The Golden Cage: Why I stopped trusting Apple’s software and started tinkering with Linux

Part I: The golden cage I still remember the well-paid freelancer sitting next to me in 2002, at my first job. He was the only person in the entire company already running Mac OS X—every other designer was still using OS 9. I was fascinated by his enormous Cinema Display, the Dock, the glossy icons, and the menu bar. It looked like software from a better future. Twenty-four years later, I am sitting on the sofa, watching my third Apple keynote in a row, and I feel nothing. Don’t get me wrong. I still root for Apple, and I want the company to succeed. I was never a fanboy, though. I own around ten shares—not a serious position—while a former co-worker has one-third of his net worth invested in Apple. The hardware is still excellent. It is beautifully designed, expensive, durable, and usually has a long shelf life. Owning an Apple device is still a status symbol. But that status is also the problem. When your products occupy the premium tier, major changes become difficult. You iterate…