I left Windows 11 for a MacBook Pro and it’s the best tech relationship I’ve ever had
I’ve been a PC lover for most of my life, a Windows user, and a fan for decades more than I care to admit. That all changed almost a year ago when I forced myself to move from a monogamous computing lifestyle to one where I could introduce a second choice into my computing life. And now I’ll never go back.
What started as an experiment grew into a whirlwind romance. Apple Silicon, first M2 and now M3 Max, brought me to an island of virtually unlimited battery life and intense productivity.
However, as with any breakup, there have been some difficult moments. The truth is, I still haven’t moved all my stuff out of the Windows space. It’s a rare breakup, though, where putting our stuff together still works.
As a long-time Microsoft customer, I still use OneDrive, yes, even on the Mac. It’s just another drive location and because I still enjoy putting together content in Microsoft Word and the 1TB of storage (actually a lot more since I’m allowed to give one TB each to up to 5 family members), I get $99 a year .
Not another silly love song
The MacBook Pro M3 Max and macOS Sonoma are my biggest problem now, but I still have a constant connection with Microsoft and my old relationship. The MacBook is not the least bit jealous: it is a tool that works.
I still have affection for Windows 11 and use it occasionally at home. My real lover – my wife – still works full-time on Windows 11 (and has repeatedly told me how much she hates that Microsoft moved the Start menu to the center of the interface).
Knowing how much she hates change, I didn’t suggest she break away from Windows either. Still, with her spending so much time on the iPhone 14 and a 10.2-inch iPad, it would make perfect sense, but when is love wise, even tech love?
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 in the beautifully thin and light MacBook Air (M2), and in my current version, the MacBook Pro 14 (M3), is one of the most exquisitely designed pieces of hardware in the technology world. It is not flashy but elegant. Every decision, from the size of the keyboard and the travel of the keys to the size of the palm rests and the depth of the trackpad, feels completely intentional.
My early infatuation with the Liquid Retina XDR display has given way to admiration, especially as I’ve come to terms with missing a touchscreen. You see, my favorite ultraportable tablet for almost a decade was a line of Microsoft Surface Pro laptops. I loved how thin and light they were and found tremendous usability in the touch screen. I even drew on it sometimes, although my favorite digital canvas is the iPad Pro.
In the early days of using a MacBook Air, I would occasionally poke at the inert screen. It was embarrassing for both of us. Fortunately, the MacBook is forgiving and understands that breaking off a long-term relationship isn’t that easy.
I’d say I had the same feeling almost immediately as I did with the MacBook Air (and later the MacBook Pro 14 M3), but two things turned it into a love affair and made me never want to go back: battery life and reliability.
Let me count the ways
Over the many years I’ve used the Surface Pro, I’ve often followed the hockey stick battery life trend line. On the Surface Pro it can be extreme. The battery life was so good at first, but after a few years it deteriorated until you were always desperate for a power outlet. Even with a new battery, the Windows resource management system and the Intel chips that supported it didn’t seem to know the meaning of efficiency.
The MacBook, macOS and especially Apple Silicon run like mobile systems with desktop power, and that means they manage to consume power no matter the task (except perhaps for AAA gaming at ultra-high frame rates). I breeze through flights (toasting my beloved MacBook with non-alcoholic champagne), long meetings, and commutes without worrying about battery life.
The only thing more important than longevity in a relationship is reliability, or at least dependability.
We were fine, my Windows 11 Surface Pro and I, but sometimes it just lost it. The system can be unpredictable and crash-prone. I just never knew when my Windows system would turn blue, I mean Blue Screen. If it was just one uncooperative system, I’d chalk it up to a small, problematic relationship. But the crashes returned with every Surface Laptop Pro.
My new love, my MacBook Pro, is as reliable as the sunrise and sunset. It never crashes. I mean never.
So this is my Valentine’s Day card to the one system that is always ready to connect, always up for an excursion, and that never lets me down.
Ask me if I’m in love, I’ll answer yes.