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The operating system in this story is macOS. How-To Geek writer Sydney Butler says a 2019 MacBook Air purchase for work led them to use macOS more often and eventually make it their main system for professional computing. “Best of both worlds” describes the balance Butler prefers—not an objective verdict that macOS beats Windows and Linux for everyone.
How Butler moved from Windows to macOS
Butler says Windows had been their primary operating system since Windows 3.1. In 2019, while writing for 9to5Mac and needing a Mac for Mac-related work and tutorials, they bought a MacBook Air. The shift was gradual: they found themselves using macOS more, then moved their professional computer work to the Mac.
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That path matters. Butler’s case is not that Windows and Linux became useless, but that macOS became the best fit for the work they wanted to do on their main computer.
What Windows still does better for Butler
Windows’s software compatibility is a meaningful advantage in Butler’s account, and PC gaming remains a reason to keep using it. The author still uses Windows for work and games, while limiting it to the tasks that call for it.
#1 Best Overall
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Butler’s reservations are personal: they describe past Windows 10 update failures, workplace IT problems, and concerns about telemetry and advertising. These are experiences and judgments from one user, not evidence that every Windows PC is unreliable or that every user sees ads.
Why Butler values Linux—and why it is not their daily desktop
Butler describes Linux as reliable once correctly set up and recalls using it at university. The friction they cite is hardware compatibility and the technical time some desktop tasks can require. For their daily-work needs, that effort weighed against making Linux the primary desktop.
Rank #2
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
Linux remains part of Butler’s setup: they use it in virtual machines, project systems, self-hosting, and a Raspberry Pi media setup. In other words, leaving Linux as the main desktop did not mean abandoning it.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →What macOS brings together
Butler’s preferred balance combines a desktop environment they feel comfortable using with Apple’s tightly integrated hardware and software. Their explanation is that Apple designs macOS, drivers, and hardware within a comparatively limited ecosystem. Butler sees that integration as contributing to their own reliability and performance experience.
Rank #3
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
This is an explanation of one person’s experience, not a controlled comparison or benchmark showing that Macs are more reliable or faster than Windows or Linux computers generally. Butler puts the limitation plainly: “I don’t think macOS is perfect, or that it does everything the best.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to tell whether this trade-off fits you
Before switching, compare the systems against the work and equipment you actually rely on. The relevant questions are not which OS wins in the abstract, but what you need from your main computer and what compromises you can accept.
Rank #4
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 13.6-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
- Applications and games: Check that your specialist work software runs on macOS, and account for Windows games or applications you would lose or need to access another way.
- Hardware: Confirm that your peripherals and other devices work with the platform you plan to use. Hardware support was one of Butler’s Linux concerns.
- Setup and maintenance: Consider how much time you are willing to spend configuring a system and resolving compatibility issues.
- Reliability needs: Identify the specific failures or interruptions you want to avoid; one writer’s experience cannot predict yours.
- Privacy and advertising preferences: Decide which policies and software behaviors matter to you, rather than assuming one platform’s experience applies to every user.
- Hardware cost and constraints: Moving to macOS means choosing Apple hardware. Butler’s account does not compare current Mac models, configurations, or prices.
Butler’s starting point was a MacBook Air bought for a specific work need, not a general recommendation to buy a particular current model. The article’s conclusion is narrower: macOS became the preferred everyday environment for this writer, while Windows and Linux continued to serve tasks where they fit better.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- BUILT FOR COLLEGE. AND BEYOND — MacBook Air with the M5 chip packs blazing speed and powerful AI capabilities into an incredibly portable design. And with up to 18 hours of battery life,* this thin and light powerhouse is ready to take on almost any major, just about anywhere.
- TEAR THROUGH TOUGH ASSIGNMENTS — With its faster CPU and unified memory, the M5 chip delivers even more performance and fluidity across apps, making multitasking and creative workflows smooth and responsive. A powerful Neural Engine and next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators give you a powerful platform for AI.
- MAKE QUICK WORK OF YOUR TO-DO LIST — Apple Intelligence helps you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly — whether it’s for school or everyday life. With groundbreaking privacy protections, it gives you peace of mind that no one else can access your data — not even Apple.*
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — MacBook Air delivers incredible battery life with amazing performance, so you can power through a full day of classes without worrying about plugging in.
- A BRILLIANT 15.3-INCH DISPLAY* — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display on MacBook Air supports 1 billion colors, making photos and videos pop with rich contrast and sharp detail, and text appears supercrisp. So everything — from class presentations to movies to games — looks truly stunning.
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