I’ve been a solid Mac-only guy now for several years now. Even though I can’t afford the latest and greatest hardware (I always recommend saving with Apple’s many refurb products), I alway keep on top of developments in the hopes that at some point I can afford them.

Last week, Apple hosted their annual WWDC, during which they announced a new MacBook Pro with specs that are crazy awesome. But upon reading further articles once they started shipping, my enthusiasm for Apple’s product line has waned a bit.

Kyle Wiens summed up in a great article (read it here) how I’m feeling about where Apple is going:

Every time we buy a locked down product containing a non-replaceable battery with a finite cycle count, we’re voicing our opinion on how long our things should last. But is it an informed decision? When you buy something, how often do you really step back and ask how long it should last? If we want long-lasting products that retain their value, we have to support products that do so.

The simple fact is that while I’m still an Apple fan and do recommend their products for most folks who ask me about their computing needs, I’m the kind of geek that likes to tinker to some extent. When I’m mobile, you bet your ass I’m using an iPad and I don’t mind if that’s sealed up as it is because it simply has to “just work”, but with my home computers, I like to know that I can take a crack at fixing a hardware problem myself before turning it over to the super experts. I can no longer crack open a Mac mini to upgrade the parts or take the time to swap out the hard drive or battery on a MacBook Pro. I miss building my own machines so I think I’m going back to that. Especially because I’m so far behind in my PC gaming that I’m running the risk of losing some serious geek cred…