Apple's First MacBook Pro With a Retina Display Will Become 'Obsolete' in 30 Days

[Mr Retina]

This was my favorite Mac ever. Only way I was able to afford it at the time, was because Apple finally gave us the EPP+ discount on machines. Bought it for college, and it serves me well for Years before I was able to replace it with a 2015 Model, that I recently sold off. Awesome machine RIP.

 

[farewelwilliams]

A testament to the fact that it's never a good investment buying any of their higher spec models.

A testament to the fact that their so called environmental friendliness is utter BS. To the landfill it all goes in a few short years

What? What does higher spec models have to do with anything? All models will become obsolete after many years.

Apple will gladly take your rMBP 2012 to recycle.
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No it isn’t.

it is.

 

[Tagbert]

So, does that mean I have to throw my mid2012 MBP non Retina to the bin just because it deemed obsolete by Apple? Not going to happen any time soon: not because I can't afford a new Apple's MBP (any one of those costs more than what I paid in 2013 for mine), but it has a bootload of useful apps and many of those wouldn't run on a newer machine, to say nothing of the fact they perform better and have the functions that the latest versions don't.

Oh, and did I mention I replaced the battery 2 months ago (and SSD and RAM 2 years ago)? The machine's going strong, it's my work-horse.

It doesn’t mean you should expect to stop using it and Apple isn’t telling you too. Apple designates a device as “obsolete” when they stop supporting it and no longer supply parts. You certainly can still use it longer.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Time to retire Apple and its programmed obsolescence programs.

And go buy a Windows laptop that doesn't provide useful new user features every year.

 

[retta283]

Best balance between light/thin design, excellent display, and great port selection. While the 16" MBP is a good machine, the classic Retina series were easily some of the best laptops ever made. If only we could've kept the easy upgrades of the Unibodies, then they would be perfect.

 

[Juicy Box]

A testament to the fact that it's never a good investment buying any of their higher spec models.

What? What does higher spec models have to do with anything?

Yeah, I am unsure what @now i see it means either.

Maybe @now i see it means that it isn't worth buying higher spec models versus base models because they become obsolete at the same time? If that is the point, it still very silly statement.

If I would have purchased a base model of my Late 2012 iMac instead of the higher end spec BTO one that I purchased, then I would have had to replace it years ago.

And go buy a Windows laptop that doesn't provide useful new user features every year.

I disagree with you here though, I much rather have an optimized OS supported on older models than a bunch of new features.

IMO, many of the new features on the last few versions of MacOS are not really anything special.

 

[Hugo Alves]

APPLE SSD SM768E

By far the best laptop i have ever had. Used plenty of other brands before and it was hard for any laptop to outlast 4-5 years.

2 screens, a wifi module upgrade, an ac adapter and 2 batteries later, still going strong... there is still nothing i can not do with it.

Will eventually upgrade next year or so, but it has been a fun ride.... well worth it.

 

[farewelwilliams]

I disagree with you here though, I much rather have an optimized OS supported on older models than a bunch of new features.

IMO, many of the new features on the last few versions of MacOS are not really anything special.

The point was that he wanted to abandon Apple in favor of an OS that doesn't update with anything new.

Mojave: I use new dark mode features and new screenshot capabilities everyday.
Catalina: I use Sidecar quite often. Also the new Tile-like offline Find My Mac is pretty great when you'e traveling.
High Sierra: I use Messages in the cloud every day.
Sierra: I use night shift, iCloud Desktop + Documents, and Auto Unlock via Apple Watch everyday. I use Apple Pay web and universal copy and paste quite often.


Not sure what new features I use often in Windows that were introduced between XP and 10. Maybe bit locker? I'm sure I'd use Windows Hello if my computer could do it. Other than that...can't think of anything else.

 

[cocoua]

This is still my machine, I love it but it was the worst Apple product I have.
They repaired for free the whole motherboard after a GPU failure (Glitch problem), the screen (ghostling), and 2 times the battery, the second one died also 6 months after repair, so it’s being now 5 years died.
Trackpad, due the thin design, doesn’t clic well over soft surfaces (pillows, carpets, knees...) and I suffered 2 years with the annoying WIFI/Bluetooth problem until they finally fixed with some major MacOS release (can’t remember which one but owners were so angry about this...)

 

[tivoboy]

This thread really makes me wonder apples thinking about EOL this unit. Of COURSE they have to move on with code and machine maintenance, but I bet if one queried the actual owners of this machine over time the customer satisfaction rating on it would match Tesla.

 

[kwick_818]

The mid 2012 RMBP is my daily driver still... kind of makes me sad, but its served me well, and ill ride her till the wheels fall off.

 

[dzankizakon]

Still have one, looks and works like the day it was bought, almost 8 years ago. Amazing machine.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

As someone who bought this machine within the first couple of weeks in 2012 as a poor college student who had just splurged on the previous year 2011 model, I have to say this was my favorite Mac ever and to me it represented Apple at its 'peak' as far as MacOS & hardware goes. It was a good ride for a few years until the 12" rMB arrived when QC issues arose.

I absolutely babied my 2012 rMBP and regret selling it on eBay about 2 years back. I just couldn't justify 3 laptops any longer

"As someone who bought this machine within the first couple of weeks in 2012 as a poor college student who had just splurged on the previous year 2011 model..." - wow, talk about 1st world poverty!!!

 

[anthorumor]

I would love a refreshed version of this Mac with all the modern internals (heck, this form factor still looks modern), while retaining some of the lovely port options.
Obviously, TB2/displayport would be replaced with TB3, but keep USB 3.0 type A, MagSafe, HDMI 2.0 port (still useful), and even an SDXC card slot!

The vision of the TB3/ USC-C is pretty clear for Apple since the 2015 MacBook, but for the sake of convenience, you really couldn’t beat these inputs which are still super useful in 2020.

 

[Pman17]

Why is everyone saying "if Apple says it's obsolete, it's time to upgrade"? If it does what you need today, run that MF till the wheels fall off. No?

Not if you're a developer. I have a few apps in the App Store so I will need the next OS to keep my apps up to date. I'm still keeping my 2012 and giving it to my fiance. With a fairly new battery, I think it will last another 3-4 years.

 

[fairuz]

Eh, we have several of these in our household, every single one with defects. First off the 15" ones with dGPUs are basically blowdryers.

My 13" one didn't have the liability of the dGPU but had every other problem possible, including random KPs that I confirmed were hardware-caused, so likely a bad RAM stick. Misbehaving fans. Screen degredation. Charging problems. Battery death. Amazing machine at first, turned out to be horrible later. My 2015 replacement has been perfect.
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I would love a refreshed version of this Mac with all the modern internals (heck, this form factor still looks modern), while retaining some of the lovely port options.
Obviously, TB2/displayport would be replaced with TB3, but keep USB 3.0 type A, MagSafe, HDMI 2.0 port (still useful), and even an SDXC card slot!

The vision of the TB3/ USC-C is pretty clear for Apple since the 2015 MacBook, but for the sake of convenience, you really couldn’t beat these inputs which are still super useful in 2020.

Yep, at work I have the "new" MacBook, and the ports are still a pain in the rear. It was all dongled up, and besides being annoying, the dongles introduce their own technical problems like glitching external monitors and keeping the laptop awake 24/7 even while closed. Finally used some company money on an expensive-ass dock for it, and I nearly bought one that used DisplayLink by accident, which would've been bad. Life's too short to be worry about this junk, just gimme ports that work.

 

[j_in_tx]

I have (2) late 2013 13” Macbook Pro i5 8GB 256GB. Should I keep holding on or should I sell them sometime this year? I don’t understand the whole vintage thing, but it appears that both are not yet vintage.

However, I also have (1) late 2013 15” MacBook Pro i7 16GB 512GB which shows as vintage already.

Do you think all 3 will go obsolete at the same time next summer? When I bought these, I didn’t realize there was such a thing as vintage and obsolete and end of macOS support.

What would you do?

 

[Mac Rules]

Mine is still going strong, think I've got another refresh cycle or two ahead of me before I change.

One of my best purchases of the last 8 years.

 

[fairuz]

I have (2) late 2013 13” Macbook Pro i5 8GB 256GB. Should I keep holding on or should I sell them sometime this year? I don’t understand the whole vintage thing, but it appears that both are not yet vintage.

However, I also have (1) late 2013 15” MacBook Pro i7 16GB 512GB which shows as vintage already.

Do you think all 3 will go obsolete at the same time next summer? When I bought these, I didn’t realize there was such a thing as vintage and obsolete and end of macOS support.

What would you do?

If this is purely a question about money, I think your overall cost of owning a Mac is lowest if you sell before there's any visible difference your machine vs the latest model. And i7 never holds value. People aren't usually techies.

https://www.ebay.com/b/2013-Apple-M...aptops/111422/bn_108862788?rt=nc&LH_Auction=1 suggests you'd get at most $400 for either. I don't see a big difference in value between 13" and 15". Personally I'd hold onto it if it works for you and delays the purchase of a new one, but I don't know your situation exactly.

Funny, if you search "2017 MacBook Pro," you get all these clowns selling 2015-and-older models with "the 2017 version of macOS" or something: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr..._TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=2016+macbook+pro

 

[Tech198]

In other words 'a paper weight", unless you DIY. I wish i still had my 2012

 

[cristianvaldez]

Meanwhile...

View attachment 920588

Mine is early 2011, with 1 tb ssd and 16gb ram. Running MacOS Catalina!

 

[j_in_tx]

If this is purely a question about money, I think your overall cost of owning a Mac is lowest if you sell before there's any visible difference your machine vs the latest model. And i7 never holds value. People aren't usually techies.

https://www.ebay.com/b/2013-Apple-M...aptops/111422/bn_108862788?rt=nc&LH_Auction=1 suggests you'd get at most $400 for either. I don't see a big difference in value between 13" and 15". Personally I'd hold onto it if it works for you and delays the purchase of a new one, but I don't know your situation exactly.

Funny, if you search "2017 MacBook Pro," you get all these clowns selling 2015-and-older models with "the 2017 version of macOS" or something: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr..._TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=2016+macbook+pro

About to be unemployed, but I just don’t like the situation of having a computer with no security update support. I also have a 2011 iMac 21” i5 500GB HD 24GB RAM and learned recently that macOS support is gone in November.

How much longer should I expect for my (2) 13” and (1) 15” 2013 Macbook Pro models?
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About to be unemployed, but I just don’t like the situation of having a computer with no security update support. I also have a 2011 iMac 21” i5 500GB HD 24GB RAM and learned recently that macOS support is gone in November.

How much longer should I expect for my (2) 13” and (1) 15” 2013 Macbook Pro models?

I really thought that all 3 machines would get my high schoolers through college. I assumed that all 3 would easily have enough oomph for almost all circumstances. But if the update possibility goes away, then I just find that unacceptable.

 

[fairuz]

About to be unemployed, but I just don’t like the situation of having a computer with no security update support. I also have a 2011 iMac 21” i5 500GB HD 24GB RAM and learned recently that macOS support is gone in November.

How much longer should I expect for my (2) 13” and (1) 15” 2013 Macbook Pro models?
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I really thought that all 3 machines would get my high schoolers through college. I assumed that all 3 would easily have enough oomph for almost all circumstances. But if the update possibility goes away, then I just find that unacceptable.

Sorry to hear. I don't know how long they'll get updates because Apple's been extending support for the past 8 years, which was totally not happening before. But Apple reliably provide security patches to the previous two macOS versions despite there being no official policy on that, which you can see here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222, so it might be ok. Like, El Capitan was quietly supported till July 2018.

 

[Markovich]

The first thing that catches my eyes is that MagSafe connector. Glorious little thing, they should have never gotten rid of it.

(Yes, I want both USB C and MagSafe).

Absolutely! Bring back the MagSafe ( improved and more robust) and some additional ports please.

 

[Dr Stuart-Zhang]

Such a legend! I still remember the day when it is announced!