I haven’t used Mint. Used Ubuntu - various flavors for several years. then decided I liked OpenSUSE better. Mint is often suggested for new users and people coming from Windows. Important thing is a good user base and possibly paid support. The two main Linux desktops are Gnome and KDE. Mint’s Cinnamon, which you probably use is a fork off of Gnome. It’s no longer compatible with Gnome, so it means you will have to rely on the Mint community to make sure it’s bug free.
If you have to support any of your old Windows apps for some reason, your main choices are to run Windows on Mac using Parallels to operate a virtual machine or to run WINE environment under Linux. You may want to see if Mint supports WINE just in case, because your Windows stuff will be bog-slow on a 2012 MacBook Pro…
Other random audiophile thoughts - ROON works under both Mac and Linux. There aren’t many choices in systemwide parametric EQ for Mac. @Torq is much more of a Mac Guru than I am (even though I’ve been running Mac since System 4 Finder 5 on bootleg eproms in an Atari… and kept an A/UX system going for a few years). He could probably point out more things to pay attention to. Qobuz has a linux client, Tidal doesn’t but there is a third party one that works. Are you using Cider to get Apple Music on Mint?
In my daily life now, I run Windows 11 most of the time, but have a Mac right next to me.
I don’t want to kick up any dust but I don’t consider Linux to be plug and play for anything, especially media consumption.
Yes, there are various ways to get some things to work but that by definition is not plug and play.
Windows gets more and more annoying but in the end media consumption almost always works.
I keep threatening myself to move to Mac for a stable and reliable o/s, but the idea of relearning everything and figuring out a new workflow for every task is just too much.
These days I spend most of my ‘computer’ time on iPad. The portable format works well, iPad apps are pretty reliable and a 13" screen is big enough to comfortably navigate Apple Music and watch video. Of course, you have to pay the Apple Tax but it still ends up worth it.
Linux is NOT plug-and-play for much of anything in my experience. I tried it (several times) and the Raspberry Pi for media consumption, but gave up as everything is slow, incompatible, or inferior to Windows and Mac/iOS. Some hardware drivers were never available.
I’ve been using Apple products as the most painless plug-and-play option, but they are not as flexible as Windows. I’ve tried but not been impressed by Android.
The iPad may be the most painless plug-and-play media device overall. I stream from Amazon HD, Youtube Music, Spotify, and Apple (ripped personal CD files) through a couple Macs, my iPhone, and my iPad. You might get the cheapest current iPad for streaming – it has way more than enough space and speed.
I have a Windows 10 PC for when I must update drivers or truly use Windows.
It would appear from my comments that @NickZ and @generic are correct about Linux. At some point, even after learning the interface of your distro, there will come a time when you just get down to a bash or korn shell and start dealing with the command lines.
This is plug and play if you teethed on Perl and you understand regular expressions. If you’ve taken vi at gunpoint, and don’t hesitate to muck with sendmail config.
I’m not keeping a Linux box at present because I get rusty and never made it past buck sergeant in terms of Linux knowledge.
As others have noted, these two sentences don’t really go together.
I think you would be better off with a dedicated streamer for your music. The Wiim Pro Plus is pretty transportable and low-cost at about $220. Move up to the kilobuck range and options abound (though not so portable). With Qobuz Connect on pretty much everything now, it will be easy to start a stream from your phone or other device and toss it over to your streamer. It’s as close as you can get to “plug and play.”
I’m neither using Linux, nor Mac for much of anything atm. I’m no longer a Windows fan, and I certainly do not like the prospects of moving to Windows 11. I thought I would use Linux for daily basics stuff which is mostly browser based. Stuff like checking email, weather, and various social platforms, banking, and streaming services like Youtube, Amazon and Paramount.
I am running Mint Cinnamon though a few upgrades behind now. Not a big deal to get current, though I was thinking of a lighter version like xfce. As for the Macbook, I would use it for photo editing with Affinity Pro and playing my CD’s and DVD’s since it has a player onboard that works just fine. Judging from what folks are saying, the Mac might be a better bet for the streaming side of things. Since I have an iphone, it probably makes sense though. As noted, it is an old horse running Catalina, so there will be some limitations, if not now, in the future. Also, I’m not sure about the security updates I am getting, if any. Methinks nothing anymore. Been looking at a newer (or perhaps Apple refurb) Mac (or Ipad @NickZ ) to get a bit more longevity regarding upgrades. Although I am not thrilled about learning a new OS at this time in the game lol, since I use mostly browser-ly things these days, it can’t be all that onerous I should think.
One thing I failed to mention @pennstac@NickZ@generic@Lou_Ford that completely slipped my mind, is that I run everything internet via my iphone hotspot, so how that plays into the whole scenario needs consideration, also.
I am trying to avoid yet another subscription like Roon, though it sounds great for numerous reasons. Also, the fewer hardware devices I need to faff around with, the better, though I have not dismissed the idea entirely @Lou_Ford.
Appreciate everyone’s great feedback. Food for thought and slowly homing in on a plan. Many thanks !
Keep in mind that iOS (phone/tablet) is not MacOS (notebooks, desktops). They work well together, but old-school keyboard computers have old-school features and workstation complexities. In my experience, MacOS software lags a bit behind both iOS and Windows. For simplicity, the phone/tablet iOS is easy easy easy (but a walled garden too).
My iPad/phone runs through the Apple “Camera adapter” – it’s a small dongle that lets you plug into the wall USB power source and also output data through USB. I run USB into my DACs. You could run your iPhone through the Camera adapter and avoid getting another device too.
The base model iPad 11 is “just” $350, so I’d go for new myself. Latest tech, best warranty, full life battery. For a basic Mac, I stream video with a $600 Mac Mini (MacOS) through a large flat screen. I also have a recent MacBook Pro.
If you go iPad, I would not go for the base model iPad, because it still uses the lightning connector. That forces you to use a Camera Adapter to connect your DAC. Go for iPad Air or iPad Pro even used or refurbished and get USB-C connectivity.
The Apple Store has a great refurbished section online. My work setup is an M1 based iPad Pro on the apple keyboard cover which lets me keep it plugged in and still have a free USB port to connect to a DAC for when I’m not streaming via Bluetooth.
Depends on use case and budget. If kept stationary, then Camera Adapter is no big deal. I once had an iPad in one place on my desk for several years – I almost never moved it. If moved around a lot then, yes, the CA is a huge PITA.
