Forty years of loyalty to two companies ends here. This is not an impulse decision.
I want to be clear about who is writing this before I say anything else. I am not a casual user who got frustrated with a software update and is venting online. I am someone who built a career on Microsoft software, touched every version of Apple since the Apple II, and has run Windows since version 1.0 including DOS. I have managed Windows NT servers, Desktop and Server OS environments through every generation, and I have watched both of these companies evolve from tools that served users into companies that use their products to control users. I am done.
The Hardware Investment
Let me put some numbers down so the scale is clear.
Current Apple hardware on this account alone:
| Device | Approx Cost |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro 16" M4 | $4,000 |
| MacBook Air (M series) | $1,300 |
| Mac Studio | $2,000 |
| iPad (current gen) | $1,000 |
| iPhone | $1,000 |
| HomePod (x2) | $600 |
| Apple TV Living Room (x2) | $300 |
| Account total | ~$10,200 |
This does not include other family members on separate Apple accounts, accessories, AppleCare plans, or years of App Store purchases. It does not include the full history of Apple hardware I have owned going back to the Apple II.
Microsoft hardware (now running Linux):
I have not kept a precise tally, but I have owned machines running every version of Windows from 1.0 through 11, every version of DOS, and ran Windows NT and later server environments professionally. Multiple machines across that history. Some were work machines, many were personal. All of them eventually became investment in an ecosystem I no longer trust.
Microsoft: Where It Started
I made my career on Microsoft. Windows NT through to Server 2019, desktop deployment, enterprise environments. I know this software from the inside. I was not a casual desktop user.
Windows 11 hardware requirements were the first major signal. Microsoft drew an arbitrary line with TPM 2.0 and CPU generation requirements that had nothing to do with actual capability. Machines that ran Windows 10 perfectly well were declared obsolete. Not because they could not run the software. Because Microsoft said so. My response was to put Linux on every one of those machines. They run better now than they did on Windows.
Forcing Copilot into the operating system without a clean opt-out was the final straw. I do not want an AI assistant embedded in my OS reporting behavior back to Microsoft. I did not ask for it. I cannot fully remove it. It is there because Microsoft decided it should be there, on hardware I paid for.
Every machine in my home that was running Windows is now running Linux.
Apple: The Final Straw
Apple built its reputation on “it just works” and on the idea that you were buying into a premium experience. For a long time that was true. The Unix foundation gave it a feel that Windows never had. I stayed with Apple through every transition: 68k to PowerPC, PowerPC to Intel, Intel to Apple Silicon. I was there for all of it.
macOS 26.5.1 changed things permanently.
Apple used Gatekeeper to silently remove software from my machine after an OS update. Not flag it. Not warn me before updating. Remove it. The applications affected included:
- OBS Studio (open source broadcasting and recording software used by millions)
- Windsurf / Devin (AI development tools I use daily for work)
- Blender (professional 3D software used across the film and design industry)
These are not fringe applications. These are widely used professional tools. Apple removed them from my $4,000 MacBook Pro because they did not pass Gatekeeper’s signing requirements. I did not ask for this. I did not consent to it.
Homebrew is now flagging LibreWolf for deprecation as of September 1, 2026 for the same reason. A privacy-focused browser is being pushed off the platform because it does not meet Apple’s approval requirements.
This is not security. This is control. Apple is deciding what software is allowed to run on hardware you purchased and paid for. If you are paying $3,000 to $5,000 for a MacBook Pro and Apple can remove your tools after a routine OS update, you do not own that machine. You are leasing it on Apple’s terms.
Where I Am Going
I ordered a System76 Pangolin Pro. Here is what $3,627 gets you on a machine built for Linux from the ground up:
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| OS | Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS with COSMIC Desktop |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 5 GHz, 8 cores, 16 threads |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 860M |
| RAM | 96 GB DDR5 5600 MHz |
| Storage | 2 TB PCIe4 M.2 SSD |
| Wireless | WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 |
System76 builds machines specifically for Linux, with open firmware, no locked bootloaders, and no corporate entity deciding what software is allowed to run. The hardware is designed from the start to be owned by the person who buys it. No Gatekeeper. No forced AI assistants. No OS updates that delete your tools.
For those who are not ready for a System76 machine, any modern laptop running a well-supported Linux distribution covers the same ground. My older machines that Microsoft declared incompatible with Windows 11 run Arch, Ubuntu, Fedora, and CachyOS. All of them work. None of them remove software from my machine after an update.
What This Means for You
I am not here to tell you what to do with your money. But I want you to have the full picture before you spend it.
If you are buying a Windows machine, understand that Microsoft has demonstrated it will force features into your OS without asking, and will declare functional hardware obsolete to push upgrade cycles. Your machine will run Microsoft’s operating system on Microsoft’s terms.
If you are buying a Mac, understand that Apple can and will remove software from your machine after an OS update if that software does not meet their approval requirements. You are paying premium prices for hardware you do not fully control.
The alternative is Linux. It is not 2005 Linux where you needed a computer science degree to get WiFi working. Modern distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, Pop!_OS, and Arch are ready for daily use. They run on the hardware you already have. They do not remove your software. They do not force AI assistants into your workflow. They do not declare your machine obsolete because a corporation decided it was time for you to buy a new one.
I have been using these platforms since they were worth using. I am telling you, from four decades of hands-on experience, that neither Microsoft nor Apple is working in your interest anymore.
Your Turn
If you have had similar experiences, I want to hear them. If you are considering the move to Linux and have questions about where to start, ask below. If you think I am wrong about any of this, make the case. I am not interested in a brand war. I am interested in an honest conversation about what these companies are doing and what your options are.