May I ask what do you enjoy with a Macbook not running MacOS?
I don't like Apple devices myself but I understand that some people like the ecosystem as a whole.
However I don't understand the point of a Mac without MacOS. The hardware is pretty much garbage compared to any laptop of the same price range, let alone high-end laptops like Thinkpads.
(this is a honest question and I am not trying to troll or make fun of anyone, in case anyone doubt of the tone of my post)
Apple hardware is pretty nice. Spec out a top-of-the-line Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen8 against a top-of-the-line MBP13, and you definitely pay more for the MBP13, but it gives you more and superior RAM, more and superior SSD...the configurable ceiling and hardware quality are higher. The X1C-8 gives you more screen resolution, 4G LTE (not that you would need it if you have mobile hotspot with 5G), more ports, WiFi 6....but the central nervous system of the MBP is arguably better.
To answer your question, I don't see much reason to buy a MBP and run it without MacOS, because -- although the build quality is sensational and the MBP travels well -- I'd rather just buy a Lenovo with Windows 10 Pro from the factory, get their top-tier service and repair plan, and still come out cheaper than a new MBP. However, I could see myself converting an old MBP for use as a Windows machine.
You are comparing the specs sheets while I am looking at practical situations.
For the same use cases Linux feels (and is) way more performant and responsive even on a less powerful hardware, and I'm not even talking about Docker.
The MBP keyboard is probably the worse on the market and any lower-end laptop keyboard is more comfortable to use. And nowadays it is not even a complete keyboard since it lack many standard physical keys.
The number of ports is extremely limited and you cannot connect anything without an adapter.
The computer gets hot very easily, and when it does, the keyboard gets extremely hot as well. It is also very noisy compared to any other laptop.
The glossy screen may look cool in a shop but it is very unpractical and uncomfortable.
I do not have any of those problems with my X1, I even have the best keyboard I could hope for a laptop, along with actual features like the Trackpoint, physical camera shutter or the PrivacyGuard.
Install Linux on them when MacOS is no longer supported on your machine, perhaps? If your laptop still works, you should still be able to use it even if it is no longer supported.
Also, many people like to work with dual boot devices. And no, virtualization is not the same.
The hardware is also not garbage. It may not be competitive, but it is well made.
1. I'm not that much of a linux-guy but almost everything I derive pleasure from in programming is fairly close to the metal, e.g. microarchitectural benchmarking and tracing are probably the two things I've been doing the most recently and you can't even get close to them on MacOS. If I spend that much on a new ARM machine that's what I want to be doing
1.5) I like the GPL, apple doesn't
2. I like apple's hardware in a vacuum. As much as the company leaves a bad taste in my mouth (there is a deeply pretentious streak to Apple's approach to their users), they make nice cases and such.
I don't like Apple devices myself but I understand that some people like the ecosystem as a whole.
However I don't understand the point of a Mac without MacOS. The hardware is pretty much garbage compared to any laptop of the same price range, let alone high-end laptops like Thinkpads.
(this is a honest question and I am not trying to troll or make fun of anyone, in case anyone doubt of the tone of my post)