No. Only current and next macOS are supported. Betas are available for Big Sur and Monterey.
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Are old Macs still protected as long as we update to the latest security patch whenever available?
- Thread starter hajime
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Safari tech preview is by definition a "cutting edge" so normal Safari will receive a longer support on any given macOS.
My MacBook Pro from 2012 still gets software updates. That will likely end this fall though.
So my device got 10 years of software support from release date. I can still keep using it fine even after it no longer gets security updates.
If you get a new Apple Silicon Mac today, my guess is you will get somewhere from 7-10 years of software updates, although it is hard to say for sure what Apple will do with their new processors.
The comment that suggested you switch to Firefox was a good one. A browser that still gets security updates is the best thing you can do to protect yourself when running an older Mac that no longer gets any updates from Apple.
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This makes Apple look good in that my 2015 iMac can expect at least a couple more years of security updates for Monterey. Apple looks bad for not giving Safari separate updates which Firefox for example does.
I think somebody mentioned that Apple only supports three OS and given that they update annually, it would mean three years. How your 2012 still gets updates?
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Apple supports the current and the previous two versions of macOS with security updates.
When you purchase a Mac, you can upgrade to new versions of macOS for many years.
My 2012 MacBook Pro can update to macOS Catalina, which is one of the previous two versions of macOS, so my computer still gets security updates.
In your case, your computer can only be update to macOS High Sierra, which is 4 versions of macOS ago. So your computer stopped receiving updates in 2020. Your computer was released in 2010. That means you also got 10 years of software support on your Mac.
But the 10 years of software support is not full support, I guess. 10.13.6 was released in 2018.
I think hardware-wise, Apple only keeps the parts for 5-7 years after they stop selling a Mac.
While silent operation is very nice for Silicon MacBook Pros, we can't upgrade the hardware and Apple limits the support both hardware-wise and software-wise to only a few years. Most of my work require Windows and Linux. So I wonder if I should just buy the cheapest MacBook Pro or continue to buy highest-end ones.
Did they change their business practice? I think it was free in the past but not anymore.
I guess there are two ways to protect the Mac. Updating to the latest OS which includes security updates and in my case, getting FireFox which supports older Macs. I guess for maximum security, we need to do both?
Yup, there are plenty of examples out there.
The Late 2009 iMac example I gave was the longest support run that I could think of (2009-2020).
Discontinued date adds a whole new variable to it. Some devices are discontinued relatively quickly, such as the Late 2009 iMac (less than a year), making the support time after the discontinue date even more impressive.
For the 2014 MM, the time between is launch date and discontinued date was unusually long for a Mac.
To be fair to Apple and the 2014 MM, 2014 to (probably) 2022, that still had a pretty long run of support.
10.13.6 was released November 12, 2020. So, the Mid 2010 MBP was launched April 13, 2010.
10 years and 7 months of security updates for your Mac.
You have to define "full support". When it comes to the topic of "support", threads tend to go off the rails because one person to the next has a different idea of what "support" actually means.
In this case, you are changing what it means. You were first talking about support from a security perspective in your first post.
Now, you are referring to HW support, which is a totally different topic. Yes, HW support is typically 5-7 years after the discontinue date, but can be longer.
No. Safari is fine on a Mac that still get security updates.
There are other things you can do for maximum security, such as air gap your Mac.
By "full support" at software OS level, I mean older Macs receiving the same level of support as the latest Macs they are now selling.
Now I am considering whether to invest on Silicon MacBook Pro so I need to think about the level of support I will get from Apple both hardware-wise and software-wise. For older Macs, besides the level of support OS-wise, we could upgrade the hardware or change some failed components by ourselves. For Apple Silicon Mac, we are at the mercy of Apple.
This is different than how your first post was, as it was asking about SW support from a security perspective. In that case, your Mac stopped getting what you considered "full support" in September 2018 when Mojave was launched. So, 8 years and 5 months.
Yup, no one knows for sure what the future will look like, and whether we will ever see 10+ years of security SW support on a a Mac again.
Correct it is not full software support. The last 2 years are mainly Security Updates, although you will get compatibility updates so you can still connect the latest iPone to your Mac, things will still sync with iCloud, etc.
Most Macs (there are exeptions) get 5-8 years of full support plus 2 years of security updates. So total time of software support from Apple is usually 7-10 years.
The MacBook Pro has not been user upgradeable for a long time now, so it really isn’t just a Apple Silicon transition.
While we don’t know for sure how many years of full support a new Apple Silicon MacBook Pro will get, we can probably guess it will still be in the 5-8 years of full support plus 2 years of security updates, from date of release.
Another thing to remember is the Apple Silicon iPhones get 6-7 years of full support now, so the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro will probably be longer than that, even if just a little bit.
There's no standard policy. A quick look through at this list:
Apple security releases - Apple Support
This document lists security updates and Rapid Security Responses for Apple software.
looks like about two or three years
>Am I correct that as long as I update to the latest security update, even my computer is running older OS such as 10.13.6, it is still protected against virus and other security risks?
No. Computer protection is not binary, or "you're protected or not protected". There are degrees of computer protection, and there may be unknown exploits that attackers may use that will never be patched by Apple because of low use of the operating system. The operating system itself may not be able to use the latest security features either. Try connecting a very old iMac from 2000 to a modern wireless network as an example.
If you're actually asking "how long can I use a consumer-level Apple computer", here's the good rule of thumb:
- For new operating systems: 6 years of operating system support
- For patches: 3 years of security patches
- For installing unsupported operating systems: 10 additional years (Monterey, released in 2020, can be installed on an iMac 7.1 released in 2007), however the older the machine, the less features may be enabled (i.e. wireless networking or sounds). This does require technical knowledge, and may require overriding built-in security controls :O
However, for practical purposes, expect to use your computer for about 10 years before either the hardware fails, or for quality-of-life improvements.
There is no official Apple source on that other than Apple's historical practice.
I don’t know if that is officially stated by Apple anywhere, but it is what they have done for at least the last decade now.
Edit: As far as I can remember that is what Apple has done since Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, way back in the early 2000s.
1. I wouldn't be too surprised if Microsoft supports Apple in releasing Bootcamp for Windows. Remember, Microsoft and Apple are in two completely different industries now.
2. It's unknown what Apple's support policies for MacOS is now. However, looking back on MacOSX/ Mac OS 10 (intel only), we can guess about 7 years:
10.15: Released in 2019. Oldest (consumer) machine is a MacBook Air 2012 - or 7 years
10.14: Released in 2018. Oldest (consumer) machine is a MacBook Air 2012 - or 6 years
10.13: Released in 2017. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac late 2009 - or 8 years
10.12: Released in 2016. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac late 2009 - or 7 years
10.11: Released in 2015. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac late 2007 - or 8 years
10.10: Released in 2014. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac late 2007 - or 7 years
10.9 : Released in 2013. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac mid 2007 - or 6 years
10.8: Released in 2012. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac mid 2007 - or 5 years
10.7: Released in 2011. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac late 2006 ["Core 2 duo"] - or 5 years
10.6: Released in 2009. Oldest (consumer) machine is an iMac early 2006 ["Core duo"] - or 3 years
Note: Mac OSX 10.6 is the first "Intel only" MacOS version. The Core Duo machines, or the first Intel machines, were only given five years of support :O
Also remember, not all machines get all the features of the operating system. For example Sidecar and Handoff may not be supported by all machines, even if they have the latest operating system.
Given the small increase between the M1 and M2 processors, I don't think the M1 will be cut off next year.
Apple also updates the last two OS versions. For example 10.15 is still receiving updates.
There’s also no telling how long Apple Silicon Macs will be supported, but I’d say 7 years for full updates at the very least. Possibly longer, though.
Including 2 years after that, and you’re at 9 years of full security support. Pretty good run. It’s possible some early AS Macs will be supported longer than 7 though.
Intel machines will probably be supported for less time, given Apple’s desire to transition away. Something like a 2019 MacBook Pro might only get 5 years of main OS support, for instance.
Here's the list:
MacBook Pro Retina mid 2014, and late 2013: Last operating system is Mac OS 11 (released in 2020). Still being patched.
MacBook Pro Retina early 2013 to the MacBook Pros Mid 2012: Last operating system is Mac OS 10.15, last updated in 2020. Or 7 to 8 years.
MacBook Pro late 2011 to mid 2010: Last operating system is MacOS 10.13, last updated in 2018. Or about 7 to 8 years
MacBook Pro Mid 2009 to Mid 2007: Last operating system is MacOS 10.11, last updated in 2016. Or about 6 to 8 years.
MacBook Pro Core 2 Duos (released in late 2006): Last operating system is Mac OS X 10.7.5, last updated in 2012. Or about 6 years.
MacBook Pro Core Duo (released in early 2006): Last operating system is Mac OS X 10.6.8, last updated in 2011. Or about 5 years.
That is another reason why threads discussing how long Apple devices are supported get confusing, as "support" can mean many different things.
When it is not defined, posts can have contradicting information, but not necessarily incorrect info, as it depends on how the poster was interpreting "support".
Yep! I agree, at least from the last transition.
Powerbook G4 (2005) - Released in 2005. Last Mac update is Mac OS X 10.5. Last update is 2009. or about 4 years.
Powerbook G4 (2004) - Released in 2004. Last Mac update is Mac OS 10.5. Last update is 2009, or about 5 years.
Powerbook G4 (2003) - Released in 2003. Last Mac update is Mac OS 10.5. Last update is 2009, or about 6 years.
Powerbook G4 (late 2002) - Released in 2002. Last Mac update is Mac OS 10.5. Last update is 2009, or about 7 years.
Powerbook G4 (early 2002) - Released in 2002. Last Mac update is Mac OS 10.4. Last update is 2007, or about 5 years.
From the prior transition before (from 680x0 to PowerPC. The first PowerPC Macintosh was released in 1994, and the first Mac OS that was PowerPC only was 8.5, released in late 1998. Mac OS 8.1 was released in early 1998):
Macintosh Powerbook 550c - Released in 1995. Last Mac update is Mac OS 8.1, released in early 1998 or about 3 years.
Macintosh Powerbook 540 - Released in 1994. Last Mac update is Mac OS 8.1, released in early 1998, or about 4 years.
(For reference, the Macintosh Quadra was released in 1993, and the last update is Mac OS 8.1, released in 1998, or about 5 years of support).
For the currently supported Intel Macs, I expect maybe one more update past Ventura, and maybe two more for the MacPros. But their days are numbered.
I think it's best if people do their own research so they can know what "support" means. There's an excellent program called MacTracker that provides all the support history for virtually every product Apple ever made, including the features the different systems have. I highly recommend it for any type of research for past Apple trends.
Good luck wading through Apple's product naming scheme in the early 1990's though :O
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