Since posting this, there have been a few changes:
1. My 2015 iMac had some issues, so I sent it back to Apple. I also very badly wanted to buy a Mac Pro, but just couldn't chunk down so much moolah, for a system that was a couple years old and not really upgrade-able.
2. I bought a big & ugly PC desktop, which I'm typing this on now. Yes, I'm going to make thge change on my primary system. I plan to migrate my ecosystem, over the holidays, when I have some downtime.
3. I also switched my mobile Windows system from the SP3 to an XPS13, which I love.
4. When the dust settles, I'll likely have only one OSX system (my 12" rMB). Though I still plan on using my iPhone, and do have a couple iPads gathering dust, as well as a bunch of ATVs.
At the end of the day, there were a few things prompting me to move:
- Upgrade-ability - I hate the fact that I can't upgrade components, even on the Mac Pro
- Price - I did get some outstanding deals on hardware that I wanted
- Flexibility - I'm loving the ability to upgrade components, vs ripping and replacing whole systems
- Win 10 - It's actually gotten pretty good, with an understandable GUI and good multitasking capabilities
- Mandatory iCloud - I hate the fact that Apple is disabling things like Home Sharing, forcing us to put our content on their overpriced iCloud
How good is Win 10? I'd say it's outstanding in "locked-down" platforms like the SP3 or my Dell XPS13. In these systems, most stuff does seem to "just work". It does fall down a bit in systems where components can be changed or upgraded, making me fiddle with 3rd party drivers and such with my desktop tower.
After 25yrs with Apple, I still love it. It's also funny because I can now get Apple systems issued by my work, unlike my first 20 or so years using Macs. But the current Mac Pro not being upgradeable bugs me. The iMac isn't powerful enough for my main system, and I hate the fact that I can't even replace its SSD without major surgery. And I want to share our family photos and videos locally, without having to use iCloud. I also do like some of the touch features in Win 10, on my XPS 13.
Migrating the ecosystem will be a somewhat painful task, but one I now feel OK with undertaking.
My Surface Pro 3 was a pleasant surprise, for me. The new revs look great as well. As a result, I'm certainly integrating Win 10 into my life.
But alas, I just did a Mac refresh. So, I guess I'm a Mac guy for the next couple of years. We're just too committed to the Apple ecosystem, at the moment. But I like where MS is headed, more than Apple. I want to buy fewer things that do more, rather than buying more dedicated stuff.