The Debate Over Operating Systems Is Not A Debate

Almost two months ago my laptop broke. More specifically, I bricked my entry level HP while reinstalling Linux Ubuntu. When it came time to pick a new computer I was faced with the decades old debate of which operating system is best. This is not the same question as which hardware to buy, although that question is built-in to the debate on some level as concerns macOS. As with a lot of people, I wrestled with this for some time. In the end I chose macOS (the discussion of which Apple hardware to buy is for another time). Eventually, I came to the realization that the "debate" over the operating system does not become a debate until you look for information in the wrong places on the Interwebs.

Unless the choice of operating system is made for you by an employer or other similar imposing power, choosing an operating system comes down to compromise. The truth is that almost nothing in life has a clear answer, and what we truly want is rarely what we can have. For instance, I wanted the power and development advantages of Linux, but I wanted it to be less fragmented (check out DistroWatch.com to see what I am talking about). Of course this fragmentation is a function of some of the strengths of Linux. I wanted the ubiquity of Microsoft Windows and the basically limitless hardware choices that is a function of that ubiquity, without the increased difficulties of use for my purposes and the subjectively hellish UI. I wanted the polish and ease of use of macOS, without the closed Apple ecosystem and extremely limited hardware choices, some of which is a function of that polish and ease of use of macOS. I believe the limited hardware choices could be mitigated to some degree without destroying the benefits of macOS, but I reserve the right to be wrong.

To be sure, there are times when subjective matters can choose the operating system for you without it being objectively necessary. For instance, if you have philosophical or ethical beliefs you follow all the way down to which toilet paper you buy, then Linux (and not Ubuntu I might add) is your only option. This is not the same however, as simply saying Linux is the best operating system there is, and the choice is not imposed upon you strictly speaking. Similarly, you may have so much invested in Apple's music, movie, and app offerings that you simply do not want to spend the time and money necessary to switch yourself (or worse yet, your entire family) to another operating system. Finally, you may have software you use that has a "just use 'x'..." option for Linux or macOS that you find easier to use or more esthetically pleasing (although I am not sure how that latter is possible) than the alternatives.

As to why I chose macOS, it was not because it is the best operating system that exists. To be honest, there was a time when I would have argued that it was much easier choice than it is now. Still, I personally chose macOS because it has more ubiquity than Linux (for a desktop operating system, it is easy to use and be productive on without the distractions inherent in a more customizable and hackable operating system, and it has the right toolset to more easily accomplish the things I want to be able to do. I had to give up several things I would like to have, not the least of which is an absurd amount of money. In the end however, it is not that macOS is the best operating system available on the planet, it is simply that it was the operating system that came closest to being the operating system I wish existed.

If anyone dislikes compromise, change, and lack of clarity more than I do, they have a real problem. The reality is that reality reflects those attributes regardless of our desire for it to not do so. Having said that, if you read this post and find yourself thinking, "What an idiot, Linux is superior to macOS in every way.", you are the wrong place on the Interwebs. To everyone else, do your research, do not rush your decision, get advice from the right people, and good luck.