will this be the last os

[Jonathan.T.Harpur]

hello every one as I have said in the past I have 2019 iMac and MacBook Pro along with family members and there businesses a lot have Benn asking me with Mac OS 14 coming out in the fall should consider change there machines now or wait to see if they are dropped in 2024

I am not Sur what to tell them as apple docent offer to me any way of a proper replacement for the 27 inch model I did install 24 inch to one family members business but they got me to send it back as they find 24inch hard to get on two and said the Mac studio and mine are out of the question as they like the all in one design and no mess of cables any input would help me and them greatly

 

[George Dawes]

I suppose when they run out of mountains they’ll stop the os

Unless they start naming it after something new , maybe fish ?

Os piranha ?

 

[Siliconpsychosis]

nobody here will be able to tell you if Sonoma will be the last OS to support certain models or not, this isnt an official Apple place and any opinions offered are just that, opinions.

 

[gilby101]

hello every one as I have said in the past I have 2019 iMac

In my view we are very fortunate that the 2019 iMac will be supported by macOS 14. It is the only non-T2 Intel Mac being supported.

My opinion is that it is almost certain that it will be dropped for macOS 15, leaving just Intel T2 and AS M1/2/3 supported.

the Mac studio and mine are out of the question as they like the all in one design and no mess of cables

What's wrong with a 27" 5K display with a Mini. The only extra cable is just one going from the screen to the Mini - otherwise just the same cable mess as with the all-in-one iMac. You can mount the mini on a shelf attached to the display stand or better hide all the cable mess by mounting the mini under the desk.

 

[fisherking]

no one can answer these questions, we can only guess. but the current rumor is for a 30" imac coming in the fall. either way, the imac is way overdue for a refresh, so seems reasonable that something is coming soon...

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Ventura was 2017 and up.
Sonoma is (for the most part) 2018 and up.
The logical conclusion would be that version 15 is 2019 and up.
Either way, much like removing 32 bit support, I think we’ll hear if the next version of macOS is Apple Silicon only long before it actually releases.
The removal of 32 bit support had 18 months of warnings and announcements before it happened.
Either way, I wouldn’t be too concerned yet.

 

[fisherking]

Ventura was 2017 and up.
Sonoma is (for the most part) 2018 and up.
The logical conclusion would be that version 15 is 2019 and up.
Either way, much like removing 32 bit support, I think we’ll hear if the next version of macOS is Apple Silicon only long before it actually releases.
The removal of 32 bit support had 18 months of warnings and announcements before it happened.
Either way, I wouldn’t be too concerned yet.

the requirements for OS 15 (etc) will be established by the time the first beta of that OS drops...

 

[dmccloud]

Ventura was 2017 and up.
Sonoma is (for the most part) 2018 and up.
The logical conclusion would be that version 15 is 2019 and up.
Either way, much like removing 32 bit support, I think we’ll hear if the next version of macOS is Apple Silicon only long before it actually releases.
The removal of 32 bit support had 18 months of warnings and announcements before it happened.
Either way, I wouldn’t be too concerned yet.

Completely different scenarios there. When 32-bit was completely deprecated, developers had to build 64-bit native versions of their apps in order for them to even work going forward. That was the biggest reason for the 18 month forewarning. If the next version of Mac OS goes AS only, that won't necessarily affect the developer community as a whole, only those who are still releasing Intel-only versions of their apps. Chances are many of those developers who haven't updated their apps already won't be updating them then either. But with the OS side of things, the OS dropping Intel isn't the issue, it would be the status of Rosetta 2, as that's what allows those apps not updated for AS to still run on the newer SoCs.

 

[Jonathan.T.Harpur]

The reason I ask is because my cousin dos the same work as me but his customers use the google eco system and they know the divides get 5 year support and it gives him and and his customers and better road map when it come to upgrading the devices and I find with apple it hard to judge it just make thing easier for when it comes time to upgrades with there iOS and Mac OS devices if the told u upfront how long they will get support

 

[dmccloud]

The reason I ask is because my cousin dos the same work as me but his customers use the google eco system and they know the divides get 5 year support and it gives him and and his customers and better road map when it come to upgrading the devices and I find with apple it hard to judge it just make thing easier for when it comes time to upgrades with there iOS and Mac OS devices if the told u upfront how long they will get support

There is also significant OS fragmentation within the Google ecosystem, both with respect to Android and Chrome OS. A major cause of that is how OS updates are handled on the Android side. For a device to get an update, the wireless provider has to sign off on it first. This is why a Galaxy S23 Plus from ATT might get the latest OS update 1-2 months after the same model on Verizon or T-Mobile. On the Chromebook/Chrome OS side, there was a site hosted by google which would list the end of support dates for various Chromebooks, although I haven't looked at it in several years.

On a personal level, the way Android updates were handled played a major role in my switching back to iOS from Android once and for all. It's ridiculous to get one of Samsung's flagship phones and only be guaranteed one major OS update, two if you're very lucky. It's also frustrating to get those updates months after everyone else just because of your carrier holding up the update.

 

[Jonathan.T.Harpur]

when my self and my family and there business got in to makes eco System it was when the first intel Macs came out

we been using Macs for years now but this is the first time were experiencing and trasison to from cpu type to a ne one

It has has me feeling I have let them down cause I don't know were to go and how to support there machines after all time running out on intel support Mac OS 14 will give me and them some time.

But I will have to sit them all down and tell them what is happening with there intel machine and apples new m series cpus.

 

[fisherking]

feel like you're over-complicating things.

i just helped a friend move from a 2015(!) imac to the 2020 M1 imac. we migrated everything BUT her apps; installed new versions of Office (& a few other things), and... life went on. she doesn't 'care' about the new chip, she's just... using her new mac. she does like that this one is faster, with a better, bigger screen, and great stability.

but there's nothing that says one can't keep a current-enough intel mac, and work; even if, next year (or whenever), intel is not longer supported. a new OS does not suddenly invalidate the usability of an older mac.

 

[MultiFinder17]

Ars Technica recently did a solid article on this very topic that you might find interesting.

 

[zevrix]

and said the Mac studio and mine are out of the question as they like the all in one design and no mess of cables any input would help me and them greatly

I'm sure they have their reasons, but I'm totally happy that my 27" iMac is now replaced with a Mac Studio + Dell 27" 4K monitor. (Although I was also hesitant about such a setup in the beginning after using iMacs for a decade).

Main reasons:

-iMac monitor is an ergonomic disaster as its height isn't adjustable. Actually I didn't even realized it until I started looking for a 3rd-party monitor and found out that even most of the cheapest monitors offer adjustable height. I mean Apple could include at least this very basic ergonomic feature for the price they charge for iMac? But they didn't. So you either have to buy an expensive stand or place your iMac on a book or some other item from an office store. Not so all-in-one anymore!

-Carrying that all-in-one 27" iMac anywhere isn't fun at all in situations where all you need is the computer itself (not the monitor). Compare it to the portability of Mac Studio or Mini.

-With Mac Studio/Mini you have a choice of affordable 4K monitors of various sizes. And when you need to replace your computer, you don't have to replace the monitor anymore. (Yes, iMac monitor is 5K - but the difference is indistinguishable for the human eye under standard viewing conditions.)

 

[fisherking]

I'm sure they have their reasons, but I'm totally happy that my 27" iMac is now replaced with a Mac Studio + Dell 27" 4K monitor. (Although I was also hesitant about such a setup in the beginning after using iMacs for a decade).

Main reasons:

-iMac monitor is an ergonomic disaster as its height isn't adjustable. Actually I didn't even realized it until I started looking for a 3rd-party monitor and found out that even most of the cheapest monitors offer adjustable height. I mean Apple could include at least this very basic ergonomic feature for the price they charge for iMac? But they didn't. So you either have to buy an expensive stand or place your iMac on a book or some other item from an office store. Not so all-in-one anymore!

-Carrying that all-in-one 27" iMac anywhere isn't fun at all in situations where all you need is the computer itself (not the monitor). Compare it to the portability of Mac Studio or Mini.

-With Mac Studio/Mini you have a choice of affordable 4K monitors of various sizes. And when you need to replace your computer, you don't have to replace the monitor anymore. (Yes, iMac monitor is 5K - but the difference is indistinguishable for the human eye under standard viewing conditions.)

apple has long (albeit quietly) offered the imac sans stand, ie vesa-ready.

who in the world buys a 27" imac to carry it around? 😳

the 5K monitor is/was nice, but am personally fine with my M2pro mini & dell monitor. still, if there had been a newer-than-the M1 imac, i might have gone with that...

anyway, we'll probably see a new imac in the fall (rumors, which are just rumors, suggest a 30" screen).... 🤔

 

[gpat]

I'd expect the first ARM-only release to be macOS 16 or 17 in 2025 or 2026.
Intel machines could maybe get some extra years of security updates only, otherwise it would be lights out around 2028.

This is actually pretty worrying for Apple Silicon users as well.
As soon as x86 support ends, M1 users will be next, and if Apple decides that it's time, it's time.
I don't think that M1 users will be able to install something like OpenCore to stay current if Apple decides to bid them farewell.

 

[zevrix]

apple has long (albeit quietly) offered the imac sans stand, ie vesa-ready.

my last iMac was 2017, no vesa mount yet.

who in the world buys a 27" imac to carry it around? 😳

it's not like we have a choice. i had to bring my iMacs to Apple store for checkup a couple times, as well as to an Apple service provider (in which case i also had to carry a loaner iMac back and forth).

 

[fisherking]

my last iMac was 2017, no vesa mount yet.



it's not like we have a choice. i had to bring my iMacs to Apple store for checkup a couple times, as well as to an Apple service provider (in which case i also had to carry a loaner iMac back and forth).

it's a condition of the thing you bought (a 27" imac), in terms of needing hardware repair. but it's not something people do regularly (carry their 27" imac around).

 

[Sevenfeet]

Ars Technica recently did a solid article on this very topic that you might find interesting.

This is a solid analysis. Basically in the past, Apple has averaged about five or six years of support from when the specific Mac model debut except for Pro towers which generally averaged 8 years. But things get interesting during transitions. The PowerMac G5 (which sadly I helped a family member buy in late 2005) only lasted until macOS 10.5 Leopard. By 2009 when Snow Leopard debuted, Apple closed the book on PowerPC.

Apple was a little more generous on the transition from classic MacOS to MacOS X. Any G3 PowerMac except the first Powerbook G3 in 1997 got OS X until 10.3 Panther in 2003. By 10.4 Tiger, Apple began excluding the earliest G3 models in 1997 without Firewire built in.

The last OS upgrade for early PowerPC machines (first introduced in 1994) was MacOS 9.1 in January 2001. Those machines never got 9.2 introduced the summer of that year (G3 only). They also never got OS X of any version.

 

[twanj]

You know they're itching to drop Intel support.

They'll still offer security updates, and the major OS updates are becoming less and less substantial and noticeable.

We've got 1 Intel MBP & 1 M1 MBP here. I'm thinking about updating my Intel one when M3 versions come out.

 

[3166792]

When they announced what was being dropped in Sonoma, it looked like they made the cutoff anything Intel that didn't have T2. Given all of the functions and acceleration that T2 provides, it's not inconceivable that T2-equipped Intel Macs get one more version after Sonoma.

I mean, my 2013 MacBook Air is on Big Sur and that's still getting point releases 10 years later.

 

[gilby101]

When they announced what was being dropped in Sonoma, it looked like they made the cutoff anything Intel that didn't have T2. Given all of the functions and acceleration that T2 provides, it's not inconceivable that T2-equipped Intel Macs get one more version after Sonoma.

Not quite. I was expecting that Sonoma would drop all non-T2 Intel Macs. But Sonoma will support one non-T2 Intel Mac - the 2019 iMac.

 

[3166792]

Not quite. I was expecting that Sonoma would drop all non-T2 Intel Macs. But Sonoma will support one non-T2 Intel Mac - the 2019 iMac.

Oh, good point!

 

[Monotremata]

Intel's were released with Tiger or Leopard right?? Snow Leopard wiped out the PPC generation in 2 OS cycles (although there was originally a PPC build).. But those were also 2 year gaps between each OS back then.. Its been 3 years now, I would expect the Intel's to be dropping off soon, but they may have to legally support the Intel's released in 2020 for a little bit longer.. Those folks that bought the real cheese grater Mac Pros a couple years back aren't going to be too happy when they stop.

 

[dmccloud]

Intel's were released with Tiger or Leopard right?? Snow Leopard wiped out the PPC generation in 2 OS cycles (although there was originally a PPC build).. But those were also 2 year gaps between each OS back then.. Its been 3 years now, I would expect the Intel's to be dropping off soon, but they may have to legally support the Intel's released in 2020 for a little bit longer.. Those folks that bought the real cheese grater Mac Pros a couple years back aren't going to be too happy when they stop.

They also have Intel-based Mac Pros that were sold until earlier this year, so I don't see Intel versions of the OS completely disappearing anytime in the next 5 years, if not longer.