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Life span of a Macbook
- Thread starter DH60
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I’ve written all of my papers for my MBA (degree) on a Macintosh PowerBook Duo 230 from the 90s… I like the clicking of the keyboard and the completely distraction free environment.
Single-function devices were very good at performing their function. We seem to have lost some of that now. Old Macs and typewriters are delightfully good for avoiding distraction.
meh, I still use a 2008 mbp daily. Not my main machine however
Writing from a mid 2012 MBP still going strong. If you insist on the latest OS you can use a patch that surpasses the artificial restriction by Apple. Older OSes still do get security patches (depends of course), you don't always need the latest OS for security.
I think even past 7 years, even if not supporting any further OS upgrades, the Macbook apps including Safari sould do "OK" rendering and surfing the internet.
My bigger concern would be that if further OS upgrades/updates were stopped.... that also means security patches also stop. That, to me, is a bigger security concern.
I would still be using my 2012 MBP if it had enough RAM.
Security updates continue for longer than OS updates. Even after security updates stop, the software you already have installed will keep working.
And if the web moves on beyond the old version of Safari, you can install Firefox, which works fine on the modern web and still compiles new versions for older OSes.
Security updates continue for longer than OS updates. Even after security updates stop, the software you already have installed will keep working.
And if the web moves on beyond the old version of Safari, you can install Firefox, which works fine on the modern web and still compiles new versions for older OSes.
I love old computers but I would never use anything with an unsupported OS for modern purposes. They're fun for retro stuff and games but without security updates it could be very bad trying to do anything serious.
Older versions of macOS may get some security updates but not all. Only you know what information you have online and what the risk is. With some people it's just email and maybe social media. With me I have all my banking, bills, medical and everything else online so would not use a Mac more than two versions of macOS behind for my main computer. Of course you have to work with what you can afford so if that's all you can afford then you don't have a choice.
Safari updates for Macs no longer eligible for the latest MacOS seems to support partial functionality improvements that don't need the newer underlying MacOS. Example VP9 support, for a mid 2012 retina MBP. But I did see that continue to be extended for a limited time. Example with Monterey Safari, you could get updates for Big Sur/Catalina. Beyond 2 years it's a lot less likely you see anything but security updates.
So the time to seriously think about swapping out is 2 years after your Mac no longer qualifies for the latest OS. The 2012 retina had a very long system supported up to Catalina (7 years), it became obsolete March 31, 2021 slightly more then 2 years after new system software stopped.
My mom has a 2010 13" MacBook Pro.
Just recently she went to one weird banking or financial site and it said that her browser wasn't supported.
There may be some security updates she hasn't received but other than that it functions fine.
Just recently she went to one weird banking or financial site and it said that her browser wasn't supported.
There may be some security updates she hasn't received but other than that it functions fine.
My mid 2009 15inch MacBook Pro is still going strong. Not a typo it is a 2009. I did need to upgrade to an ssd and find a “hack” to run Mojave on it. Still got the base 4gb ram, but I did get it a new battery in 2018.
It was used all day in lockdown for school at home for the middle schooler. It’s his computer now. Still going strong.
It was used all day in lockdown for school at home for the middle schooler. It’s his computer now. Still going strong.
My 2013 MacBook Pro is still in use. It won't update beyond Big Sur, but still gets updates from Apple.
For an older computer, that Apple is not keeping up to date with security patches, I wouldn't use Safari. Security vulnerabilities in browsers are a serious concern. For such computers I install Firefox; the latest versions support much older hardware.
For an older computer, that Apple is not keeping up to date with security patches, I wouldn't use Safari. Security vulnerabilities in browsers are a serious concern. For such computers I install Firefox; the latest versions support much older hardware.
7 years. Maybe 8, maybe 9. But you'll have to endure software based friction on your daily usage: e.g. a recent example is WebP support on Safari. Or screensharing on Facetime. You can't and won't get updates. Bug-fixes for security holes? You are alone.
Whether you like them or not consumers should show respect to Microsoft. You want to run your 20 year-old software on your laptop? You can. You want crucial software updates? You are welcome.
Whether you like them or not consumers should show respect to Microsoft. You want to run your 20 year-old software on your laptop? You can. You want crucial software updates? You are welcome.