I've been an Apple user for more than 20 years now. In all these years, I never felt that there are products in the Microsoft ecosystem that are superior to what Apple has to offer. This has changed, however, in 2015. When the first XPS 13 came out, it was clear to me that PC manufacturers have caught up and, in some instances, surpassed Apple in terms of hardware. What was still missing was the software - but this has also changed with Windows 10, which is a delight to use.
This hasn't made things easier for me - before, it was just a matter of getting the next version of the Apple product I was using at that time. Now I have to take a gazillion of other options into consideration when I buy a new computer. I'm in the market for an ultra portable, for example. The Macbook Air just doesn't cut it for me - it's too big, the screen sucks. I looked at the 12" Macbook, but that one is too expensive in Europe for what it is - I'm not paying 1500 bucks for a borderline sluggish Intel M laptop with just one port (or an iPad Pro, for that matter, which is just an oversized toy to me). I can get a full-fledged i5 from Microsoft or Dell for that price, with the added bonus of getting a touch-screen and a better keyboard.
so will I leave Apple and move to Microsoft? Possibly yes. However, this will be the same for me as with the phones - I tend to switch between Android and iOS devices as they're both adequate. That deep connection I felt with Apple died together with Steve. Apple is just another mega-corp for me now, and ideology-wise, it doesn't matter to me whether I'm using a Microsoft or an Apple device. So from now on, I'll probably switch between Windows and Mac computers every other year or so and buy whatever offers the best value at the time.
