So, I have an iPhone, which I like, but we use Windows and Linux computers in our household. I’d never seen a Mac boot up until the other day after a friend gave me their old Mac Mini. I was excited to check it out, got it all set up and logged in – but it really just seemed like a giant iPhone regarding what it did and could do (meaning, I would just stick with Windows and Linux for our computing needs, rather than swap over to the Mac). I was disappointed.

What am I missing?

  • Artair GealEnglish
    2•2 years ago

    Reasons I use my M1 MacBook Air:

    1. Real estate. Thanks to AirPlay and the Thunderbolt port, I can have three desktops going at once with all my open windows.
    2. Intel binaries still run on it via Rosetta 2.
    3. Control – I have more access to the OS, the command line, etc.
    4. Virtualization – Apple Silicon is built on ARM, so I can virtualize any ARM-based Linux distribution using VMware Fusion. (I run Fedora in a VM.)
    5. Input – despite iPads having the ability to accept keyboard and touchpad input these days, the pointer is still pretty clumsy.

    And lots more, but that’s a good start for me.

      • Artair GealEnglish
        1•2 years ago

        If one is Thunderbolt and another is AirPlay, it works. I have a 50" AirPlay-capable TV mounted in my office, and a 27" 4K display on my desk. I use a cable for the 27" and AirPlay for the 50".