I went back to Linux because I can at least decide when I'm ready for updates that changes my workflow. Neither Windows nor macOS gives me that experience. I wouldn't put Linux on a pedestral when it comes to UX/UI/design, but at least it doesn't rugpull me once a year (or more often with Windows) with forced updates.

As someone who cares deeply about UX that doesn't get in the way and allows professionals to do their work effectively, I'd be a hardcore Apple fanboy if the UX was actually good for that.

I’m not sure where you saw forced updates. I’m usually 2 to 3 major versions of macOS behind.

> I’m not sure where you saw forced updates. I’m usually 2 to 3 major versions of macOS behind.

I remember being nagged about upgrading to the latest OS version at least once a day if not more often. Opening my wife's laptop just now, I saw another one of those notifications, begging to update where the only options were "Restart" or "Later".

This is one of my least favorite aspects of modern UI design practices, the user doesn't have any agency. Everything's a choice between "Yes" and "ask again later".

The update notification has a close icon when you hover the popup window. I use it all the time.

It'll ask me again later (a few days? a week?), but it won't make any changes immediately, nor will it schedule any changes.

I'm a chronic procrastinator when it comes to updating macOS, and I can confidently say that it asks me about updating _at most_ once a week (if even that), not every day and certainly not multiple times in the same day.

You can dismiss that by clicking on the notification without clicking on either option. It will pull up the System Settings, which you can then close.

You can turn off automatic updates if you want. You can even control security sensitive updates and App Store app updates separately.

I’m currently 1 behind and the upgrade nagging is ramping up

I basically stay on whatever macos version I have until they pull security updates for it. Seems to work alright so far. My last two OSs were mojave and now Sonoma (due to the new mac coming with it) having skipped all the rest including the latest sequoia.