MicroSD Card Adapter. It sits flush in the SD card slot, allowing me to add a high-capacity MicroSD card (I used a SanDisk Extreme Pro) for documents and media. It's not fast enough for active work or applications due to latency, but perfect for expanding storage for less performance-sensitive data. I sync these documents to the cloud as a backup.
For the keyboard, since I mostly work docked, I bought an external mechanical keyboard: the Epomaker EK68 (or possibly a similar model like the AJAZZ K820 Pro mentioned). It's a 75% layout keyboard with great tactile feedback that I got for around €50 – a worthwhile investment for comfortable typing.
Diving into macOS: A Linux User's Perspective
Okay, let's talk software. Coming from the freedom and structure of Linux, macOS feels... different. Sometimes simple, sometimes restrictive.
The Frustrations
No Native Package Manager: This was jarring. Hunting for software online, downloading DMG files – it felt archaic compared to `apt` or `dnf`. The App Store exists, but often has weird pricing discrepancies compared to direct downloads, and doesn't have everything.
The Dock: I used to admire it from afar on Linux. Now that I have it? I find it mostly useless. It takes up space and doesn't offer the workflow benefits I expected.
Finder (File Manager): Oh, Finder. It feels incredibly basic. Simple tasks like moving files often default to copy-paste. Customizing it to show path bars or folder info requires digging into options. Searching defaults to the entire Mac instead of the current folder, which is maddening. It feels permeated throughout the OS and hard to escape.
Application Closing: Clicking the 'X' often just minimizes the app instead of closing it. You need to explicitly Quit (Cmd+Q) or Force Quit. It's a different paradigm I'm still adjusting to.
Monotasking Feel: The OS seems optimized for focusing on one application at a time. While this might benefit single-app workflows (video editing, music production), it feels less efficient for my typical multi-tasking sysadmin/developer style. The strong single-core performance seems to reflect this philosophy.
System Settings/Control Center: There are *so many* options, and finding the specific setting you need can feel like a maze.
The Silver Linings & Essential Tools
It's not all bad, of course. The UI, while sometimes frustrating, is generally coherent. And thankfully, the community has provided solutions:
Homebrew: This is **ESSENTIAL**. It brings a proper package manager experience to macOS (`brew install`). It makes installing and updating software (especially open-source tools) sane. Install this first!
iTerm2: A vastly superior terminal emulator compared to the default Terminal. Highly customizable and brings back a familiar Linux-like terminal experience.
Oh My Zsh (or Oh My Bash): Customizes the shell environment for a better look, feel, and useful shortcuts/plugins. Works great with iTerm2.
Forklift: A paid, dual-pane file manager. It's my current replacement for Finder, offering features like tabs, sync capabilities (Google Drive, etc.), and a more productive interface. Still evaluating, but much better than Finder for my needs.
Zed: A fast, modern code and text editor. It starts quickly and handles my text editing needs well.
LibreOffice: My go-to office suite. Works perfectly via Homebrew (`brew install libreoffice`).
Inkscape & GIMP: Open-source staples for vector and raster graphics. Both easily installable via Homebrew (`brew install inkscape gimp`) and cover my needs perfectly.
Latest: A handy utility (installable via Brew) that scans your applications (even those not installed via Brew or the App Store) and notifies you of available updates. Helps manage the entropy of different installation methods.
WireGuard & Tunnelblick: Essential VPN clients. WireGuard has an official client, and Tunnelblick is my preferred choice for OpenVPN connections on macOS.
Key System Setting Tweaks
After watching countless videos, here are a few settings I changed immediately:
Window Tiling (Sequoia+): Enabled tiling but *removed the margins* between windows to maximize screen real estate.
Touchpad: Enabled "Secondary Click" (two-finger tap) for right-click functionality.
Dock: Enabled "Show battery percentage". Set the Dock to "Automatically hide and show". Removed unused default app icons and recent application suggestions to minimize clutter.
The Verdict After One Month
So, am I happy? It's complicated.
The hardware is undeniably premium. The performance, display, battery life, and touchpad are fantastic. For the price I paid, it feels like great value in that regard.
However, productivity isn't magically perfect. macOS has its own quirks, bugs, and limitations. Using third-party (especially open-source) applications doesn't always feel as seamless as on Linux. The "it just works" mantra isn't universally true.
The software experience requires adaptation and, frankly, installing several third-party tools to replicate the workflow I was comfortable with on Linux. Homebrew is the saving grace here.
Overall, it's a high-quality machine with some frustrating software paradigms for a long-time Linux user. The experience is *coherent*, which is better than the sometimes fragmented feel of Windows, but coherence doesn't always mean *better* for my specific needs.
Will I stick with it? Time will tell. Maybe in another month, I'll be fully converted. Or maybe I'll be cheering even louder for the Asahi Linux project to bring full Linux support to the M4 chips!
What Are Your Thoughts?
This is just my experience after one month. I'm still learning! What are your tips for a Linux user transitioning to macOS? What essential apps or settings have I missed? Let me know in the comments below!
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Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
- Dimitri Bellini