What David Heinemeier Hansson thinks about Apple
Creator of Ruby on Rails, CTO of 37signals, and creator of Omarchy.
Everything they publish, on ppll ↗
David Heinemeier Hansson did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
11 dated positions, 2025 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what David Heinemeier Hansson has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Their wordsIt is an infuriatingly locked-down computer. Now, to Apple's credit, it's a pretty good computer for being locked down, but I don't want a locked-down computer. I wanna own my computer. Better yet, I wanna mutate my computer, and this is where the agentic age needs a new operating system. When you can vibe code whatever app comes to your mind, you should be able to vibe code your operating system.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Agentic Engineering, Vibe Coding & Linux | Lex Fridman Podcast #501youtube.com 21st of 41 in this recording
- 1 day earlier
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Their wordsThere's not this two-tier system where, well, there's Apple or Windows and they make the real thing and then you can try to hack or patch your little thing around it and it's going to look second tier, it always does.
↗Is Linux the perfect operating system? - Omarchy interview with DHHyoutube.com 2nd of 6 in this recording
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Our readingIntel's Panther Lake has finally matched Apple on power efficiency, so a new laptop should have one.
Their wordsWhat's really important is that if you get a new computer, a new laptop, you get one with an Intel Panther Lake chip. That is the revelation that um just leaped in the Intel side forward. Intel has finally matched Apple on efficiency in terms of uh power usage
↗Is Linux the perfect operating system? - Omarchy interview with DHHyoutube.com 6th of 6 in this recording
- 12 months earlier
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Their wordsIt's crazy that it took me more than thirty years to realize this, but while I spent time in Apple's walled garden, the free software alternative simply grew better, stronger, and faster. The Linux of 2025 is not the Linux of the 90s or the 00s or even the 10s. It's shockingly more polished, capable, and beautiful.
- 6 weeks earlier
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Their wordsBut as Apple discovered the gold mine, it is to operate a toll booth where you don't have to innovate, where you don't actually even have to make anything, where you can just take 30% of other people's business. There was a rot that crept into the foundation of Apple and that started all the way back from the initial launch of the app store.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting | Lex Fridman Podcast #474youtube.com 31st of 36 in this recording
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Their wordsI think it is incredible and the entire developer ecosystem. Not just on iOS but on Android as well, owe Epic, Tim Sweeney and Mark Rein, an enormous debt of gratitude for taking on the only battle that has ever inflicted a series wound on Apple in this entire sorted campaign of monopoly enforcement.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting | Lex Fridman Podcast #474youtube.com 32nd of 36 in this recording
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Their wordsApple could absolutely stumble and I think they have more reason to stumble now than ever. They're behind on AI, terribly behind. Their software quality is faltering in a bunch of ways.
↗DHH: Future of Programming, AI, Ruby on Rails, Productivity & Parenting | Lex Fridman Podcast #474youtube.com 33rd of 36 in this recording
- 11 days earlier
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Their wordsIf that fully vertically integrated system suddenly is run by people with not quite as much taste as Steve Jobs with not quite as in tune sensibilities about everything from marketing to the vision of computing but instead by a logistics guy.
↗DHH discusses Linux and Omarchyyoutube.com 3rd of 9 in this recording
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Their wordsyou can see like we're about two little bunny hops away from having a computer that's so locked down that I don't get to run the software of my own choice.
↗DHH discusses Linux and Omarchyyoutube.com 4th of 9 in this recording
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Their wordsLike I really dislike what happened when they took this unfortunate turn into services and realized that that was the easiest money they could they could ever make is just take a cut of other people's business. That has a corrupting force I think.
↗DHH discusses Linux and Omarchyyoutube.com 6th of 9 in this recording
- 5 days earlier
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Their wordsI don't know when we'll literally get "The Year of Linux on the Desktop", but I've never been as convinced that its coming as I am now. There's enough dissent in the water. Enough dissatisfaction with both Apple and Microsoft.