How long do Macs "last" in general?

[Eug]

16 GB is a big limitation for some people. For many others, it is not. For myself, 8 GB is actually the sweet spot, but on occasion for me in a laptop it can be limiting, and I keep my machines a long time, so I got 16 GB in my MacBook. The way I look at it is I now have 4X as much RAM as I originally needed when I bought my last MacBook Pro. It shipped with 2 GB, and now I have 8 GB in it. For light usage 4 GB is actually OK, but for even light-moderate office usage, 8 GB is a big step up. And 8 GB is the sweet spot in 2018, so 16 GB will be the sweet spot in a few years.

OTOH, I'm not a designer. If I were a web designer, I probably wouldn't buy a new MacBook Pro until it got 32 GB. Hell, even as a non designer I went with 24 GB in my iMac (although even for my dual screen setup I'm probably OK with 16 GB as a non-designer).

BTW, I will wade into the Linux discussion by saying Linux-on-the-desktop is finally here! It's just not in the form people were expecting. The form it is in that is consumer friendly IMO is actually Chrome OS. Using Neverware CloudReady, I have revived one of my long dead MacBooks. So my current repertoire is:

2017 27" iMac18,3 24 GB: High Sierra
2010 27" iMac11,3 12 GB: High Sierra
2017 12" MacBook10,1 16 GB: High Sierra
2009 13" MacBook Pro5,5 8 GB: High Sierra
2008 13" MacBook5,1 8 GB: High Sierra
2008 13" MacBook4,1 4 GB: Chrome OS

The last machine can't run any version of OS X viably past 10.7.5, and I don't want to use any version before 10.10, so that's why I stuck Chrome on it. Yes, Chrome is very limited in what it can do, but it runs great on old hardware, and doesn't come with all the pain that the other Linux distros come with. In fact, CloudReady is officially certified to work on MacBook4,1. The install consists of this: Plug in 16 GB USB drive in WIndows PC. Download CloudReady USB installer creater and let the software do its thing. Then plug the drive into MacBook and boot off it. It will boot off the USB drive and you can even use it like that, but there is a button to push to install it on the MacBook. Start the install process and let it do its thing. Then reboot to a fully functional install of Chrome. Easy peasy. No drivers to install.

I also have a 2006 iMac4,1 that was given to me, but that is 32-bit with a 2 GB max and is pretty much junk now. Not supported by any recent OS X version, and not even CloudReady Chrome OS supports it. So, that one has gone into my Mac museum.

 

[JSt0rm]

my 2010 12 core macpro is chugging along nicely. 64gig of ram.

 

[Caseyloo]

In your experience, if you buy a brand new Mac, how long can you realistically keep it and remain "relevant"?

Be able to run all the latest OS updates, software, etc. I am not talking about games. I am only concerned with business/work related stuff. Video editing, Photoshop, Programming, etc, etc.

Thanks!

On Average, about 4-5 years but I'm a heavy users...

 

[mlody]

I have 27" iMac mid-2010 2.8 i5 that I still use on daily basis as the primary machine. I added SSD to make the usage enjoyable, but that would be the case with any computer even something from 2018. I also have 24 GB of memory. This mac still supports the latest OS - High Sierra and as long as I am able to put the latest OS on it, I do not have any plans to replace it.

I do not use it for anything fancy, just regular email, internet, home finances, home videos and picture management, music streaming, light virtualization etc. There are few things that I wished my system had, but none of them are dealbreakers:
- AirDrop
- Auto Unlock with Apple Watch
- and perhaps USB 3.0 for faster Time Machine

 

[Kadarin]

I have a 2013 iMac (then top of the line) that I still use on a regular basis. It works fine.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

My 2011 MBP is still my primary personal machine. (Quad core i7.) It's had 16GB since 2011, and I upgraded to an SSD about a year ago. It's on High Sierra.

I recently picked up a 2010 27" iMac for work purposes. (Quad core i5.) I was feeling pretty limited until I put an extra 16GB in it (total of 24GB). Now it flies most of the time. I can see that it's usually at 20-22GB of actual usage (I use a LOT of tabs in FF and Safari.) 16GB gets me by in the MBP because of the SSD. I'll get an SSD in a FW800 enclosure for it sometime. Also on High Sierra.

My 2006 Mac Pro (now also with 24GB, and a 120GB SSD boot drive) is feeling its age with OSX 10.7, but it doesn't feel slow at all. I've also got a pair of quad core Xeons that I plan on putting in it. With its 4 HDD bays, it's my storage server.

 

[TheStu]

I think the 2010 iMac could be opened with magnets and a suction cup if you're feeling adventurous. Then it too can get the internal SSD love.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

I think the 2010 iMac could be opened with magnets and a suction cup if you're feeling adventurous. Then it too can get the internal SSD love.

Yeah, I'm debating it. Never opened up an iMac before. For now it's fine. I rarely do much with the HDD. The 24GB keeps me from swapping, so the HDD doesn't feel super limiting... yet. If I can find a good deal on a 500GB SSD then I'll probably go for it.

 

[bastones]

To be honest a Mac can last the same amount of time as a PC. I've known Macs last over ten years and over with PCs lasting only three, and vice versa. Apple can have the same kind of hardware issues as any other manufacturer, and I would argue they sometimes have unique problems that other manufacturers don't have. For example, their old polycarbonate MacBooks were prone to hairline cracks in the chassis, or the hinge in a MacBook Pro making loud snapping noises when the display is moved, or the iMac hinge no longer holding the iMac display upright. Yes, these kinds of issues have Apple's name on it, as well as other issues that might be common to some other manufacturers, such as image retention / ghosting, which has been prevalent on a lot of Apple displays, especially since their switch to IPS. Many of their earlier Retina displays had this problem, even the 2015 iMac! I had this model and it exhibited the same problem within half a year of owning it. Luckily, I was able to make a claim under consumer rights law to get it replaced with a 2017 iMac after the first display replacement failed to permanently resolve the problem.

So a Mac, in general, can last a long time. But don't believe the hype that they all last a ludacrious long time compared to PCs, because they all share the same hardware and you can easily find PC hardware that has the same manufacturing quality Apple are (usually) known for.

Now, I must be the unluckiest Apple user out there, because every Mac I have owned (except perhaps my Mac mini from 2006) has had one problem or another. Let's hope my 2017 iMac isn't the same!

In terms of longevity, an SSD can definitely help with this because of the perception it gives you about your computer's overall performance. My iMac has a 1 TB Fusion Drive, which pairs a 32 GB SSD with a 1 TB mechanical drive spinning at 7200-rpm. I do certainly notice that there is a mechanical drive in there when some apps launch, but my most frequently used apps generally launch quite quickly. And I can attest for this because I'm using 440 GB of storage space, so I know for certain some of my apps have to be on the mechanical drive.

As a developer, my usage patterns are fairly linear so the apps I use throughout the day rarely change, and even if I need to use an app that I only use occasionally, it might take a few more seconds to open but once it has launched, there is no speed difference between a Mac with a mechanical drive and an SSD, unless that app happens to be I/O heavy.

 

[phillyTIM]

I bought my Early-2011 MacBook Pro in August 2011, upgraded it to 16Gb RAM and 1-terabyte HD a few years ago, and continue to use it to this very day (and the foreseeable future) because I could upgrade it. So I'll soon begin my 8th year with it!

But nowadays, my iPhone and iPad cover a lot of things that I used to use my laptop for. And frankly, I could see myself getting an iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard to further eliminate the laptop need.

While I am tempted to upgrade to a new MacBook Pro, I DO NOT like that they cannot be upgraded any longer, and are now 'overpriced disposable appliances' in my eyes.

In fact, I may just switch over to a Windows laptop once my MacBook Pro hits the skids. While there are a number of Windows laptops that are now disposable appliances that cannot be upgraded, there are still a number of them that can be upgraded - and they have better prices than MacBook Pros.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Eug]

I bought my Early-2011 MacBook Pro in August 2011, upgraded it to 16Gb RAM and 1-terabyte HD a few years ago, and continue to use it to this very day (and the foreseeable future) because I could upgrade it. So I'll soon begin my 8th year with it!

But nowadays, my iPhone and iPad cover a lot of things that I used to use my laptop for. And frankly, I could see myself getting an iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard to further eliminate the laptop need.

While I am tempted to upgrade to a new MacBook Pro, I DO NOT like that they cannot be upgraded any longer, and are now 'overpriced disposable appliances' in my eyes.

In fact, I may just switch over to a Windows laptop once my MacBook Pro hits the skids. While there are a number of Windows laptops that are now disposable appliances that cannot be upgraded, there are still a number of them that can be upgraded - and they have better prices than MacBook Pros.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I tried to use my iPhone and iPad (with Bluetooth keyboard) to replace my laptop. It couldn't be done. It's just way too awkward to try to use an iPad to get work done. The OS interface just isn't built for it. I do admit I do a lot more on my iPad and iPhone than I used to, but there are some things just don't work right on iOS, and that's productivity apps. Even just MS Office is a major problem. The speed is totally find even on a several year old iPad but the interface is not.

In your shoes I would recommend upgrading that 1 TB HD to an SSD. Once you do it will feel like a brand new machine. Do you really need 1 TB? If not, then go smaller and save some money. Your 16 GB is already the maximum you can get in a MacBook Pro.

I must say though that my disposable 2017 appliance, my 16 GB 12" MacBook is awesome. Speed is a significant boost over my 2009 2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, and the Retina screen is a great. Plus it's only 2 lbs. It feels like it's not even there, and actually in terms of weight it feels like it's in the same ballpark as my 9.7" iPad plus portable keyboard but less awkward to carry.

 

[Eug]

I have a mbp and now I'm still using mac OS X El Capitan

Why? It’s out of date.

and I rarely update my iPhone as well for two reasons: it's time consuming to update to new iOS and my phone only has 16GB memory, too small to install new system, kind of lazy

It’s easy to update the OS. Just download your photos just in case, backup your phone m, and then click then start the update. Doesn’t take too long.

16 GB is manageable. Just don’t overdo the number of apps you install.

However, which iPhone? Some can be slow with iOS 11.

 

[ban390]

My 2015 rMBP 13 is still going strong. I would love to keep it another 2-3 years, but the RAM and storage are not upgradable.

 

[Eug]

10.14 Mojave has a requirement of 2012 Macs or later (or if you have the Mac Pro, a 2010 with the right GPU). Going forward, the OS is Metal 2 accelerated, so any Mac without a Metal-capable GPU will not be supported by the OS.

A few people have hacked the install to work on 2011 Macs, but there is no UI acceleration, which is a big problem.

We shall see, but it would seem that the effective life-span has been shortened to 6 years for mainstream Macs, plus a couple more years of security updates. So total 8 years in terms of the OS, security, and software support.

I got 10 years out of a 2008 MacBook and 9 years out of a 2009 MacBook Pro though, since it was officially supported with 10.11 until 2016, and then I got two more years using hacked macOS installers for 10.12 until 2017 and 10.13 until 2018, and then I'll probably get security updates until 2020. So, total 12 and 11 years respectively.

 

[boomhower]

My wife ordered a new one yesterday to replace her 2011 MBP. Still works fine it has just gotten to slow for her liking. After 7 years I think it's served it's purpose. I have a 2013 I have zero intention of replacing for at least another two years unless there's a failure of some kind that doesn't make financial sense to fix.

 

[robvas]

Just gave my sister in law a 2011 13", put an SSD and 8GB in it and she loves it for light photo editing and such. Still works great but I don't need 4 Macs.

I'd say the Core2Duo 2009/2010 models are getting annoying slow to use...but they've been that way since the Core i5/i7 models came out.

 

[ankit3302]

As long as Apple will support by updates. Apple gives a no. of updates in a year.So, you can expect it cal last upto 5-6 years approx.

 

[secretanchitman]

I would say they last a while, speaking from my own experience with Macs (mid 2007, late 2008, mid 2010, early 2011 and late 2013).

My late 2013 15” Macbook Pro has lasted me years and I don’t see a need to replace it until Apple releases a new MBP with 32GB of RAM and Nvidia graphics.

 

[Fir]

Until the keyboard breaks.
Typing this on gen2 butterfly 15" MBP.