05/06/2025

My macOS Journey with an M3 MacBook

I recently took the plunge and bought a second-hand MacBook Pro M3. The price was a real head-turner – around 1200 CHF for a machine with only 6 battery cycles. It felt almost too good to be true! I’ve dedicated a good three days (and I’m still tinkering) to customizing it and getting a feel for the Apple ecosystem. Here are my initial impressions.

What I’m Loving So Far

There’s definitely a lot to be excited about with this new setup.

Endless Customization: One of the first things that struck me is how easy it is to customize almost everything. You can really tailor the experience to your exact preferences.
Optimized Hardware-Specific Software: Programs that are built specifically for the Mac hardware, like Ghostty (which I’ve been trying out), run incredibly efficiently. You can really feel the difference.
A Polished UI Experience: The user interface just feels good. It’s a noticeable improvement in terms of smoothness and aesthetics compared to my experiences with Windows and various Linux distributions.
Lightning-Fast Responsiveness: Everything UI-based is incredibly fast. Clicks, window movements, app launches – it all happens in a blink.
Raycast for the Win: Raycast has quickly become an indispensable tool. The customization options are fantastic, and it has significantly boosted my productivity and workflow efficiency.

Some Not-So-Great Aspects

Of course, it’s not all perfect. Here are a few things that have given me pause:

The “Apple Tax” on Software: The sheer number of applications locked behind paywalls is a bit jarring. It’s five bucks here, twenty-three bucks there, and I even stumbled upon some professional software in the App Store with price tags around 300 bucks! Thankfully, there are usually open-source or more affordable alternatives if you’re willing to search.
My Swift Disenchantment: Before getting the Mac, I had this idea that I’d dive into Swift development and it would be this amazing, seamless experience. Then I actually started playing with Swift… and it’s just not for me. I found it surprisingly ass.
Xcode’s Clunkiness: Xcode, as an IDE, has been a letdown. It feels very mouse-dependent and generally clunky to navigate. It hasn’t been the smooth development environment I was hoping for.
The Upfront Cost (Usually): While I got a great deal, new MacBooks are notoriously expensive. The quality is there, but it’s a significant investment that’s understandable but still stings.
No Warranty Blanket: Being a second-hand purchase, my MacBook doesn’t come with a warranty. That’s always a bit of a gamble, especially with high-value tech.

Ongoing Exploration

Overall, despite these few drawbacks, my experience with the M3 MacBook Pro has been overwhelmingly positive so far. The performance, the UI, and the customization potential are all top-notch. I’m still in the process of fine-tuning my setup and discovering new things, so my views might evolve. Stay tuned!

Back to Windows: A Rude Awakening

After setting up my MacBook during my holiday break, returning to Windows at work was… enlightening, to say the least. I hadn’t realized just how inefficient my Windows workflow was until I experienced the keyboard-first approach of macOS.

The contrast is stark:

Windows’ Mouse Dependency: Microsoft’s ecosystem seems built around mouse interactions first, keyboard shortcuts second. Simple tasks often require multiple clicks through menus when they could be single keyboard commands.
Lost Productivity: Tasks that I’d streamlined on macOS with tools like Raycast suddenly felt clunky and time-consuming on Windows.
Context Switching Overhead: Moving between my personal MacBook and work Windows machine has made the efficiency gap even more apparent.

I’m actually planning to make a case to my workplace about using my MacBook for work. It’s not just about preference – it’s about productivity. When you’re used to a keyboard-first environment that prioritizes efficiency, going back to a mouse-dependent workflow feels like working with one hand up your ass.