My Experience with Windows, Linux and MacOS
It's been a long time since I last wrote a blog. Have been really busy with my semester exams and shit. But now it's vacation and I recently got an M2 Macbook Air. I haven't spent much time with the Macbook but I am loving the experience so far! Also, with this, I think I have tried and tested all major Operating Systems which tells me that it's time I write a blog on it.
Now, I have been using Windows since Windows XP days. But have really tinkered with Windows 10 so in this blog, whenever I say Windows, just assume it to be 10. I started using Linux since late 2019 and have been daily driving it for almost 5 years now.
A lot has changed in the Linux Operating systems since I first used it. A lot of things have improved but some things became messy too! My early memory of using Linux was running Kali on Virtual Box cuz I had just finished watching Mr Robotš¤”.
I tried it for a few days. Kind of liked the feel of using something different but realized that "hacking" is not as simple as it's shown in movies. Oh then started the Covid-19 lockdown. I had lots of free time on me since school was closed. So I (tried) to dual boot Kali Linux and Windows. Here is the bad thing about Linux. The guides and manuals that you find as the top search results on Google are mostly outdated. What's worse than a newbie following outdated guides and panicking in between the procedure because he cannot find the option as shown in the guide!
You guessed it right. I erased my Windows partition. Luckily, I had backed up important documents so it wasn't a big deal. So daily drived Linux for about 1 year getting more and more into the Linux-Elitist-Cult rabbit hole. You know, the days of watching Mental Outlaw, Distrotube and obviously the unforgettable "Luke Smith".
Now Linux isn't bad. In fact if Apple hadn't made the switch to RISC processors(M1), I probably would have never shifted. But with Apple Silicon processors in picture, it's really hard to argue against Apple's laptops now. There will be many contradicting opinions but if there is one that everyone can agree on, it's battery life. The battery lasts over one day on a single charge in Apple Silicon based laptops even on moderate usage! If you are student this is a dealmaker. Afterall, the last thing you want is to find ports for charging your laptop everytime to visit the library or your classroom to get stuff done on your laptop.
As a CS undergrad, you must use an Unix based system atleast once. If you are an Windows user, try dual booting Linux. It's not because it's better but because it will teach you so many things! You should have the courage to tinker with your system and Linux provides just that. Freedom! You can do anything you want. Try out stuff. Break stuff. Fix stuff and if in the end, your system gets bricked, just reinstall the Operating System!
Lets rate the systems now
| Linux (Vivobook) | Windows (Vivobook) | Macbook Air M2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polish and Feel | 7 | 7.5 | 9 |
| Applications | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Build Quality | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Battery | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Screen Size | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Performance | 8 | 6 | 10 |
| Camera | 5 | 5 | 10 |
PS: This is obviously not a fair assesment as my Vivobook is cheaper than my Macbook. But I think the Macbook really shines in Build Quality, Performance, Battery Life and Camera irrespective of the price point. Pick any Windows Laptop in the same price range and I believe the Macbook will outperform in these factors.
Update:
- If you plan to use VMs on Macbooks, consider going for 16/32 GB variant of the Air or Pro.