Something interesting happened during my Mac transition that I didn’t expect: my entire relationship with computers changed. Not just the tools I use, but what I actually do with my time.
The Gaming Exodus
I haven’t been gaming anyway. My Steam Deck is there, and I’m playing Vampire Survivors occasionally, but that’s about it. I haven’t started Dragon Age. I haven’t finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Haven’t finished Expedition 33. Haven’t finished Warhammer.
My weekends used to be gaming sessions. Now they’re coding, Docker development, website building, data analysis, BigQuery, Postgres, SQL work.
Windows PC: Gathering Digital Dust
The only time I’ve logged into my Windows machine recently is to download Epic Games Store’s weekly free games. And honestly, I can do that through the web anyway.
I haven’t turned on my Windows PC in a hot minute. This from someone who used to live in that ecosystem.
The Accidental Productivity Shift
This wasn’t intentional. I didn’t set out to become less of a gamer and more of a developer. The Mac transition just happened to coincide with a shift in what I find engaging.
Maybe it’s the development tools being more accessible on Mac. Maybe it’s the Unix-like environment making certain workflows feel more natural. Or maybe it’s just that I’m in a different phase of life.
What Changed
Before (Windows):
- Evenings: Gaming sessions
- Weekends: Long gaming marathons
- Development: Occasional side projects
After (Mac):
- Evenings: Small development tasks
- Weekends: Deep-dive coding projects, database work, website building
- Gaming: Rare, casual sessions on Steam Deck
The Tools Influence Behavior
I think the development environment on Mac made programming feel more approachable. Having better terminal access, Unix tools, and a more development-focused app ecosystem subtly nudged me toward spending more time coding.
The learning curve of Mac itself also kept me engaged with technology in a different way. Instead of consuming entertainment, I was figuring out new workflows and optimizing my setup.
Unintended Consequences
This is one of those unintended consequences of platform switching. I expected to change how I work. I didn’t expect to change what I do with my free time.
The irony is that I probably have better gaming hardware now (considering the unified memory for certain types of workloads), but I’m using it for PostgreSQL analysis instead of playing games.
The Productivity Feedback Loop
There’s something satisfying about building things that games weren’t providing anymore. Finishing a complex SQL query or getting a website deployment working feels more rewarding than completing a game level.
Maybe this is just a phase, or maybe the Mac transition happened to coincide with a natural evolution in interests. Either way, it’s been an unexpected side effect of switching platforms.
The fact that my expensive gaming setup is now primarily used for database development work would have seemed ridiculous six months ago. But here we are.