Question Choose a single ecosystem or not ?

[bokka80]

Hello everyone!

I know it's going to be a bit long, but I'd like to explain my question to you in the most thorough way possible.

I'm over 40 years old, I've been using computers since I was in middle school and there were the first 80286 PCs with DOS 5.0. I grew up with Microsoft operating systems, every now and then over the years I've tried different Linux distributions, but I've always come back to Windows, for one reason or another. I've always been able to solve various problems, format (I think I was one of the first people called when someone had a problem with their computer since I was very young) and assemble a PC.

I've been using my smartphone since the Symbian days, then I switched to Android on the HTC Desire (and after that the Android smartphones I've had have always been Samsung and Google). I've lost count of how many custom ROMs I've tried, but I've always come back to the original one.

I currently have an iPhone 14 with which I am very happy, before I had an iPhone 11 and I was happy with that too, in some ways I prefer iOS to Android, in other things Android is light years ahead and is undeniably more practical. But this speech of mine is absolutely not a comparison iOS vs Android.

In recent years, perhaps out of laziness or I don't know why, I am attracted to having a single ecosystem, to be loyal to one company rather than another, to "avoid" one company over another competitor, even if in the end they never did me anything bad.

When I lived with my parents, we had a large house, with a room all to myself, with a rather powerful gaming PC with which I spent hours. At the time, however, there was not this integration between the various devices like there is now.

Now I no longer live with my parents and I have a family of my own. We live in a small apartment and I no longer have a gaming PC due to space issues, but I use an LG laptop that works really well and to play (for the LITTLE I play, but in the end it goes in periods) I have an Xbox series S, which is more than fine for my needs, too bad I can't play some PS5 games like the various God of War and Last of Us that I think are really great, but never mind.

Next year, however, I will move into a new house, but this means replacing the various appliances and probably the TVs. Since there will also be an extra room in which I will have the possibility of putting a PC and making a sort of office, I am undecided whether to get a Mac mini M4 (the basic model), or a PC.

I had already tried using a MacBook (M1), but I returned it because I realized that a 13-inch laptop as the main computer for the house was small and sometimes I had to move my face closer to the screen to see well. I promised myself I would buy the 15-inch MacBook Air when it came out, but I admit I still have to do it, even though the way things are going I wouldn't do anything about it anymore, since my next PC will be a desktop.

The curiosity to try an Apple ecosystem remains, even if using the MacBook for a short time I saw things that I didn't like (others I did).

When I get to move house, I will make a choice: switch to a Samsung ecosystem (including appliances probably), so also TV (oled) and Smartphone.

Pros:

1. SmartTV with a couple of technologies that interest me like the depth enhancer or Object Tracking Sound, which maybe who knows, in practice I won't even notice are there.
2. Smartphone with many years of updates, a "new" graphic interface (one UI 7) and the convenience of Android.
3. Appliances that are at least good on paper
4. Smartwatches, headphones and smartphones that are a little cheaper than Apple ones

Cons:

1. I read that in some parts of the one UI there are some advertisements, very little stuff, but I read that they are there and I already know that it would bother me a little.
2. I find FaceID more practical than touch ID.
3. Samsung Pay seems worse in terms of interface and usability than Apple Pay

Or to an Apple ecosystem, with obviously different appliances than Samsung ones and perhaps a little cheaper with LG TVs. I exclude TVs with Android TV for the moment because it seems like a fairly chaotic interface and I don't know how it behaves with updates.

Pros:

1. I don't know if LG TVs have the same technologies as Samsung ones, with obviously different names, but at least they are a little cheaper for me.
2. We know that iPhone updates are a guarantee, even if Apple intelligence will only start from the 15 PRO onwards
3. Practically perfect ecosystem

Defects:

1. It costs a little more than Samsung
2. macOS is perhaps a little less practical than Windows 11, but you probably have to learn to use it

I also know that this is a speech from a "psychologically unstable" person, but if I orient myself towards an Apple ecosystem, I will no longer want to use my Xbox Series S and will probably switch to something else, not because I don't want to use it anymore, but I will not want Microsoft systems at home, except for the current laptop that I will pass on to my daughter, since she is little for the moment, but soon she will come to ask me for a computer of her own. Series S I will probably sell it anyway even if I switch to a Samsung ecosystem, because in this case I will get a gaming PC.

Now that you know more or less my background, let's finally get to the question: if you were in my shoes and with my "psychological disorders!!" what would you do?

 

[LordVile]

Hello everyone!

I know it's going to be a bit long, but I'd like to explain my question to you in the most thorough way possible.

I'm over 40 years old, I've been using computers since I was in middle school and there were the first 80286 PCs with DOS 5.0. I grew up with Microsoft operating systems, every now and then over the years I've tried different Linux distributions, but I've always come back to Windows, for one reason or another. I've always been able to solve various problems, format (I think I was one of the first people called when someone had a problem with their computer since I was very young) and assemble a PC.

I've been using my smartphone since the Symbian days, then I switched to Android on the HTC Desire (and after that the Android smartphones I've had have always been Samsung and Google). I've lost count of how many custom ROMs I've tried, but I've always come back to the original one.

I currently have an iPhone 14 with which I am very happy, before I had an iPhone 11 and I was happy with that too, in some ways I prefer iOS to Android, in other things Android is light years ahead and is undeniably more practical. But this speech of mine is absolutely not a comparison iOS vs Android.

In recent years, perhaps out of laziness or I don't know why, I am attracted to having a single ecosystem, to be loyal to one company rather than another, to "avoid" one company over another competitor, even if in the end they never did me anything bad.

When I lived with my parents, we had a large house, with a room all to myself, with a rather powerful gaming PC with which I spent hours. At the time, however, there was not this integration between the various devices like there is now.

Now I no longer live with my parents and I have a family of my own. We live in a small apartment and I no longer have a gaming PC due to space issues, but I use an LG laptop that works really well and to play (for the LITTLE I play, but in the end it goes in periods) I have an Xbox series S, which is more than fine for my needs, too bad I can't play some PS5 games like the various God of War and Last of Us that I think are really great, but never mind.

Next year, however, I will move into a new house, but this means replacing the various appliances and probably the TVs. Since there will also be an extra room in which I will have the possibility of putting a PC and making a sort of office, I am undecided whether to get a Mac mini M4 (the basic model), or a PC.

I had already tried using a MacBook (M1), but I returned it because I realized that a 13-inch laptop as the main computer for the house was small and sometimes I had to move my face closer to the screen to see well. I promised myself I would buy the 15-inch MacBook Air when it came out, but I admit I still have to do it, even though the way things are going I wouldn't do anything about it anymore, since my next PC will be a desktop.

The curiosity to try an Apple ecosystem remains, even if using the MacBook for a short time I saw things that I didn't like (others I did).

When I get to move house, I will make a choice: switch to a Samsung ecosystem (including appliances probably), so also TV (oled) and Smartphone.

Pros:

1. SmartTV with a couple of technologies that interest me like the depth enhancer or Object Tracking Sound, which maybe who knows, in practice I won't even notice are there.
2. Smartphone with many years of updates, a "new" graphic interface (one UI 7) and the convenience of Android.
3. Appliances that are at least good on paper
4. Smartwatches, headphones and smartphones that are a little cheaper than Apple ones

Cons:

1. I read that in some parts of the one UI there are some advertisements, very little stuff, but I read that they are there and I already know that it would bother me a little.
2. I find FaceID more practical than touch ID.
3. Samsung Pay seems worse in terms of interface and usability than Apple Pay

Or to an Apple ecosystem, with obviously different appliances than Samsung ones and perhaps a little cheaper with LG TVs. I exclude TVs with Android TV for the moment because it seems like a fairly chaotic interface and I don't know how it behaves with updates.

Pros:

1. I don't know if LG TVs have the same technologies as Samsung ones, with obviously different names, but at least they are a little cheaper for me.
2. We know that iPhone updates are a guarantee, even if Apple intelligence will only start from the 15 PRO onwards
3. Practically perfect ecosystem

Defects:

1. It costs a little more than Samsung
2. macOS is perhaps a little less practical than Windows 11, but you probably have to learn to use it

I also know that this is a speech from a "psychologically unstable" person, but if I orient myself towards an Apple ecosystem, I will no longer want to use my Xbox Series S and will probably switch to something else, not because I don't want to use it anymore, but I will not want Microsoft systems at home, except for the current laptop that I will pass on to my daughter, since she is little for the moment, but soon she will come to ask me for a computer of her own. Series S I will probably sell it anyway even if I switch to a Samsung ecosystem, because in this case I will get a gaming PC.

Now that you know more or less my background, let's finally get to the question: if you were in my shoes and with my "psychological disorders!!" what would you do?

Depends what your use case is. If your TV has airplay it’ll works with an iPhone but you’re also getting bogged down in marketing. The entire “object sound” field of technologies is just gimmicks. Get a setup with Dolby atmos compatibility and you’re set. It’s widely supported and is on most devices.

For the desktop again it depends on the use case. The Mac mini sips power and is very capable for the price and power consumption however you will need a 4K display, ideally 5K for 1:1 UI rendering.

You’re also being very dumb with the one brand thing. Like are you going to sell every appliance in your house if you buy a Samsung phone because your fridge isn’t made by them?