Well, nobody here needs to fight the OS Warz; that was appropriate in IWE/NT madness daze, when DLL-Hell etc. were daily nastiness
(and even we mere spear-carriers could cite individual insults.)
Mainly I feel for the neophytes, but realize that my aversion to the re-labeling by MS of perfectly sensible conventions, already accepted:
may not seem so insane to folks who actually Like the kiddie-speak versions (they still retain.)

And yes, life IS too short to be a fanboi for any corporate propaganda--especially given the plight of so many real Matters, currently.
We already did that stuff, when it was current: IWE, 'NT is the futchah!' etc. while dealing with DLL-hell, daily and debating MS fanbois on the Obvious.

Fact is, You Can bring years of lore to bear on any problem in several OSs; your switch for specific photo options and evasion of the Apple Tax makes good sense.

I was lucky to buy-in/used, on what turned out to be: the near-last of the maintainable iMacs.
That Leopard SOLVED the backup-problem utterly seamlessly via Time Machine--was wondrous to behold!
Then, learning it via osmosis, finding out that it DID Just Work: was/is compelling.
5+ years of only trivial glitches becomes.. confirming. It fucking Works--as claimed.
As I can replace some boards, fix an HD or optical, (but can't get >6GB to fly) I'll stay til it dies.

Next: as Apple becomes asymptotic to The Beast in its grandiose and crass machinations, I'm back to becoming vulnerable: either switch to Ubuntu next
or be a willing-idiot to miniaturization as excuse for soldering-in that which Should remain replaceable By Users.

Anyway, no argument re the overview: the further Apple suits escalate the standard Corporate hubris of vulture-capitalism,
the more they become Beast II, and the less-likely I can continue to enjoy the stability I have now.
(Maybe I need to find a clean '09 iMac. IIRC that was last << the great-Shrinking started.
However long Mavericks lasts, maybe 3-4 years? can extend my time before bailing.)

When my ship comes in ... another UK trek is #2 (if not #1 by then) ... a pint + supper is on me.