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cool11

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 3, 2006
1,851
228
I wonder all these apple laptop users, how many years keep their laptops in use before they buy a new one.
Mac hardware, mac os, are ideal to run for years without severe problems in hardware/software or performance?
 
i've had my Powerbook G4 since August of '03 still in use and still going strong. :D

(although the optical drive is going. :( )
 
I had my 12" iBook for 4 years. That's about average for me. My G4 PowerMac lasted 4 1/2. I'd say you will get 4 -5 years of life out of a Mac, or longer if you are not fussed about running the latest software.
 
My last notebook (Sony Vaio) I kept for over 3 years. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep my MB for that long or just upgrade it every other year...
 
i ordered my 17" PB the day they were announced (going on 4 years i think) and still use it everyday, though no longer for video/graphic work. it's still running the same as when i first received it. i could easily see using it for 2/3 more.
 
My iBook survived from August 2001 to October 2005 until the backlight for the screen died. It still works, and I occasionally hook it up to an external monitor when my wife and I want to sit right next to each other and ignore each other by playing video games.

(which isn't often).
 
I've had my iBook G4 for 2 1/2 years. It's great, but I may replace it with a refurbed/used MBP soon. I've been disappointed with the MacBooks, and I could see a MBP lasting quite a while.
 
My 1999 G3 (Lombard) PowerBook still serves as a browser/email reader for me as I work in the basement. And it was dropped 6 years ago (by someone else) so hard that the left rear speaker was crushed into oblivion.
 
I'm yet to have a Mac laptop (come on Steve, announce something I can get my teeth into), but I'd imagine about two years. My little Sony T2XP is ticking me off after a year, but that's mostly down to Windows. I've got some old Dell Inspirons that must be getting on for five years, and another Sony Vaio that's about three, but I hate them all. Laptop technology, just like mobile phones, has changed rapidly and aged many machines before their time. Mac laptops appear to have faired better than most.
 
I'm typing this from a G3 Pismo Powerbook. They originally came out in 2000. My boyfriend and I got this one used as an intro to Macs and it made us fall in love. It is a bit slow with multiple browsers open but still a great machine. Currently running OS 10.3.9

Cati
 
I wonder all these apple laptop users, how many years keep their laptops in use before they buy a new one.
I've had my current PowerBook since August 2004. I probably won't replace it until AppleCare runs out (Aug. '07), but running Aperture on this thing is making me antsy to get an upgrade.

I'm hoping that the LED-backlit display rumors are true. That'll give them enough time to work out the bugs between now and August while I build up the necessary funds. :)
 
my white mb is my first apple notebook, but i hope to at least keep it 4/5 years
 
I plan on keeping this MBP as long as I can... I'll be happy if I get 5-6 years, but who knows, maybe it'll keep on going even longer!
 
500 MHz Ti Powerbook still going strong after six and half years. It's on its third hard drive and I just replaced the battery, though.
 
Well my Fujitsu PC (not a Mac or a laptop I know but still) running Windows 98 went from 98 to 2003 without a format. At the end it was deing! I hope to keep my MacBook for atleast 5/6 years, then upgrade to something pro.
 
My MBP is 2 weeks and going strong :) Hope I can say this after about 5 yrs. After the $2200 I paid for it, it better.
 
I've had my PowerBook since July 2004. I at least plan to keep it until I finish college, which was its original purpose. After that I will probably keep using it until it either dies or something really awsome comes out to replace it.
 
Still using my PB since August of 04. Still doing quite well (although HD crashed several weeks ago). I expect to get several more years out of it.
 
My Powerbook G4 only lasted from April 04 to Oct 06, I wanted it to last me until I finished all my undergrad studies in 08 and it would have been adequete, but it ended up dying. :(

Fortunately I had AppleCare, so now I have a MBP that I have been using for a little less than 3 months.
 
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