In 1999, while working for IBM, I was introduced to Linux. Fortunately, I also made a friend who happened to be a registered Debian developer. He installed Linux on my new Compaq PC, and since my MIDI work was done on a Roland W30, I was free to experiment with Linux which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Over the years, I built several computers, all running Linux. Before long, I got into web design, and Linux turned out to be the perfect OS to foster that hobby.
In 2009, I bought an iMac, which opened the door to developing iPhone apps. Between 2010 and 2014, those apps were even listed on iTunes.
Fast forward to 2025, and I’m back on a Mac, but for a very different reason.
A few months ago, after 25 years of using Linux, I finally had enough. I bought a Mac Studio and started selling off hardware I no longer needed. The transition also marked a shift in the software I use.
From Open Source to Apple Apps
As a long-time Linux user, I preferred open source software. Initially, open source was tightly tied to Linux and the UNIX family of OSes. But over time, many of those tools were ported to all major platforms, including macOS.
So yes, I could have kept using open source software on my Mac. But I chose to make the switch and replaced most of my previous apps with Apple alternatives.
From Thunderbird to Apple Mail
I replaced Thunderbird with Apple Mail.
Both handle email well, but Apple Mail does something I deeply respect: it thinks ahead. When I log into a server that requires 2FA, Apple Mail reads the verification code and auto-fills it in Safari. Then, get this, it deletes the email. That’s next-level UX. I’m not easily impressed, but that got me.
From Firefox to Safari (and Brave)
On Linux, Firefox was my default browser, especially for WordPress editing. On the Mac, I decided not to install it. Now I use Safari for work and Brave for personal browsing, cleanly separating the two worlds.
From LAMP to LocalWP
On Linux, I used the traditional LAMP stack for local development. While LAMP is rock solid, I’ve replaced it with LocalWP which has quickly become one of my favorite apps. I still run a local Apache server on a Dell workstation running GhostBSD, but LocalWP is now my main dev environment.
From GIMP to Pixelmator Pro
GIMP is fast, stable, and feature-rich. But on macOS, I rediscovered my old license for Pixelmator Pro. Apple let me re-download it after all these years. WOW! Features like one-click background removal make it a worthy successor.
Harrison Mixbus on Mac
For audio work, I still rely on my Yamaha Genos Arranger, but I’ve moved Harrison Mixbus 10 Plus from Linux to macOS. Unsurprisingly, the Mac Studio M4 Max runs this DAW without even breaking a sweat.
Running Local LLMs with LMStudio
Thanks to 36 GB of combined RAM, I can now run LLMs, up to ~20 GB, using LMStudio. That alone justified the Mac Studio purchase. When my internet went down last night, I continued working on my site and let the LLM fix my grammar, completely offline. Game changer.
One Open Source App That Stayed: VSCodium
There’s one app I didn’t replace: VSCodium. I’ve used it for years on Linux, and I don’t see a reason to stop. Apple doesn’t offer a code editor that I find compelling, so VSCodium stays.
Interestingly, my return to GhostBSD also brought back an old favorite: Geany. Most of my coding happens on GhostBSD now, so Geany is my go-to. But on the Mac, it’s still VSCodium.
A Two-Month Journey
The move from Linux to macOS took over two months. But I had many years of muscle memory and workflows to rethink. Between UTM, Apple’s encryption, and the ability to run MLX-optimized LLMs locally, this Mac Studio was a solid investment.
I still miss the raw speed of Linux, but in exchange, I gained stability, deep integration, and tools that just work, without wasting time. And when I need that Linux-like experience, I turn to GhostBSD.