Living Without Big American Tech: My Month with European Alternatives

For the past month, I embarked on an unusual experiment: living without relying on major American tech giants. Yes, I know the irony — I’m sharing this experience on an American streaming platform! But despite not reaching 100% independence, I was surprised by just how far I managed to go.

I used a German-made laptop running mostly European or open-source software and a Dutch phone equipped with a French operating system — both remarkably free of Google, Apple, and other U.S. companies. While I don’t plan to stick with every aspect of this setup long-term, I discovered several tools and solutions I genuinely enjoyed. Here’s what I learned.

The Devices

Let’s start with the hardware. I used a laptop from Tuxedo, a German company that even assembles its machines in Germany. Sure, it has international components like an Intel processor, but the operating system — Tuxedo OS — is their own Linux-based platform. It’s built on Ubuntu and KDE Plasma, with KDE’s development team also based in Berlin.

I’ve dabbled with Linux before, but never as my main system. Thankfully, Tuxedo machines are purpose-built for Linux, with custom drivers that ensure everything works smoothly out of the box. My model, the Aura 14 Gen 3, features a 12th-gen Intel i5 processor. At €779, it’s pricier than similarly spec’d Windows laptops, but given the craftsmanship and niche market, it felt reasonable.

To my surprise, adapting to Tuxedo OS was easier than I expected. As someone not interested in over-customizing my machine, I found the system intuitive — not much harder than switching from Windows to macOS.

Software and Apps

Of course, software compatibility was my biggest concern. For video editing, I typically use DaVinci Resolve, an Australian-made program that supports Linux — but not on my entry-level machine’s integrated GPU. Still, most other tasks were covered by open-source tools:

• LibreOffice for documents

• KDE Connect to sync my phone and desktop

• Firefox for web browsing

• Signal for messaging and calls

Surprisingly, these tools worked beautifully. LibreOffice handled even complex slideshows with ease, and KDE Connect impressed me so much I’d recommend it to any Android user.

The Star of the Show: Nextcloud

What really blew me away was Nextcloud, a German-developed open-source cloud solution. Think of it as a self-hosted alternative to Google Drive, Docs, Calendar, and more. You can run it on your own hardware, rent a server, or use a hosting company.

I set up Nextcloud through a German cloud provider, Hetzner, which made installation straightforward. My personal dashboard showed files, appointments, synced photos, and even allowed for basic document editing. There’s an app store, too, with options like task management, whiteboards, PDF signing, and even an AI assistant.

The web interface wasn’t flashy but was functional, and performance was smooth despite running on a basic server. Nextcloud also has desktop and mobile apps, making syncing across devices seamless.

The Downsides

It wasn’t all perfect. Here are three challenges I faced:

1. Collaboration hurdles: Sharing documents is harder since most people don’t have Nextcloud accounts.

2. Basic apps: Some features, like the Notion-style Collectives, felt too limited.

3. Admin responsibility: Running your own cloud means you become the system administrator — handling updates, backups, and security yourself.

Still, after three weeks, I hadn’t hit any major snags and was genuinely impressed.

Final Thoughts

While I won’t abandon all American tech permanently, this experiment opened my eyes to the incredible innovation happening in Europe and the open-source world. From laptops to cloud services, there’s a growing ecosystem of tools that give you greater control and privacy — and often work far better than expected.

If you’re curious, I’ve also compiled a detailed document with all the products, apps, and my Nextcloud setup, which you can check out if you want to try this journey yourself.