Because it still works. Or rather, it will work, after I repair it and reinstall the operating system. Not that it will be my primary computer, but I'll put it to good use.
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Anyone still using Intel MacBooks, if so why?
- Thread starter chmania
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Correct, those years for the MacBook Air were the best. I had a 2013 maxed and it served me well. Friend now has it and I put a 1TB SSD in it and it is fast.
ONLY reason I got rid of it was I needed more power in a portable. Happy with my maxed out M3 MacBook Air now too. 😉
Still using my 2019 16" MBP (8 core, 32 GB, 2 TB) and it's been an absolute workhorse. It's my 4th MBP I think.
Why am I still using it?
1) Sunk cost - an MBP is a sizeable investment and I love getting 3-4 years out of each one.
2) Performance is still fine - I bought an eGPU and it's excellent at offloading video rendering / other tasks, so it's extended the life of the device when I need to do some heavy tasks.
3) New MBP's aren't good - the 16" models now are SO BIG AND HEAVY. I would likely need the 16" and having seen the new models and picked them up they are quite a bit bigger.
My battery is still fine and lasts several hours if needed.
Like recent iPhones, the incremental upgrades haven't been compelling to make me change. Yes, an M4 Max would be very fast, quieter and cooler than my current model, but I will only change now if my device was lost/stolen/stopped functioning.
Why am I still using it?
1) Sunk cost - an MBP is a sizeable investment and I love getting 3-4 years out of each one.
2) Performance is still fine - I bought an eGPU and it's excellent at offloading video rendering / other tasks, so it's extended the life of the device when I need to do some heavy tasks.
3) New MBP's aren't good - the 16" models now are SO BIG AND HEAVY. I would likely need the 16" and having seen the new models and picked them up they are quite a bit bigger.
My battery is still fine and lasts several hours if needed.
Like recent iPhones, the incremental upgrades haven't been compelling to make me change. Yes, an M4 Max would be very fast, quieter and cooler than my current model, but I will only change now if my device was lost/stolen/stopped functioning.
They say, newer MacBooks are larger than older Intel-based ones primarily because Apple redesigned the chassis to accommodate newer components and cooling solutions, such as larger batteries and more powerful, but hotter, M-series chips...
And, we were complaining that Intel MacBooks were heating up.
And, we were complaining that Intel MacBooks were heating up.
I half agree; I bought 13 M1 MacBook Airs from Apple Business for an office and within 18 months two of them had screen problems (vertical blue green and red lines on half the LCD). Calls for help to Apple went unanswered other than to say pay a huge amount for a new screen. Of course, the real issue was a design fault in the flex cable (same problem occurred in Intel MBP from 2016) between the motherboard and LCD but Apple would never admit it and never had a recall. Those two faulty MacBook Airs are still in service using external displays, but it gave me a GREAT distaste for buying new Macs at the start of a new design paradigm and a fairly negative impression of Apple's build quality claims.
If you look on used Mac sites like eBay, etc., M1 MacBook Airs with this fault are very very common but Apple refuses to acknowledge it.
I still maintain, even today, that the end of that run of MacBooks (ending 2014/2015) are still the best ever.
I was still using, well now and then, my 2010 15” MacBook Pro with a dual core Intel i7 until mid 2024 when I upgraded to a refurb 14” M3 max. The 2010 model did smell a bit when in use though and the battery wasn’t very good lol, I still have it in a drawer as I doubt it is worth anything.
The 2010 model also has lots of ports and user replaceable battery and memory, revolutionary lol.
The 2010 model also has lots of ports and user replaceable battery and memory, revolutionary lol.
My whole fleet that isn't a PowerPC or 68K is Intel. They work fine, don't cost anything, and do what they need to. Especially dealing with running Mojave or High Sierra for older software that is needed, along with newer OS's like Monterey for modern OS tasks.
But in the near future, I plan on adding M-powered Macintosh models to the stable.
But in the near future, I plan on adding M-powered Macintosh models to the stable.
im typing this on a MacBook Air 2010 11" running Mojave Thanks to dude-o-dos.
what I love about the older Intels is I can control the free GB on the drive as I need to.
also I use Photoshop C4 more than Affinity design since that program is much better.
I do have a m1 mba that is my main computer but can live without that as I did all last summer.
the M series are nice, battery life blah blah but are regulated as far as controlling one free space.
at times the M1 heats up more than my two early Intels since they have fans and software to control them.
also the lashes OS from features annoyances like tips, reminders and other nonsense when watching a movie or sporting event, Mojave does not do this. I have all reminders turned off.
anyways deep down inside we should enjoy what we have and like.
these M series are fascinating computers but have flaws.
I still race around my living area roads on a 1993 steel frame racing bicycle (pinarello)
and can keep up with the carbon fiber ones when we meet!
I guess one can do anything with what they have no mater what Tims demands.
what I love about the older Intels is I can control the free GB on the drive as I need to.
also I use Photoshop C4 more than Affinity design since that program is much better.
I do have a m1 mba that is my main computer but can live without that as I did all last summer.
the M series are nice, battery life blah blah but are regulated as far as controlling one free space.
at times the M1 heats up more than my two early Intels since they have fans and software to control them.
also the lashes OS from features annoyances like tips, reminders and other nonsense when watching a movie or sporting event, Mojave does not do this. I have all reminders turned off.
anyways deep down inside we should enjoy what we have and like.
these M series are fascinating computers but have flaws.
I still race around my living area roads on a 1993 steel frame racing bicycle (pinarello)
and can keep up with the carbon fiber ones when we meet!
I guess one can do anything with what they have no mater what Tims demands.
Intel Macs are effectively at EOL - especially with Tahoe being the last OS for Intel-based Macs. Meanwhile, the new Metal 4 APIs are available for all M-series SOCs including M1. I think that it is both premature and foolish to view the M1 lifecycle in the same vein as Intel-based machines given that I can buy a new M1 MBA at my local Walmart today.
That's what Linux is for. Granted, getting Linux to work right on a Mac can be tricky, even if you're good with computers.
The M-series chips are actually not that hot. Even when pushed to the max, they draw less power than the Intel chips during the 2012-2018 era. Real physics dictates that they don't generate that much heat.
Most of the thickness of the new Macbook Pro is actually more due to increased battery capacity and also keyboard thickness, both of which a lot of Pros were asking for.
If you want a thin and light Macbook to replace the 2018/2019 ones, the 15" Macbook Air is it. It's fanless but even the M1 runs circles around 2018 15" in performance. I still have a 2019 16" Macbook Pro and it's not able to keep up with my 15" M2 Macbook Air. I use Plasticity a lot these days and a fanless M2 can handle it without dropping frames, while not even dropping battery. 2019 16" can barely keep up with some more complicated models at 4K and if on battery, it barely lasts a bit over an hour.
I still run a '19 16" MBP because it works. It's been a great long-term machine but I know the end is near. Once I read a full revision of the machine is due next year, I decided to hold on and not upgrade this year. Just have to wait a little bit longer.
The M1 is already having performance issues with macOS 26. Maybe they'll get fixed but I wouldn't be surprised if the MacBook Air M1 is dropped with macOS 27 (and I'll be surprised if the MacBook Air M1 is still supported by macOS 28). Not that the hardware isn't capable. That's not the issue. It's the same MO that took a lot of Intel-based Macs prematurely that will take a lot of M-series Macs prematurely.
If you want to keep believing all that, that's your right.
The thin MacBook was the trademark of Apple's iconic product. Making it thicker won't make it more appealing, even with an M chip. Despite the hype surrounding the M chip, the bulkier MacBook looks somewhat unattractive compared to the old Intel model.
Whether you can buy M1 today isn't relevant because history shows Apple uses launch date to determine major software support end date. That length has always been 6-7 years after launch.
Walmart is selling MBA for $599, not the original $999. This means you're paying less for reduced support life.
I use a 2015 MBP around four times a week. It's not my best machine (that's my 2020 iMac) but I tend to potter around on it for an hour or so while sitting in bed. As we head into summer it's going to happen less, but next winter when it gets cold early I'll probably start using it 5-7 nights per week again.
But Apple does give an option for a thin Macbook. That's the Air.
It's pretty clear at this point that Apple believes "Pro" means thicker and more features while "Air" means thinner and less features. It's been that way for 4 generations of M Macbooks, and it will be that way for the iPhones and iPads too.
You’re arguing with the thinnest point, which I find kind of pointless here.
Back in 2018, the thickest part of the Macbook Air was about 0.6 inches. In 2025, the M4 Macbook Air is 0.44 inches. The only difference is that it’s now all uniform. One more thing to note is: the keyboard did get thicker since Apple got rid of butterfly keys, so in reality they could have made it even thinner and lighter if butterfly keys were still around.
You may think it’s because of the fan, but the 12” Macbook was actually 0.5 inches thick or so even without the fan. So we’ve gotten even thinner than that.
That and we’re still outperforming 2019 Pros while having significantly better battery life.
I was only answering your own comment on thinness.
Which was that we have options for a thin Macbook now. Never said anything about them being the thinnest. But incidentally, they kind of are thinner and lighter than before.
The question is: do the Pros need to be this thin? Can't you just use a Macbook Air and call it a day? I do use a Macbook Pro at work but my own personal Macbook is still an Air. It is more than enough.
Sure, I can, but not just yet. Let's say in about two years from now, perhaps after the M5 or M6 arrives.