I've been a PC lover for most of my life, a Windows user and fan for more decades than I care to admit. That all changed almost a year ago when I forced myself to transition from a monogamous computing lifestyle to one where I could introduce a second option into my computing life. And now I'll never go back.
What started as an experiment turned into a whirlwind romance. Apple Silicon, first M2 and now M3 Max, took me to an island of almost unlimited battery life and intense productivity.
However, as with any breakup, there have been some difficult moments. The truth is that I haven't moved all my stuff out of Windows space yet. However, it's a rare breakup where the mix of our stuff still works.
As a long-time Microsoft customer, I still use OneDrive, yes, even on Mac. It's just another disk location and since I still enjoy writing content in Microsoft Word and the 1TB of storage (actually a lot more because I can give it a TB to each of up to 5 family members) I get it for $99 a year.
It's not another silly love song
The MacBook Pro M3 Max and macOS Sonoma are my top choices now, but I still maintain a constant connection to Microsoft and my old relationship. The MacBook is not at all jealous: it is an accelerator that works.
I'm still fond of Windows 11 and use it from time to time at home. My real-life lover, my wife, still works full time on Windows 11 (and she has repeatedly told me how much she hates that Microsoft moved the start menu to the middle of the interface).
Knowing how much you hate change, I haven't suggested you break up with Windows as well. Still, with much of your time spent on the iPhone 14 and a 10.2-inch iPad, it would make a lot of sense, but then when is love, even tech love, sensible?
Love can be difficult to explain, but in the case of a computer, it is much easier. Every day I see reasons that support my choice.
The MacBook, both the lovely thin and light MacBook Air (M2) and my current flagship model, the MacBook Pro 14 (M3), is one of the most exquisitely designed pieces of hardware in the tech world. It's not flashy but it's elegant. Every decision, from the keyboard size and key travel to the size of the palm rests and the depth of the trackpad, seems completely intentional.
My initial infatuation with the Liquid Retina XDR display has given way to admiration, especially as I've gotten over the loss of a touchscreen. You see, my ultraportable of choice for almost a decade was a series of Microsoft Surface Pro laptops. I loved how thin and light they were and found tremendous utility in the touchscreen. I even drew them sometimes, although my preferred digital canvas is the iPad Pro.
In the early days of using a MacBook Air, I occasionally touched the dead screen. It was embarrassing for both of us. Fortunately, the MacBook is forgiving and understands that it's not that easy to walk away from a long-term relationship.
I'd say I was almost instantly like the MacBook Air (and later the MacBook Pro 14 M3), but two things turned it into love and made me never want to go back: battery life and reliability.
Let me count the ways
Over the many years of using the Surface Pro, I often followed the hockey stick battery life trend line. On the Surface Pro, it could be extreme. Battery life was very good at first, but after a couple of years or so, it tipped downwards until you were always in desperate search for an outlet. Even with a fresh battery, Windows' resource management system and the Intel chips behind it didn't seem to know the meaning of efficiency.
The MacBook, macOS, and especially Apple Silicon operate like desktop-powered mobile systems, and that means they manage to consume power no matter the task (except maybe for AAA games at ultra-high frame rates). I travel between flights (toast my beloved MacBook with non-alcoholic champagne), long meetings, and commutes without worrying at all about battery life.
The only thing more important than longevity in a relationship is trustworthiness or at least trustworthiness.
We had it fine, my Windows 11 Surface Pro and I, but sometimes we just lost it. The system could be unpredictable and prone to failure. I never knew when my Windows system would turn blue, I mean blue screen. If it were just an uncooperative system, I would chalk it up to a minor problematic relationship. But on every Surface Laptop Pro, the bugs would return.
My new love, my MacBook Pro, is as reliable as the sunrise and the sunset. It never fails. I mean never.
This is my valentine to the only system that is always ready to connect, always ready for an excursion, and never lets me down.
Ask me if I'm in love, I'll answer yes.
