I started computing with Windows 98 in early 2000 on a Intel P3 computer. Before buying it, I was eyeing an iMac but there was no Apple dealership in Sri Lanka nor was technical support for Apple local vendors (like Internet / Email). Apple was once again entered my radar in 2007 when my cosine brought his MacBook from Canada. I almost immediately fell in love as it looked and felt good to use. How ever only in 2019 did I purchase my first Apple computer, an IMac 2019, the first step in a move to immerse in the Apple ecosystem. And here is why I, a Linux Geek, is switching to Apple.

Background

First of all, let me introduce my self to you. I am Ziyan, a computer engineer and graduate of University of Peradeniya. I work as a freelance developer currently attached to GivingFire.com. I primarily build web applications that run on Linux servers. For me, a Linux system makes most sense, and that is where I have been in the last 12 years. Linux is simple, reliable, and safe. I would buy a Windows laptop, strip away Windows and install Ubuntu in it. That might have just come to an end.

Motivation

I have been wanting to re-invent my self in 2020. Out of the ideas that popped out after months of day-dreaming App Development was the most curious. I have been developing Android Apps since late 2010 but stopped before graduation. I loved what I did. It allowed me to interact with the customer directly and it was satisfying.

So spend countless hours of free time trying to decide what to build. I went through both the App Store and Play Store to get ideas. I found some interesting ideas that haven't been full accomplished in an app. Thus I decided to give it a go. By late September I a prototype running on my Galaxy S9 plus. It was slow, I identified what needs to be done to keep things dynamic and flexible but still to keep the UX snappy.

This is when I paused develop. I wanted to learn modern design trends for apps and produce an app that looks and feels good in the very first attempt. Some of the tools I wanted was only on Windows and MacOS. Also developing for Apple still needed an Apple computer. So I decided to go Mac. I looked at an MacBook Pro 15" but was concerned about its reliability. Then I bought the iMac 2019 which came with a 9th Generation Core i9 processor.

That is how I landed on Apple Land. Make no mistake, I really appreciate the good work Apple does with their hardware and software. How ever I have never felt having a good fit for my technical needs in Apple. Due to the lack of configuration, I will either pay more for what I don't want or compromise some thing I could use to save money.

Early Impressions

The iMac, even though its design comes from the Jurassic Era of Apple, still looks very beautiful. It is easily the most pretty furniture around my house and most certainly the most expensive. I love the large 27" 5k Display. Its really a joy to work on it. It has a variety of software not available on Linux, of course for a price, but shedding few hundred dollars for software isn't an issue, what is important is that a good job done.

Then yesterday I got a iPad 7th Generation 10.2 with the Apple Pencil 1st Generation. I wanted to wait for the iPad Pro 4th Generation, but decided not to wait. One reason is that the Apple March event could get delayed because of the Novel Corona virus situation in China. The main reason is that I wouldn't want the horse power the iPad Pro with an A13X chip could offer. The only thing i would miss is a laminated screen and be left with a space when drawing using the Apple Pencil.

I was impressed with the drawing capabilities of the iPad with the Apple Pencil. Air Drop works great. Side Car is impressive. And all this in Day 1. I am sure there are a lot I haven't discovered but I am getting the point about the "Apple Ecosystem" some thing I have only up until yesterday read about.

Conclusion

I was living happily in Linux as a full stack web developer. I used Inkscape for my illustration / logo design tasks and GIMP for photo editing. Inability to open Photoshop files was an issue few times in the last 6 years. But to the most part it has been a smooth flow.

The only reason behind the drive to Apple was the interest to develop apps for Apple. So if you are happily in Windows or Linux and don't have plans to build iOS aplications I think you can save a lot of money remaining with what you are familiar with. If you do need to develop iOS apps and have no plans to outsource it then immersing your self in the Apple Ecosystem becomes sense.

If you are buying a new computer, if you can afford Apple, and if you are interested in software and mobile app development then Apple makes sense.