I wish Apple would offer paid security updates for older OS

[rovostrov]

I don't really need or want a lot of the new features offered in Apples yearly MacOS upgrades.
It would be great if I were able to stay on my preferred MacOS and after three years, pay a yearly fee
for security updates. I know its a dream but why couldnt this be offered? Every year we get a new OS
that is full of bugs. After several months of updates, it finally starts working properly (for a few months)
only to then be replaced with a brand new bug-filled OS. If you find one you really like, it would be nice to
have the option to stick with it for a bit longer

 

[russell_314]

I don't really need or want a lot of the new features offered in Apples yearly MacOS upgrades.
It would be great if I were able to stay on my preferred MacOS and after three years, pay a yearly fee
for security updates. I know its a dream but why couldnt this be offered? Every year we get a new OS
that is full of bugs. After several months of updates, it finally starts working properly (for a few months)
only to then be replaced with a brand new bug-filled OS. If you find one you really like, it would be nice to
have the option to stick with it for a bit longer

As an end user it wouldn’t make sense. Microsoft did something similar but it was tens of thousands of dollars. Having a dedicated team working for a small number of devices equals very big prices

 

[rovostrov]

As an end user it wouldn’t make sense. Microsoft did something similar but it was tens of thousands of dollars. Having a dedicated team working for a small number of devices equals very big prices

I'm sure it'll never happen but I thnk many people would take advantage of it. The extended windows 7 support was $50 the first year and $100 for the second. I'd gladly pay Apple that rather than upgrading every 2-3 years

 

[Lihp8270]

I'm sure it'll never happen but I thnk many people would take advantage of it. The extended windows 7 support was $50 the first year and $100 for the second. I'd gladly pay Apple that rather than upgrading every 2-3 years

That’s per device and for business only. Year 3 is $200 per device.

 

[rovostrov]

That’s per device and for business only. Year 3 is $200 per device.

If MS can offer that as a business price, I dont know why Apple couldn't do the same for consumers. Usually after installing their yearly free upgrade, I have to shell out several hunderd bucks to upgrade incompatible software anyways. They could still give away the latest yearly OS and let others pay who want to stay where they are. Does not make sense to me why a company thats worth a few Trillion dollars cant offer this

 

[Lihp8270]

If MS can offer that as a business price, I dont know why Apple couldn't do the same for consumers. Usually after installing their yearly free upgrade, I have to shell out several hunderd bucks to upgrade incompatible software anyways. They could still give away the latest yearly OS and let others pay who want to stay where they are. Does not make sense to me why a company thats worth a few Trillion dollars cant offer this

Because companies don’t become valued that highly by giving money away.

 

[MBAir2010]

apple would lose money then, since we are all afraid of this security updates and need a new computer annually.
they should allow all access to their older OSx at our risk.
dosdude does

 

[rovostrov]

Because companies don’t become valued that highly by giving money away.

They literally give away their yearly OS and office suite. I'm not sure how they would go in the hole for charging a yearly fee at this point

 

[rovostrov]

apple would lose money then, since we are all afraid of this security updates and need a new computer annually.
they should allow all access to their older OSx at our risk.
dosdude does

I guess it does come down to how many units they push out every year. I'm not one to upgrade often. I think if it works, let it be

 

[code-m]

It’s called buying a new Mac. Apple makes money when people buy hardware as the cost of software and OS upgrades and updates are built into the pricing structure. With new hardware also brings other opportunities like UC and SC to drive sales of other devices. It is not in its financial interests unlike Microsoft who is a software and services while adding hardware to its portfolio. Apple is primarily hardware then services and software. I guess the 1 Trillion dollar valuation business model works.

 

[phrehdd]

If you are speaking about a computer that sits at a desk, there are alternatives to hardening the OS. Consider what sits between your computer and the internet. Devices that serve to protect are available.

 

[Bug-Creator]

If MS can offer that as a business price, I dont know why Apple couldn't do the same for consumers.

Scale.

Plenty companies do IT based on "never change a running system" pinning them down onto an older version of Windows. Often they don't even have a choice as specialised SW or HW just never got updated to work with the latest OS. So thats millions and millions of 50-200$ service contracts every year.

On iOS you'd see that most users just install an update when it becomes available (as seen be the fast adoption rates).
Even for the rest you'd still have to consider some people being to lazy to install it and only a small (vocal) minority whining about how thinks were better before.
And at last out of that small group subtract those are too cheap to spent any money on any SW.....

 

[Adarna]

Scale.

Plenty companies do IT based on "never change a running system" pinning them down onto an older version of Windows. Often they don't even have a choice as specialised SW or HW just never got updated to work with the latest OS. So thats millions and millions of 50-200$ service contracts every year.

On iOS you'd see that most users just install an update when it becomes available (as seen be the fast adoption rates).
Even for the rest you'd still have to consider some people being to lazy to install it and only a small (vocal) minority whining about how thinks were better before.
And at last out of that small group subtract those are too cheap to spent any money on any SW.....

You explained this eloquently well.

Manpower like programmers are very expensive relative to the number of consumers (not business) who want bug fixes rather than new features.

In our business I imposed that we stick to Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. Whatever new computer that has Windows 11 pre-installed will be auto downgraded to 10.

 

[Adarna]

If MS can offer that as a business price, I dont know why Apple couldn't do the same for consumers. Usually after installing their yearly free upgrade, I have to shell out several hunderd bucks to upgrade incompatible software anyways. They could still give away the latest yearly OS and let others pay who want to stay where they are. Does not make sense to me why a company thats worth a few Trillion dollars cant offer this

They're a $3 trillion company not because of Macs. Company's business units need to be self sufficient or they need to correct themselves.

The business that sells the least # of units as compared to others is the Mac.

 

[Adarna]

apple would lose money then, since we are all afraid of this security updates and need a new computer annually.
they should allow all access to their older OSx at our risk.
dosdude does

After 120 months of Software & Security Updates I think its time to respect ourselves and buy a new device.

And the excuse on avoiding e-Waste is admirable but I think it's more applicable to devices being thrown out after its 1st 12/24/36/48/60/72 months of use. And not something more than 120 months old.

For those curious this is how long each OS receives support.

• Windows after 122 months
• macOS after 120 months
• iPadOS within 58-100 months
• iOS within 76-93 months
• watchOS within 52-64 months

Apple isnt actively going after people like dosdude so whatever negative experience you have with using macOS on hardware that isn't spec'd for it should not be Apple's liability.

 

[eddjedi]

The problem with technology is that the longer you leave it, the more painful it is to upgrade. Technology will never stand still, so you have to move with the times, even if you don't particularly want to (trust me I would love my old job of making static HTML websites back!)

 

[Juraj22]

I'm sure it'll never happen but I thnk many people would take advantage of it. The extended windows 7 support was $50 the first year and $100 for the second. I'd gladly pay Apple that rather than upgrading every 2-3 years

What you are talking about? 2-3 years? Joking, right? MacBook Pro 15' early 2011 still receives security updates. That is 11 years already. iPhone 5S, that ended in iOS12.5 still received security updates. What product that Apple made has such short 2-3 support. I want to know.

 

[TracerAnalog]

If MS can offer that as a business price, I dont know why Apple couldn't do the same for consumers. Usually after installing their yearly free upgrade, I have to shell out several hunderd bucks to upgrade incompatible software anyways. They could still give away the latest yearly OS and let others pay who want to stay where they are. Does not make sense to me why a company thats worth a few Trillion dollars cant offer this

There simply isn’t a market for it. You pay for the software upgrades by buying a new iDevice.

 

[rovostrov]

What you are talking about? 2-3 years? Joking, right? MacBook Pro 15' early 2011 still receives security updates. That is 11 years already. iPhone 5S, that ended in iOS12.5 still received security updates. What product that Apple made has such short 2-3 support. I want to know.

I'm not talking about hardware. If I understand correctly every new OS release only receives security updates for about 3 years from initial release. They couldn't extend this timeframe and after 3 years, offer only securty updates for a yearly fee? I'm not talking about forever, just a couple of extra years. The constant update/upgrade cycle between hardware and software seems a bit much

 

[anakin44011]

In the corporate world, we live the costly forced-upgrade cycles of HW, then SW, then HW, then SW, etc - usually without any noticeable productivity improvements. It is like giving the mob their "protection money" knowing that you are really just paying to protect yourself from them.

I was glad I didn't have to worry about it on the Mac. Just wait a few months before upgrading to the new OS and the pain was minimal...until I started getting deeply into Audio and Video plugins (for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, etc). Apple keeps their SW updated (sort of), but the plug-ins are often 1-3 years behind (many still not M1 compatible, let alone Monterey).

So when I bought a new MBP, it came with a new Operating System, which broke some old plug-ins. That's risky for a professional who needs to deliver.

I used to chuckle when I saw a seasoned musician using an old Mac Pro (pre-trash can) in their studio until I realized that...if it works, he's better off not upgrading anything. For security, he's better off unplugging it entirely from the internet and using another computer that's constantly updated for browsing, social, etc.

Then upgrading maybe once a decade.

I'm old enough to vividly remember what life was like before the MacOS Migration Assistant (a brilliant piece of SW that made Windows users envious). For whatever reason - the plug-in world doesn't migrate as easily.

 

[rovostrov]

In the corporate world, we live the costly forced-upgrade cycles of HW, then SW, then HW, then SW, etc - usually without any noticeable productivity improvements. It is like giving the mob their "protection money" knowing that you are really just paying to protect yourself from them.

I was glad I didn't have to worry about it on the Mac. Just wait a few months before upgrading to the new OS and the pain was minimal...until I started getting deeply into Audio and Video plugins (for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, etc). Apple keeps their SW updated (sort of), but the plug-ins are often 1-3 years behind (many still not M1 compatible, let alone Monterey).

So when I bought a new MBP, it came with a new Operating System, which broke some old plug-ins. That's risky for a professional who needs to deliver.

I used to chuckle when I saw a seasoned musician using an old Mac Pro (pre-trash can) in their studio until I realized that...if it works, he's better off not upgrading anything. For security, he's better off unplugging it entirely from the internet and using another computer that's constantly updated for browsing, social, etc.

Then upgrading maybe once a decade.

I'm old enough to vividly remember what life was like before the MacOS Migration Assistant (a brilliant piece of SW that made Windows users envious). For whatever reason - the plug-in world doesn't migrate as easily.

I understand completely where you are coming from. Actually, I produce music and have a small recording studio for pre-production work. The Mac I am using in my stuido is exactly how you described. It's a cheesegrater that is not connected to the internet. Everything runs perfectly and there is no need to upgrade anything on that system. My other Mac is a different story. It's for my other business and honestly It's far past time to upgrade. However, I seem to run into different situations that keep me from upgrading. First it was the removal of ports from the Macbook lineup, then the butterfly keyboards, now the ports are back and the keyboard is fixed but it's an M1 and I do require windows to run a few programs that do not have a mac alternative. When you factor in the cost of a new Mac and all of the software upgrades that are required by the new OS (if they are even available yet) It becomes a very expensive expierence! In the end, you basically shelled out a lot of money for new system and software that will hopefully work correctly in a few months and you get to feel protected by the latest security updates for a few years

 

[astrorider]

I don't really need or want a lot of the new features offered in Apples yearly MacOS upgrades.
It would be great if I were able to stay on my preferred MacOS and after three years, pay a yearly fee
for security updates. I know its a dream but why couldnt this be offered? Every year we get a new OS
that is full of bugs. After several months of updates, it finally starts working properly (for a few months)
only to then be replaced with a brand new bug-filled OS. If you find one you really like, it would be nice to
have the option to stick with it for a bit longer

Plenty of people don't update to the new OS right away. I generally wait until the .3 release before updating...didn't update to Big Sur until 11.3, and won't upgrade to Monterey until 12.3. It just seems like that's when most of the biggest bugs have been fixed and the third party software I use has all been updated (and their bugs related to the new OS have been fixed). Some even wait all the way until a new OS is released to update to the previous year's final release, the thought being it's the most stable version of that previous OS. I don't have any issues with Big Sur 11.6 right now, and it will still be getting security updates when whatever new and probably buggy OS is released at the end of this year.

 

[Juraj22]

I'm not talking about hardware. If I understand correctly every new OS release only receives security updates for about 3 years from initial release. They couldn't extend this timeframe and after 3 years, offer only securty updates for a yearly fee? I'm not talking about forever, just a couple of extra years. The constant update/upgrade cycle between hardware and software seems a bit much

I am not sure if we are talking about same thing here.

Apple is not providing long term OS support. Basically you have to install latest OS to get security updates if your HW still allow it. From Apple you get at least 5 years of new OS updates.

After that period there are still delivered critical security updates. For how long, I am not sure. But it is long.
I own Macbook pro 15' early 2011. It did receive security updates this year. That is 11 years already.

Is 11 years not enough?

 

[rovostrov]

I am not sure if we are talking about same thing here.

Apple is not providing long term OS support. Basically you have to install latest OS to get security updates if your HW still allow it. From Apple you get at least 5 years of new OS updates.

After that period there are still delivered critical security updates. For how long, I am not sure. But it is long.
I own Macbook pro 15' early 2011. It did receive security updates this year. That is 11 years already.

Is 11 years not enough?

Yes, you can get 11 years if you keep upgrading your OS. I'm on a 2012 Macbook pro with Catalina installed, Catalina will stop offering security updates at the end of this year (3 years from its release) With each new OS realease, other software also needs to be udpated as it will not always work with the latest MacOS. My point is, say you really like Mojave, say it does everything you need and you would like to stick with it, unfortunatly the security updates are no longer available as they ended in Nov 2021 (3 years after its release) It would be nice if Apple offered security updates (for a fee) after three years

 

[russell_314]

Scale.

Plenty companies do IT based on "never change a running system" pinning them down onto an older version of Windows. Often they don't even have a choice as specialised SW or HW just never got updated to work with the latest OS. So thats millions and millions of 50-200$ service contracts every year.

On iOS you'd see that most users just install an update when it becomes available (as seen be the fast adoption rates).
Even for the rest you'd still have to consider some people being to lazy to install it and only a small (vocal) minority whining about how thinks were better before.
And at last out of that small group subtract those are too cheap to spent any money on any SW.....

This and the fact that support levels are different between Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft for example would be getting $50,000-$200,000 a year from a company with 1000 systems. For this price all they’re doing is supporting security updates. They’re not supporting hardware or having to deal with individual customers. That’s a real big one because those companies have dedicated IT departments that deal with all of that. When someone goes into the Apple store with their M1 Mac running Snow Leopard and Apple has to spend four hours trying to figure out why something isn’t working this costs money. Perhaps if Apple could say we’ll give you this operating system but at that point we can no longer support the hardware it would work but that would be a terrible look for Apple. You’d have people crying that Apple is forcing them to choose between the operating system they like and not providing them with customer service.