Apple Obsoletes Mid 2010 15-Inch and 17-Inch MacBook Pros

[jblagden]

nVidiagate must have passed you by, then, because problems with lead-free solder and BGA happened several years before 2011. The directive in Europe ordering lead-free solder in commerical electronics came into force in mid-2006 and lead-free solder had already been used in computers for many years before that. Even iBook G3s suffered from lead-free solder connections cracking under repeated heating and cooling cycles.

I didn't experience NvidiaGate because my MacBook is a late 2011 13" MacBook Pro, and it doesn't have a GPU built-in. I have a dedicated GPU for it, but it's a desktop card that connects via Thunderbolt, so it has plenty of cooling - the built-in fan and the GPU enclosure's fan.

 

[MarkusL]

One of these days they're going to obsolete a non-retina MBP that they're still selling, if they're not careful.

 

[FriednTested]

My 17inch (Early 2009) MacBook Pro doesn't feel 'obsolete', in fact with an SSD installed it performs admirably for normal use, it's just the CPU that feels a little sluggish compared to today.

They were discontinued in 2011. So one more year before you say the final goodbye.

 

[bax2003]

Latest OS X is supported on 2010... 2009... 2008... and 2007 MacBook Pros. Vintage/Obsolete has nothing to do with OS support, just repairs.

Finally, some common sense.

You can install El Capitan on iMac 20/24" 2007.....enjoy your Macs...

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

All mine are now 'vintage'.

Perfect...

 

[gibbsj87]

My 17inch (Early 2009) MacBook Pro doesn't feel 'obsolete', in fact with an SSD installed it performs admirably for normal use, it's just the CPU that feels a little sluggish compared to today.

Same here.. put a samsung 840 evo in it, acts like a new computer. Other than the lid sensor doesn't work anymore lol.. other than that.. she is still purring. I'm also not getting a Mac again. I refuse to pay $3,000 for a top end notebook that has crappy graphics. I am probably going for a gaming notebook this time as portability isn't so much of a factor now that I have been out of college for almost 6 years haha.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Just waiting for all the Intel Macs to be obsolete and replaced by ARM Macs instead.

Why would you want that?

 

[T Coma]

IDo you think the CEO of General Motors personally decides when they stop offering replacement parts for a 1993 Cavalier?

While Mary Barra probably has more on her plate than arbitrary and specific model support issues, it's still a bad analogy.

You can still get parts for a 1993 Cavalier.
And a '75 Monte Carlo.
Heck, my dad could drive his 1957 Bel Air into the Chevy dealer and get it serviced, like a new battery, if he wanted to.
(Source: employment, family in business, first-hand experience, internet forum comments)

In contrast, I took my wife's otherwise perfectly functional '09 MBP into the local Apple store where they declined to change out a bad battery because it was "vintage" or "antique" or "ancient" or whatever they call it. Absolutely no reason for that to be refused, other than servicing old products keeps customers from buying new ones. I can't believe there is any other reason the new Macs are as sealed up and as unserviceable as they are. The parts are still around and easy to make (and over charge for), the service itself it pretty easy (compared to a new macbook), and Apple store service rates are expensive enough. (See automotive example above.)

I've heard others opine (arguably) and I agree that part of the reason for the PC sales slowdown is because the tech improvements don't improve the user experience, if that experience is limited to email, web surfing and similar light duties. So how else to keep the purchases up? Make throw-away products. Cool for the investors, uncool for the customers - especially the ones like me who got on board with the (waning, if not dead) "think different" mantra.

The emperor's new clothes, indeed.

 

[h4lp m3]

Does this extend to the Macs with NVidia graphics issues that are under extended warranty?

 

[Command]

While Mary Barra probably has more on her plate than arbitrary and specific model support issues, it's still a bad analogy.

You can still get parts for a 1993 Cavalier.
And a '75 Monte Carlo.
Heck, my dad could drive his 1957 Bel Air into the Chevy dealer and get it serviced, like a new battery, if he wanted to.
(Source: employment, family in business, first-hand experience, internet forum comments)

In contrast, I took my wife's otherwise perfectly functional '09 MBP into the local Apple store where they declined to change out a bad battery because it was "vintage" or "antique" or "ancient" or whatever they call it. Absolutely no reason for that to be refused, other than servicing old products keeps customers from buying new ones. I can't believe there is any other reason the new Macs are as sealed up and as unserviceable as they are. The parts are still around and easy to make (and over charge for), the service itself it pretty easy (compared to a new macbook), and Apple store service rates are expensive enough. (See automotive example above.)

I've heard others opine (arguably) and I agree that part of the reason for the PC sales slowdown is because the tech improvements don't improve the user experience, if that experience is limited to email, web surfing and similar light duties. So how else to keep the purchases up? Make throw-away products. Cool for the investors, uncool for the customers - especially the ones like me who got on board with the (waning, if not dead) "think different" mantra.

The emperor's new clothes, indeed.

---
You can still get parts for a 1993 Cavalier.
And a '75 Monte Carlo.
Heck, my dad could drive his 1957 Bel Air into the Chevy dealer and get it serviced, like a new battery, if he wanted to.
(Source: employment, family in business, first-hand experience, internet forum comments)
---

Really? From GM

 

[Russell L]

My early 2011 MBP is still ticking. Just a couple more years and I will hit a lucky 7 years.

Mine's still going strong as well. Still kinda sad, though, to realize that it will be "obsolete" in the near future.

 

[A7ibaba]

I guess next one is MacBook Pro early and late 2011. Intel i7 2675QM Sandy bridge 2.2 Ghz.

 

[mazz0]

Some people are talking as though this means the end to software updates for these models, when the article suggests models that were already deemed obsolete received the last new version of OS X.

 

[Primejimbo]

I'm amazing how people feel like their MacBooks are no longer usable because it this. If it works, you use it, get OS updates, and you're happy, great.

I still use my late 2008 aluminum MacBook. Yes it's slow with some stuff (MS office), but it works and still supported. I hope to upgrade to a 15 MBP later this year when the updated ones are release.

 

[@RickDuff]

I have two 2008 MBP's that i use on music production and playing live. Knocking on wood i say that both still run fine.

Funny thing that those are officially 'obsolete'. I have played many, many live gigs with those and will play years to come as long as they work. None of my more recent MBP's come even close on reliability. And that is critical when playing music live.

Yep. This. Have a mid 2009 I just upgraded to 8gb ram and it runs el cap, Ableton live 9.6 suite with Max 4 live and native Intruments reaktor 6 blocks and ezdrummer 2. It won't do max audio resolution in reaktor but it will do pretty in depth work besides that.

With that said it's also likely due to the ssd and not a 5400rpm hdd.

I'd prefer a touch 15" with skylake and 1tb ssd and a real GPU. Maybe they are making room for these with this announcement /fingercross

 

[ApfelKuchen]

My guess is the obsoleting will slowed down when it comes time for the all-SSD based systems. I would completely agree with you, that 2010 systems are just fine, as long as they have an SSD. HD based systems have become long-in-tooth.

Edit: But as another user pointed out, with the batteries being hard-installed, this might not be the case. I just don't think about it, since I tend to upgrade my laptops every 2 years. ie, I just sold my 2014 MBA, and picked up a used 2015 rMB, plan to keep it, unless the 2016 model is the bees knees.

This is a long-time Apple policy, and most other makers of durable manufactured goods have similar policies, as there are consumer protection laws that encourage them to do so. There's very little likelihood they'll change an across-the-board policy simply because one component out of the whole bunch is likely to last longer (iPhone and iPad, and all iPods but the Classic have never had spinning hard disks, yet they're subject to the same timeline as products with spinners). It's not about the longevity of components, it's about how long you keep replacement parts in stock - how many you manufacture in advance while the assembly line is set up for them, how long you hold onto them until they can be sold, and how long you keep training your staff (and the staffs of authorized service providers) to repair a particular model.

Most replacement parts are produced at the same time the original product is produced. So long as they sit on a shelf, they are non-productive assets (inventory). So long as they take up space, there is a monthly cost to keep them in inventory. So, Apple would have to see a clear economic benefit to making an additional investment in spare parts (enough parts to last 7 years instead of 5, let's say), and for the extra storage space needed to keep them around that much longer. Would there be a customer satisfaction benefit equal to that cost? I don't think there would be dancing in the street if Apple made this change. At best, it'd be "It's about time! Why didn't they make it 10 years?" Effectively, extending the timeline is a no-win situation - negative impact on profitability, negligible improvement in customer satisfaction.

 

[cult hero]

The fact that the mid-2010 13" MacBook Pros aren't on this list makes it pretty clear it's mostly a supply issue, given that said MBPs are running a C2D. However, if you check out CL there are a TON of those being unloaded. I imagine it was a really popular model.

My old one has 8GB of RAM and an SSD and while the CPU is an obvious limitation for certain things, that little machine has been going strong for almost 6 years now. It's now my mom's machine and since El Capitan supports it, it's still got at least another 2.5 years left if they continue on their current support/release cycle.

Incidentally, it's not like the machine stop working. I've kept a 2008 15" machine alive from eBay and CL parts long past its due.

 

[NufSaid]

We gripe about them obsoleting things but in 2009....we had barely heard of youtube?

Tech changes. This isn't a money grab as much as progress forward. You can only support old machines so long.

This I type on a 2009 iMac
Which runs AWESOME

 

[ApfelKuchen]

What sucks now is the current models don't even support replacing the batteries. So when they die, you have to buy a whole new laptop.

No, you just need to pay a repair shop or be competent to do a repair on your own, little different than replacing a car's battery (although it's more complicated than replacing a car battery). Repair, rather than "open battery compartment, swap batteries, close compartment."
[doublepost=1457458588][/doublepost]

The fact that the mid-2010 13" MacBook Pros aren't on this list makes it pretty clear it's mostly a supply issue, given that said MBPs are running a C2D. However, if you check out CL there are a TON of those being unloaded. I imagine it was a really popular model.

My old one has 8GB of RAM and an SSD and while the CPU is an obvious limitation for certain things, that little machine has been going strong for almost 6 years now. It's now my mom's machine and since El Capitan supports it, it's still got at least another 2.5 years left if they continue on their current support/release cycle.

Incidentally, it's not like the machine stop working. I've kept a 2008 15" machine alive from eBay and CL parts long past its due.

The only reason the mid-2010 13" MacBook Pros aren't on the list is because this list is based on last date of manufacture, not the date the model originally went on sale. They do not make model-by-model decisions. This is an across-the-board policy, and the time clock starts ticking the day the last unit came off the assembly line.

 

[theluggage]

I look forward to people pointing out how powerful their 2010 Macbook is they've owned for 5 years and there is no technical reason it couldn't run the latest OS X version

Except its all true...

I think this is what is behind the global PC slump - today's 6 year-old PCs are no longer the hopelessly slow crocks they used to be. I remember the days when I'd replace my PC every 2 years and see a massive performance boost and after 3-4 years you could forget about running any new software and seeing reasonable performance (even if it was still compatible). Now, well, its probably 2mm thinner, 20% faster on benchmarks (less in real life) and the battery lasts a bit longer. Oh, yes, and its got a better screen, but I'll need to update my glasses prescription to appreciate it. 5 years ago, 4GB RAM was tolerable and 8GB was plenty unless you were working with huge graphics files. Today, well, the same really.

Now they're having to plan their obsolescence... Solder in the ram and people will pay extra for 16GB because they might need it in the future.

On the other hand, the price of a half-decent PC system - say $500-$1500 has stayed in the same ballpark range in figures for the last 35 years while the specs have gone up by orders of magnitude. The cost of a Mac has probably gone down (again, in figures). Now find an inflation calculator on the web and see what a massive price crash that represents in real terms. That's what a huge market with massive economy of scale does for you. If you want that sort of thing to continue you might want to keep upgrading every 2 years...

 

[bobr1952]

Certainly would not consider getting my 2008 iMac repaired at this point. But as long as it still runs, I'll continue to use it. All 2GBs of RAM running El Capitan.

 

[Bill Gates]

My mid-2010 MBP is showing its age but sadly Apple no longer offers their laptops with anti glare displays. I've resisted upgrading hoping they would offer the option once again. There's a precedent with the unibody models, since Apple didn't always offer it as an option. It's too bad Apple no longer caters to the professional market.

 

[TallManNY]

oh my!

Our mid-2011 iMac should be on that list shortly.

Just thinking the same thing. I'm planning on handing down my 2011 iMac to Mom this year. Thing still works fine. Doesn't seem close to end of useful life.
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5 1/2 years of hardware support seems reasonable.

I agree. Third party repair shops will continue to be an option for the older stuff.

 

[nt5672]

. . . .
Edit: But as another user pointed out, with the batteries being hard-installed, this might not be the case. I just don't think about it, since I tend to upgrade my laptops every 2 years. . . . .

Yep, I used to upgrade every 2 or 3 years, but now I'm still on a 2010 17 inch MBP. No professional laptop, no 17 inch display, no upgrade. All of my work colleagues have moved to 17 inch Windows, but I really, really don't want to do that. I guess this years round of laptop releases will determine that happens. Not feeling the love from Apple.

 

[Command]

Some people are talking as though this means the end to software updates for these models, when the article suggests models that were already deemed obsolete received the last new version of OS X.

Obsolete by Apple means that they will not support them - as they can't get parts, is all. It doesn't mean you're blacklisted... you can still get an obsolete Mac serviced and /or repaired as possible (or within the realm of possibility) at an Apple Authorized Service Provider (or anywhere at this point) but not an Apple Retail Store as once deemed obsolete, Apple simply can't get the parts for them any longer - parts that meet their requirements for adequate repair. Apple Authorized Service Providers are independent providers and generally eat that work up since it all gets kicked to them by Apple anyway. They can get parts for you in any option possible - they may even buy them off eBay from someone parting their system out, etc. No matter how much whomever doesn't like it, everything ages... and eventually becomes out dated. It just so happens that technology evolves faster than many other things and thusly ages and goes obsolete that much faster, too.

I've talked to friends who have a ~10 year old iMac - it won't run El Capitan, it can't do many of the things that the version of OS X it WILL run can do because of hardware limitations and hardware versioning. Of course, this was not planned in the development of the system 10 years ago - it just worked out that way. They get mad that they can't, I ask if they intended on doing these things with it when they purchased it 10 years ago... you already know the answer. They had no idea these things would be possible. Hey - neither did anyone else!! Imagine. OS X is 6+GB to download and takes up 8.8GB today and it supports systems as old as 8 years in many cases. Imagine the size if it if they even tried to bundle it all up.

Being obsolete does not mean that your system will just stop working because it was put on some list. Any notable behavior as such is simply coincidence or perceived only as manifested reality. Notwithstanding running an OS X upgrade, of course... that's naturally going to slow down any existing system. The software is more intense and the hardware never changes. What other behavior can one expect?