Ubuntu on Windows

microsoft is leveraging FOSS Linux to get Mac users. I think it's a real smart move.

The author points to using grep and Xargs and some other tools to quickly update a package. That's the key here. These bash/Linux utilities are productivy boosters for all the Linux and Mac/bsd people out there. I can't imagine living without them and they're necessary for any system I develop on (which is currently a Mac).

I completely agree. I only really switched to OSX because getting node tools to work on windows and cygwin is a pita.

I've been "stuck" with a 2010 Macbook since Apple isn't refreshing it's laptop hardware soon enough. Plus I'm sick of soldered in RAM and other BS.

For devs that do heavy Linux work (but have stuck with a Mac OS for GUI/app reasons), is it time to move (back) to Windows? If so, what would be a good laptop to get at the moment?

Go to a brick and mortar electronics store, pick out a laptop that meets your desired specs, and do something realistic with it for a while. There are lots of little things I took for granted about Apple MacBooks that no Windows laptops could match. Touch pad, high dpi display, and cooling were never quite done right, but they are crucial for every day operations.