You're focusing on tools and not on outcomes in your previous post. The purpose of a computer is not to use a certain tool, but to achieve a result. The purpose of a car is not to burn a certain kind of fuel, but to transport people. What matters is if it can do that and with what comfort and what cost.

Macs are lacking compared to other platforms when it comes to games, which everybody admits. You can say that it is lacking as a server, but I would doubt that. More expensive yes, but you could serve anything you'd like from it if you want to.

When it comes to very industry specific software, which is used by maybe 3 companies worldwide, those applications do not have any importance for comparing platforms.

In that sense (having software for the most common of activities), all mainstream OSes (and some non-mainstream ones) have a “healthy native app ecosystem”. This is pointless copium.

What matters is stuff for which there are no workable alternatives elsewhere.

I can try and write a condescending automotive metaphor, if you like those, but I’d prefer not to.

> What matters is stuff for which there are no workable alternatives elsewhere.

But we have to limit ourselves to somewhat common use cases. If a company is making a piece of software especially for one or two big clients in their industry, then that has nothing to say about any personal computing platform.

Your example Docker is software which has been especially created to deal with the shortcomings of Linux. Of course we cannot expect it to be great on any other platform. Likewise, we cannot blame MacOS for lacking specific software that has been made by people who explicitly hate Apple, such as a lot of self hosted and open source stuff.

Most Mac users do not mess about with virtual machines or WSL/WSLG, as in your examples. But there are myriad personal and professional use cases that are supported by good native software. In comparison Linux is lacking in native apps. No good photo editor, no good office suite, no good e-mail client. So I wouldn't call it a strong platform if we compare.

And it isn't copium to me. It's quality of life question to be able to use native software, and as a non-programmer I can be more productive with GUI software that isn't some laggy cloud service.