Transition from Mac
Posted by TheBlackArrows@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 25 comments
I have been a long time Mac user. I have the complete Apple ecosystem with iPhone and Apple TV and Mac and iPad, etc. I have been thinking about transitioning my daily machine to a Linux distribution. My daily work is in IT infrastructure engineering.
I’m looking for a Linux distribution that could give me some similar experiences with the Apple ecosystem, have a nice slick interface, can support the Microsoft apps, and can do things like get in tune enrolled.
What are some suggestions?
I can’t really tell you why I’m thinking about making a change other than I’m really getting sick and tired of apples direction when it comes to their software and it’s getting worse and worse and it’s usability and stability. I can’t point at one thing because there’s a list of stuff, but I’m looking for something that has a very similar looking feel and also can support enterprise device usage.
I have also been spying some of the Linux phones and tablets and wondering if any of them offer a good continuity experience.
everburn_blade_619@reddit
365 apps aren't supported on Linux so you'll be stuck with the limited functionality of the web versions.
LMAO okay buddy. Glad I don't work for you.
TheBlackArrows@reddit (OP)
Why? You’d get to use whatever you want as long as it’s compliant with out toolset. Notice I didn’t say I dictate what everyone uses.
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kopsis@reddit
You'll be disappointed with Linux. Support for Microsoft apps is "hackish" at best. When/if they do run, they'll look/work like Windows apps. Even the most "polished" Linux desktop environments lag MacOS by a noticeable margin. From things that can't be controlled via GUI, to lack of global hotkeys, to font rendering, to animations it will all feel a little like a tribute band concert -- a recognizable facsimile, but not nearly as good.
PhillipShockley_K12@reddit
As far as look and feel I would suggest GNOME desktop environment. Fedora is a good distro that ships with gnome as default. To me it is very Mac/android esque. Take that from someone who doesn't use Mac. As far as the other stuff like running Microsoft apps, you can either find alternatives in most software (like the office suite) or you might have luck with WINBOAT.
crazyyfag@reddit
+1 for Fedora 43 w/ Gnome. I recently installed this on my laptop instead of Win11 that it shipped with, and it finally allowed me to feel how powerful my machine was and how nice it is to use it.
As a long-time macOS user, Gnome being so similar to the Apple feel was an awesome surprise. Best DE for laptops. And Fedora is a snappy and smooth distro overall.
PhillipShockley_K12@reddit
I agree GNOME is great on laptops especially if you're mostly using the trackpad. On desktop I would stick to KDE, which I did up until I went to Bazzite (I'm a gamer) but I still kept to KDE for my desktop environment
undrwater@reddit
You're asking for a world of hurt.
You own the company;
Provision a few devices as a test bed for "new business software experimentation" because you'll have to change most everything. It will take some time.
Some things may not be "slick" but will be highly functional.
I hope you try and succeed!
ReptilianLaserbeam@reddit
According to this only Ubuntu and RHEL enterprise are officially supported to be enrolled in Intune https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/user-help/enroll-device-linux I would try a minimal Ubuntu setup with GNOME and roll an enrollment profile to test how it goes
Mannster62@reddit
PearOS
abofaza@reddit
Not really. For apple ecosystem use apple products. For microsoft software specifically use windows.
WTF does that even mean?
Linux is amazing, but it's not a replacement for the things you mentioned. I still keep an old macbook for one specific software I use, that I can actually run quite well on Linux, but on mac it runs just way better - the interface is snappier, and it makes all the difference in the world. Linux phone? You are going to suffer. Furilabs FLX1.5 is quite amazing tho, but do not think it will replace an iphone if you are invested in an apple ecosystem.
You can start transitioning today, but depending on what you use you might not be able to ditch apple completely even in a couple of years. Linux is a journey, and you will need to relearn your computing habits from the ground up.
ct_the_man_doll@reddit
Microsoft Intune is a tool that can setup a business profile on a machine.
Looks like it is possible to enroll a Linux machine: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/user-help/enroll-device-linux
AlternativePaint6@reddit
Ultramarine Linux GNOME Edition is the perfect choice for you. Thank me later.
billhughes1960@reddit
Coming from macOS you should probably look into Fedora/Gnome. It will provide a smooth transition. KDE is also an excellent DE, but I feel it's geared to emulate the Windows experience.
I use to be the biggest Apple fanboy for decades, but the bricks kept getting piled higher on that Walled Garden and I was feeling that I no longer actually owned my shit, it was on loan from Apple.
So I started by ditching my iPhone and got a Pixel 3 back in 2018 and moved off of iCloud and onto the Google ecosystem. I also strongly suggest going with Google Fi as your mobile provider if you can. GoogleFi and a Pixel phone is the purest form of official Android you can run. The price is good especially if you travel internationally. I've been very happy with it.
I've always dual booted my Macs with Linux, so I just started spending more and more time in Gnome. GSConnect is a gnome extension that allows you to connect to your Android phone with many of the same features as Apple and iPhone.
As for apps, I'm not sure what may be a deal-breaker in your industry, but it doesn't seem like you'd rely on the Adobe suit, so that's a big one you don't have to worry about. I believe for the vast majority of people, LibreOffice is an excellent replacement for MS Office. It's what I use, but my docs, spreadsheets and presentations are pretty simple.
For 6 years now I have been exclusively Linux. Apple is no longer in my life in anyway. I have a beautiful Lenovo Legion laptop that cost me less than $1500 and it's great to have 8TB of internal storage and 32G or RAM, all of which I can upgrade myself. Tons of ports, no dongles.
Decades ago, Apple had a superior OS and hardware, and while the M-series chips are nice, they've done a great job of selling the mystic. Articles always wonder if this is the year of the linux desktop, and I'd say we're way past that argument. I do professional audio mixing for radio and TV commercials. I use only Linux software and my work is outstanding and the clients could care less (and honestly were never even aware) of the apps and OS I use.
Finally, take your time. It's a big transition and people who get frustrated and give up tend to bail too early. Having said all that, come on in, the water is fine. :)
Careful-Major3059@reddit
“it’s geared to emulate the windows experience “ ???
billhughes1960@reddit
Here we go... :)
Come on, you have to agree that the panel in KDE emulates the behavior of of Windows and the Dock in Gnome emulates macOS. That's all I'm sayin. I like KDE and totally respect the work, but I stnad my my comment.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
i globbed onto that sentence because it was such a bizarre thing to say 😭
Burine@reddit
Not sure why its a bizarre thing to say. Unless you're wanting to argue semantics? Its been said that KDE provides a UI consistent with the "traditional desktop metaphor" i.e. MS Windows. "KDE is....geared to emulate the windows experience" can imply its trying to be a Windows clone, but there's no denying that the UI is very Windows-esque.
spicypixel@reddit
I think you should stick with whatever your company has provisioned you.
TheBlackArrows@reddit (OP)
I own the company. I should have stated that. :)
spicypixel@reddit
That's a radically different proposition. Godspeed!
PhillipShockley_K12@reddit
depends on your company. I, for example, am a tech in a school district. So for one, it's pretty lax around here and two, I'm a tech, so I have the ability and knowhow to mess with some things (enough to not break shit). My district has us using windows, I'm not a fan of 11, and even though I have to support a bunch of computers running Win11, doesn't mean my daily needs to be Win11. I'm currently running Mint on my laptop and I remote into a touchscreen TV that no one ever uses just to handle active directory and print manager tasks. If I ever find good alternatives to those on linux, I can do away with remoting in al together.
Atem18@reddit
Nothing will match what you expect.
Fast_Ad_8005@reddit
Hmm, I will admit many Windows apps will not run on Linux. Typically, there are Linux-compatible alternatives or workarounds if you have powerful enough hardware (e.g. virtualization can be used to run MS Office).
I honestly don't know what this means.
Nor do I understand this. In fairness, I've never used an Apple product in my life, except like 5 mins trying to use an iMac at my university over a decade ago. The mouse was way to overly sensitive for me. That was when I realized that Apple products were not for me.
Careful-Major3059@reddit
“support the microsoft apps “ which ones because ms office will not work