I Switched My Daily Driver to a Mac

After exposing myself first hand to using Mac OS on a somewhat regular basis through my Hackintosh project, I found that Mac OS had a lot to like as a daily driver and that it had a lot in common with Linux. However, being restricted by my inability to pair this Hackintosh with my iCloud, due to not having a genuine serial number, I was still locked out of Apple's ecosystem and I was unable to download apps directly from the Apple App Store (though I could still sideload apps downloaded in .dmg packages obtained through the browser). After using it for a while and becoming more familiar with it and through my strong interest in ARM based computing, which was further inspired by my Raspberry Pi and all the unique projects I undertook with that device, I kept my eye on the market for an M1 based Mac Mini that I could get to compliment my primary Gaming desktop, with the intention being to give Mac OS a proper try on a low-energy ARM based architecture. Soon after the M2 Mini got announced, a local wholesale retailer started discounting the M1, which I managed to grab for only $598! I was ecstatic to have a high performance ARM based Mac in my hands, with a CPU that almost rivals my desktop and blazing fast performance for less than what my GPU alone costed me! 

While I understood that gaming would be limited on this architecture and OS, at least compared to my desktop, I figured that most, if not all, of my daily tasks could be done using this Mac, reducing my power consumption from 600 Watts peak down to just 39 watts peak! My Ryzen CPU alone idles between 15-25 watts, the GPU idles around 18 watts, my motherboard idles at 39 watts, and that isn't even taking any of the other components into account, so at idle, I'm using at least 72-100+ watts just by having that desktop powered on! The whole M1 Mac Mini comparatively idles around 6.8 Watts! Under full load, the Mac Mini doesn't even come close to using the same amount of power as my Gaming PC at idle! In fact, the Mac consumes the same amount of power under full load as just my gaming PC's motherboard alone at idle! So I still get to use my whole desktop setup with my favourite multi monitor setup, mechanical keyboard, trackball, and other peripherals as I would on my desktop, making the M1 feel like I'm using my desktop, just running Mac OS, but the end result is that my room is on average anywhere from 4-7 degrees Celsius cooler, which really comes in handy during the hot summer months, and my power bill is at least $10-20 cheaper month over month, but when I feel like gaming, I have my whole gaming rig and all of its graphical horsepower to play with! But when I'm all done, I can just flip a few switches to change my desktop over to control the Mac and switch off my PC! Although this M1 came with the base model storage, clocking in at 256 GB of storage, I found that I could just add a 1 TB SSD over Thunderbolt and leave it plugged in permanently to make up the difference and expand my storage, leaving the internal for apps and the OS.

From the moment I first booted Mac OS Monterey (and later, Ventura), the first thing I felt was this overwhelming familiarity that I get every time I use Windows Vista or Windows 7, combined with the feeling that I get from using Linux! This Operating System, unlike the more recent versions of Windows, feels like an Operating System that is designed for the End User, with a good user experience being paramount over things like generating ad revenue, bloating the system with Social Media apps that I didn't want to have installed, collecting Telemetry in the background, which constantly consumes system resources to track my activities and send that data to be sold, further intensified with any backdoors that the major Social Media platforms are notorious for collecting without your knowledge. Linux is also like Mac OS, in that it is focused on the end user; this is one of the biggest reasons I love Linux and why almost all of my PCs are dual booted between Windows (for proprietary programs, apps, and games not available on Linux) and Linux (for a clean, unified User Experience, with Open Source apps that I love to use). However, the thing that gave me this feeling with Mac OS is that it combines that proprietary app support, enabling support for a lot of my favourite Windows applications that are not supported on Linux, while combining UI elements that remind me of Vista and 7 with their transparency, blur, sleek animations, and that gorgeous unified User Interface! But while also bringing in modern features that I simply cannot live without, such as workspace management (with one of the best workspace management solutions I've seen implemented anywhere, called Mission Control), Spotlight Search, Siri (M$ removed Cortana, which I actually did use and enjoy), and a gorgeous LaunchPad that reminds me of Linux's Unity Dashboard (though I'm sure Launchpad may have come out first, I was introduced to the Dash in Unity before I started using Mac OS).

I was so impressed with the ARM Architecture and Mac OS that I couldn't help but to feel more and more drawn towards the idea of switching my Acer Swift 3 with an ARM based MacBook, especially since the x86 architecture of the device meant that the laptop could get really warm, even when just doing normal everyday tasks, and I found myself preferring to use a combination of my phone and my Mac Mini over my Ultrabook, even in situations where portability was my primary concern and I really required the use of a proper laptop/desktop environment for my tasks. Again, the same retailer that I bought my Mac Mini from happened to have another sale, which included the M2 MacBooks, now that they were aging and new Macs were just around the corner, and after much consideration, I found the M2 MacBook Pro 13 inch to be the nicest new MacBook that I could get my hands on with that sweet M2 architecture! I really wanted the Touchbar and the top firing speakers, I was not a fan of the notch on the newer redesigned MacBooks and actually felt that the new designs just felt a bit less premium. I also could not understand why Apple would move those top firing speakers to the front of the computer, facing the lid. I get that perhaps it allows the sound to bounce off the lid, but I prefer my sound to be delivered directly to me and I found the M2 MacBook Pro 13 inch's top firing speakers to deliver the best and loudest sound quality for me, as an end user. As for the Touchbar, I really wanted this and could not fathom why Apple would remove this and switch back to FN keys. The only conclusion I could come up with is that they did this to cut production costs as a potential result of the chip shortage. All of my other laptops have FN buttons, it's what I've gotten used to, but I really do find the Touchbar to be a much more Pro level feature, giving me greater access to quick controls for apps, customizable shortcuts, and if I really want to use any F1-F12 keys, the Touchbar can still be programmed to display these.

As I did with the Mac Mini, I opted for the base storage option, but added a 1 TB SSD that can be held firmly in place on the lid of the laptop with Velcro and connected using a short, but highly flexible, Thunderbolt cable. If I do take this laptop with me, I can simply detach the Thunderbolt cable and physically remove the SSD to safely store it in my laptop bag. However, as this laptop is going to become quite rare once Apple drops it from its lineup, as likely the last MacBook with a Touchbar, I prefer to use my other laptops when I'm on the go, to preserve this MacBook as much as possible. The MacBook also isn't always the most convenient device, as it is limited to just two Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack. And while there are dongles and docks made for it, I could just pick up my Ultrabook or ThinkPad and just use the built in I/O on that. 

One other aspect that I love about my Macs is the Ecosystem integration! I have also recently made the transition from Android to iPhone, which I will also cover in an upcoming article and delve into the reasons why I chose this. My Mac allows me to send and receive text messages directly on the desktop, using the iMessage app, without pairing or linking any additional (and not always reliable or functional) services, including sending photos and videos easily by just dragging and dropping; it also allows me to Airdrop files where I used to require the use of a USB cable or cloud storage solution to send files between my PC and my phone, I can place and accept phone calls straight from any Apple device, and I can pair any additional Mac or iPad that I have using an out-of-band wireless network connection to extend my display wirelessly, so I can add an additional display or two without requiring any cables for video or power! And that's just to name a few features.

While this MacBook has essentially dethroned my Ultrabook as my primary laptop, I still get a lot of mileage out of the Ultrabook whenever I need the I/O. Plus, during the hotter seasons, it is a very surprisingly competent gaming laptop, sporting an i7 Evo and integrated graphics that are good enough to stack it up against a laptop with a dedicated GTX 950M GPU, meaning that I can play a lot of modern games that I would typically use my Gaming PC for, in 2K resolution, albeit at lower graphics settings and reduced, but still smooth, frame rates; while using a lot less power and generating a lot less heat. I even managed to run Red Dead Redemption 2 on that Ultrabook just fine at medium graphics in 2K, at around 30 FPS! Meaning my room can stay cool when it's 30+ degrees outside and my power bill can stay low, since I won't need to run my 600 watt PC and about 4-5 personal cooling fans just to circulate the hot air fast enough to not feel personally overheated! However, during the colder months, I will certainly be using that Gaming PC to run higher end titles with much higher graphics settings, VR games, and for any high horsepower tasks that require the use of those additional system resources!