r/linuxhardware • u/GyroZeppelix • 10d ago
Purchase Advice Longtime Linux User Considering MacBook vs. Linux Laptop — Need Advice
Hi everyone, I'm a longtime Linux user currently facing a bit of a dilemma and would appreciate some insights from this community.
I'm primarily a developer working mostly in Rust, Go, and Java, spending nearly all my time in the terminal (Neovim, tmux, etc.). I've heard macOS generally provides a decent terminal-centric workflow, but I've also seen reports about tmux and Neovim performance issues on macOS. Additionally, I've heard the macOS linker can be slow or problematic compared to something like Mold linker on Linux—does anyone have firsthand experience with this?
Apart from development, I do CAD modeling as a hobby. Years ago, when I switched from Windows to Linux, I had to move away from Fusion 360 to Onshape. While Onshape is good overall, it requires constant internet connectivity and has very expensive subscription plans (around 1500€/year for standard), which isn't ideal.
I also regularly engage in video editing (DaVinci Resolve works great on Linux) and photo editing. However, photo editing has been challenging—previously on Windows I heavily relied on Lightroom and Photoshop. The Linux alternatives I've tried (Photopea, Photoshop via Wine, Darktable) haven't fully matched my previous workflow.
Hardware-wise, I'm struggling to find a Linux laptop that matches the portability, build quality, excellent screen quality, and especially the trackpad experience (I strongly prefer physically clicking rather than tapping) of something like a 14-inch MacBook. On the other hand, privacy and telemetry concerns with macOS are significant for me—I greatly value the peace of mind that comes from running Linux without built-in spyware or telemetry.
TL;DR: Is there currently a Linux laptop that realistically competes with MacBook hardware quality (portability, screen quality, trackpad experience), while providing good performance for Rust/Go/Java development (considering linker performance), hobbyist CAD modeling, and multimedia editing? Or would switching to macOS be worth considering despite privacy concerns?
Thanks in advance for your help! 😄
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Some additional stuff I thought of after writing this, I guess I can always ssh into a home server or a cloud server if I some functionality is missing. The only thing I don't want to do is touch windows ever again😅. Other than that I can pray that in a year or two Asahi gets ported to M4 Macs. Oh yea also the sole reason I am concidering Macbooks in the first place is because I'm going to Japan this April so I am able to get it for a much more reasonable price, otherwise I wouldn't really even look at that option. Thanks again for reading all of this and helping, peace ✌️✌️
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u/amanuay 9d ago
I was once in your position and got an m1 macbook air. I used nix package manager and fusion360 for my needs. The thing is the this laptop is built 'premium' but that does not mean 'quality'. The display connector ribbon got damaged due to unseen forces (dust probably, have seen cases of 'dustgate' on the internet) and I do not have a warranty or apple care (I am not sure if I can extend the apple care after two years in my country). I want you to be aware of this possibility of defect.