this post was submitted on 11 May 2026
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Hey, folks,

My laptop broke the other day, and I need a replacement asap. But here's the rub: I despise windows. I've been a full time fedora user on my main device for a decade now, and I run Ubuntu on my desktop that I rarely touch because it's ooooold. I am not a techy person. At all. I'm an idiot, actually. I use Linux because it's cheaper, it keeps my aging hardware alive longer, and because politically I align pretty well with the idea of FOSS. And because I absolutely hate windows. I don't even like KDE, because it reminds me of windows. Cinnamon? Too much like windows! Lol. I love my workflow in gnome, I love that it's shiny and pretty and looks nice. And for the most part, I'm a browser based user. I rarely have cause to do much outside of the browser, except for sail the seas for some audiobooks. Even my papers for school are written in Google docs.

But also, on my desktop or a secondary device, I don't mind having to fiddle with things and get them working, I enjoy it. It makes me feel like I have actual tech skills when I absolutely do not. But on the device I use for school I just want something that works and I never have to think about. I feel like a traitor to the cause even considering it, but I think I want to get a used m1 air. I've never used a Mac before, though. I used an iPhone once, for about 10-15 minutes, and I hated it. But, like, of course I did. It was completely different, and incapable of doing the thing I wanted it to do.

How painful is the Linux to Mac transition? If I'm using an android phone, an Ubuntu desktop, and a MacBook, how awful is everything going to be to switch between devices? Am I going to regret this purchase, or, worse yet, become an apple fan boy and abandon my glorious FOSS devices forever?

Please assist

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[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 2 points 5 days ago

I think I want to get a used m1 air.

A lot of people recommend this. I don't think those people understand that this device has ~1 year before Apple declares it "obsolete", and the pricing absolutely does not reflect that.

If you must get a Mac, your money is better spent on the Neo. Equally disposable, but at least they're cheap. And it will significantly outperform M1 as well in single-core tasks.

How painful is the Linux to Mac transition?

Its about 1/100 as painful as the transition to Linux so I think you'll be fine.

The worst thing about MacOS is the bloatware, but for the most part, it stays out of the way.

Oh and the "gatekeeper" you have to disable on a regular basis so you can run software Apple hasn't blessed with their divine hands.

Don't sign in with an account. Use Homebrew for app installs.