Will a Mac Pro 2009 with upgraded firmware 4,1 -> 5,1 be obsolete next year?

[Synchro3]

In the practice of Apple obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than seven years ago. So far Apple has discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products with no exceptions.

Looking this thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1877381/ i am wondering if a Mac Pro 2009 upgraded to firmware 5,1 will be obsolete next year, meaning a new OS X 10.12 at the end of 2016 cannot not be installed without any hacks?

An upgraded Mac Pro 2009 shows in 'About this Mac' the year 2009, with regard to the serial number of the Mac. But if you look at 'further informations' you'll see modell-identification 'MacPro5,1', with regard to the upgraded Boot-ROM version MP51.007F.B03

Does anyone know if the OS X Installer checks the serial number or the Boot-ROM version?

If it's checking the Boot-ROM version, further OS X upgrades will be no problem for the next 3-4 years, like the Mac Pro 2012 modells, i hope.

 

[MacVidCards]

Nothing to worry about.

If you look at how they ACTUALLY made the 2006/07 Mac Pros obsolete it was by restricting their ability to run 10.8 and later.

Any 64bit CPU Mac can actually run Yosemite. However, the vast majority of "forced obsolete" machines have some god-awful GPU that was barely adequate 8 years ago and not much better then integrated GPU. The iMacs and MacBooks of those days can be easily modded to install Yosemite. However, nothing can be done about the GPUs. They are all hopelessly mired in 2006/7/8 and will never, ever have GPU acceleration. No help from OpenCl and clunky, cludgy screen drawing that will make you cringe.

Meanwhile the 2006 Mac Pro can easily accept a new GPU and a WiFi BT card that brings it up to current spec. Change 2 files and it is running OSX Yosemite beautifully.

In short, one of the easiest ways for Apple to relegate machines to the recycling center is to put parts in that are:

A: essential for use
B: not able to be changed for new parts

Then , just stop writing drivers or OS integration for said parts. Instant obsolescence.

You can change many parts of 2009 and it is identical to a 2012. So while Apple can start calling it "obsolete", they will have a much harder time making it functionally so. Especially when many will be running significantly better GPUs then the "glued in time" 6,1s.

 

[OS6-OSX]

Nothing to worry about.

Are you sure! As soon as he is finished in the lab, only 6,1 and newer will ever boot again! We will sell nMP's to all 1,1 through 5,1 users! This will happen very soon. Let's synchronize iWatches!

(Artist disclaimer-I only added the two apple's in the photo)

 

[Moonshot]

I believe that it's safe to say that you will be able to extract a few more years of good use out of your cMP before it becomes completely obsolete and useless. Now what Apple wants, that's a completely different story. I wouldn't worry about it though

 

[Synchro3]

Thanks a lot for all your Feedback! I also believe you can get a few years out of the 2009 cMP yet.

To repeat my question: It's enough to upgrade the Boot-ROM version to 5,1, like I already did to get the Xeon W3690 working, to outwit future OS X Installers from 2016 and following years, or are hacks like a bootloader needed?

 

[666sheep]

To repeat my question: It's enough to upgrade the Boot-ROM version to 5,1, like I already did to get the Xeon W3690 working, to outwit future OS X Installers from 2016 and following years, or are hacks like a bootloader needed?

My crystall ball says: maybe yes, maybe no.

 

[Zeebedy]

hey guys,

thought i would chime in this post, saving a new topic, sorry if in the wrong bit, but..

is a 2009 MP likely be able to run 10.11? surely this is not the end yet for the 09-10 MP's?



RTJ

 

[OS6-OSX]

http://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/m...lease-date-new-features-rumours-poll-3594193/

 

[RoastingPig]

the last day a cmp was sold new "refurb" from apple was april 6, 2014...you would think that they would not scrap compatibility untill at least the 2017 release of osx because the 2014 people most likley still have apple care..my current mac pro still has applecare untill june of next year.

 

[Synchro3]

the last day a cmp was sold new "refurb" from apple was april 6, 2014...you would think that they would not scrap compatibility untill at least the 2017 release of osx because the 2014 people most likley still have apple care..my current mac pro still has applecare untill june of next year.

You are talking about 2012 Mac Pro's.

Mac Pro's 2010-2012 and Mac Pro's 2009 are not the same (in fact they have the same hardware, but not the same Boot ROM version -> 4,1 vs 5,1). So far Apple has AFAIK discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products after seven years with no exceptions, including OS X support.

 

[ActionableMango]

To repeat my question: It's enough to upgrade the Boot-ROM version to 5,1, like I already did to get the Xeon W3690 working, to outwit future OS X Installers from 2016 and following years, or are hacks like a bootloader needed?

I don't know how you can expect anyone to answer at this point, with anything other than wild guesses. Right now nobody knows what protections will be put in place in the future, if any, or what will be required to get around them.

 

[sigmadog]

I expect the upgraded 4,1 computers to work fine with new OSX versions for at least a couple years. That is my gut feeling based on nothing other than wishful thinking, and certainly not based on Apple's behavior.

To be honest, it really matters very little to me.

If everything from 1,1 to 5,1 were eliminated from being able to use the next version of OSX, I'd be perfectly fine. Heck, I stuck with Snow Leopard until mid 2014 and was happy as a clam. There has been very little of interest to me in any OSX upgrade for some time.

If I had to keep Yosemite or Mavericks until 2020 in order to keep my computer humming along, I'd do it because my work is more important than the tools I use*. I'd probably have to stop updating some software, but I've done that before, too.

----
* to be clear, the tools are very important, but in my field (graphic design for print) the software has reached a plateau in which nothing much that's new is going to really help me, so the "latest - greatest" isn't as great as it used to be, which reduces the need to stay absolutely current.

 

[Synchro3]

I don't know how you can expect anyone to answer at this point, with anything other than wild guesses. Right now nobody knows what protections will be put in place in the future, if any, or what will be required to get around them.

Thanks, so let's see next year for.

 

[SteveJobzniak]

This thread was right. 4.1 is not supported in Sierra. 5.1 (or a flashed 4.1 to 5.1) is supported.

 

[Synchro3]

Yes, upgrade firmware from 4,1 to 5,1 and all is fine.