Chris WiegmanThe most productive tech stack I ever had was around 2018-2019. I made a conscious effort to leave Apple behind and generally it was the one time in the last 20+ years where I feel like my tech actually worked for me as opposed to me changing everything to work within the limits of whatever tech stack I had.
The catch was that to make it all work I had moved all my data from Apple to Google. While that opened up the hardware options, it sure didn’t help my privacy.
Today, only a few years later, I’m deeper into Apple than ever. Once I tried to leave Google behind my tech fell apart and caused so much stress on my family with whom I share all kinds of data. The combination of NextCloud, Synology and other FOSS tech mostly worked for me but only if I worked in a bubble. In addition, some daily tasks, such as navigation, failed completely without Apple or Google maps, a problem I really did have to fix.
In 2021 I started moving back to Apple for the sole reason as it worked for everyone I needed it to work for. Today I have an Apple laptop, iPhone, iPad, TVs (on all our TVs), Watch, AirTags, headphones, Studio Displays, keyboards, trackpads… even the damned credit card. Almost all my data goes into iCloud, with Advanced Data Protection turned on, which even handles my email domain as email hosting comes free with a paid iCloud account.
In short, I’m back to the uncomfortable place where I have way too much in Apple, so much that my ability to even use my Linux laptop is limited because I can’t access much of the data I would need on it.
Something has to change.
I like to think that this all works well for me. I tell it to myself and even talk about it here, but that’s wishful thinking.
Quite simply, my data is way too tied to a few devices and in an ecosystem I don’t trust to be a good steward of it all going forward.
The other thing is I actually like using Linux and Android. I still say my Pixel 3XL was the best phone I’ve ever had and using Ubuntu today is so smooth, even compared to my Mac.
So what will I do about this?
Right now, not much. I have a lot of new Apple hardware and I don’t want to just replace it all.
I will, however, start researching ways to move off of Apple the right way, however that looks for me. If I make an immediate goal to just be able to fully use my Ubuntu laptop then I think I’ll be in good shape.
Here goes nothing.