Until last year I used a 2011 iMac with Linux, 24gb of RAM and an SSD. Quite a bit better in performance and security than laptops I've seen engineers issued last year.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32614135
https://github.com/dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/#readme
> running and unlocking features in macOS on supported and unsupported Macs
Most of the Apple hardware bought for me has been by employers who understood I wasn't going to use Apple software. In the big scheme of things, it is better to have a reduced set of drivers and pay a bit more than have an employee fiddling on drivers because Acer skimmed another $1 off their motherboard cost.
But sure, you don't need icloud if you got your photos on DVD right ?