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Average age of the macs you've used

How often do you change Macs?

  • Every year

    Votes: 8 6.0%

  • 1-2 years

    Votes: 13 9.8%

  • 2-3 years

    Votes: 27 20.3%

  • 3-4 years

    Votes: 28 21.1%

  • 4-5 years

    Votes: 27 20.3%

  • 5+ years

    Votes: 30 22.6%
  • Total voters
    133
emir

emir

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 5, 2008
610
4
Istanbul
I just want to make a quick survey in the forum for how much people use their macs. I've got the feeling the turnover would be really low for macs. I've been using mine for a full 4 years now and all I did was swap the superdrive with an SSD and fusion drive hack them via the terminal. I don't do professional editing or movies but I do excessive number crunching, browsing and occasional photo editing. My Mac can still handle all of them fairly good.

Despite it being 4 years old I have the feeling I can squeeze out at least 2 more years out of this bad girl. The battery life is still ~3.5-4 hours as well.

How often do you change macs? What's the current situation and how was it in the past?
 
The first mac I owned was the late 08 unibody that I purchased about a month after it was released. I used it until this past december where I upgraded to a mid-2012 15'' MBP. Though before those two, I've been using macs in school since 1996, which is clearly what got me hooked. That and the obscene amount of viruses that windows can get was driving me crazy
 
If its working well for you, save your bucks and keep using it. If its holding you back, affecting your productivity significantly, etc then change it. :)
 
Used my mid-2009 MBP until I updated in October. But the 09 got a new lease on life as a home-only machine. So I'm still using it but not as much.
 
Started with a MBP 15 (2007 Santa Rosa), then migrated to a MBP 13 (2010 Mid), and am now on a MBP 13 (2012 - Core i7). I'm looking to stick with this for longer than the 2-3 year timespan I've typically held.
 
I had an iBook 12" in 2005, now I have an rMBP 13" that I bought in February 2014.

In between I've had a series of MacBooks and MBPs that have found their way into my kids' and friends' lives.

My previous Mac was a 15" 2008 MBP that I bought from a coworker when it was about a year old. I used it for almost 5 years, upgraded it a few times, and passed it along to some friends of mine who are happily humming along with it.
 
I had gone through about 4 macs in slightly over a year.

I got a brand new mac mini, had it for about 3 months and sold it to buy a used, 1 month old 13" MBP, that lasted me a good 3 more months until I realized I needed more power. Sold that to buy a 15" rMBP. That retina lasted me a good 5-6 months, but I wanted more internal storage and RAM. So I sold that one, and bought a used 15" rMBP maxed out with 2 years of applecare for a great price at the time! ($2500). My baby is still going strong! Ive had this one for about 6 months. I contemplated getting the new 2013 version, but there was nothing in there that was worth the upgrade. Unless apple does some real big updates/gimmicks, I think this one will be my long term computer!
 
I'm still on my first mac but I expect to be upgrading around 4 years.
 
5-6 years usually.... I get new ones more frequently than that, but always find a use for the old ones.

I have only gotten rid of 3 macs:

1) 1st-gen G4 Mac Mini -sold

2) 1st-gen black macbook -sold to a friend for his son to use last year, it still works great

3) 2012 13" rMBP - sold 2 weeks ago to pay for the 2013 version. I would have kept the 2012 model longer but my usage patterns changed where I really needed 16GB memory and a larger SSD.
 
I voted 3-4 years. Most of my Macs have served me very well, except for some AirPort/BT problems with my iMac G5, and not one, but two logic board replacements on the old MBP I had. I'd say that the iMac + MBA combo I have now is the best of worlds however. :)

I had the following...

- PowerMac G4 used, from 2004 to 2008. (Sold)

- iMac G5 used, 2004 model, from 2008 to 2011. (Still have it, never use it)

- iMac 21.5" new in 2011, till now.

As for the laptops...

- MacBook Pro "Santa Rosa" 2007 till 2012. (Passed on to my father)

- MacBook (White, classic) from 2009 to 2012. (Used everyday for 3 years in High-school. Now passed on to my mom. Still looks like new!)

- MacBook Air from 2012 till now.
 
*thinks*

1) brand new Quadra 660AV
2) smorgasbord of ageing PPCs and Umax clones 'borrowed' from work
3) brand new eMac 'USB 2.0'
4) two year old 24" iMac 'late 2006'
5) nine month old Mac Mini 'mid 2011'

So... ignoring the stuff I didn't actually buy (and the Atom hackbook, whose age I forget) that averages out at less than a year old.

I never realised I was so up with the times.

But in terms of *changing* Macs, I guess I'm every 3-4 years or 'upon death', whichever comes first.
 
In 27 years I've only owned one Mac! So voted 5+ years. Though I did only just buy that Mac less than a month ago...
 
I try not to upgrade every year, but inevitably for one reason or another I end up with a new computer ever year.

For my MacBook Pro, the last couple years have been introduction of different tech: USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, quad core processors, Retina display. This year I didn't see a new to upgrade, but the Apple Store broken my computer during a repair, so I ended up with an upgrade 2013 model.

The MacBook Air, I've been skipping generations. I started with the Early 2008 model, then had a 11" 2010 model, and now have a 11" 2013 model which I'm trying to sell.

My iMac I replaced a 2009 model with a 2012 model after AppleCare ran out and I wanted a faster machine.

I haven't been able to replace my Mac Pro mainly due to high replacement costs and lack of need to do so. For some tasks my old faithful is still quite powerful.
 
My wife's iMac is coming up on 3 years old and my MBP is 2.5. Since we have upgraded both to SSDs, we don't feel the need to upgrade anytime soon. I don't see changing mine out for at least 2 more years.
 
1) 15" MacBook Pro late 2006 version, from 2006 to 2012.
2) 13" MacBook Pro late 2011 version, from 2012 to 2013
3) 13" MacBook Pro Retina late 2013 version, 2013 to present

The first died a sudden and horrible death and had to be replaced. The second, though, was sold to a co-worker after I got my rMBP. The next "toy" I'm saving up for is an iPad Air, so I guess I'll be using my rMBP for a while, or until Apple finally wakes up and releases a quad-core 13" rMBP.

So the average would be somewhere in the lower half of 3 years, I guess, based on the limited sample I have so far.
 
I still use my 'Pismo' PowerBook that I upgraded to G4 550 from time to time these days....primarily for Internet surfing...:)

My desktop is my first gen MacPro purchased in spring '07 which has recently been upgraded to an 8-core 3.0 GHz Xenon.

I also acquired a 2010 MBP that's been upgraded in memory and drive storage that I use whenever traveling....

I still have my very first computer from Apple, an Apple IIe which I keep more for sentimental reasons :)
 
I've been in the 2-3 year range but to be honest, I can't see any compelling reason in the near future for an upgrade. I have a 2012 rMBP and I'm now in that window of time where I start thinking of selling the old girl and getting another. I've been quite content with my rMBP and so I'm looking to get a few more years out of her.
 
The only reason I'm considering upgrading my 13" MBP is to get a retina display, but even that is a stretch for me. I'm probably going to keep this machine for quite some time.
 
Bought my first laptop in 2006. Bought my iMac in 2011. Don't plan on upgrading that for several years to come. Heck my MBP is still going strong and being used daily.
 
1.5 years so far with rMBP. Late PC adopter here. :p
I don't see much of a reason to upgrade.
 
I tend to use computer for specific purposes. This may decrease the usefulness of it, but increases the longevity! I have a MBP vintage 2007. I use it for Logic Pro 8. Still runs the software great. Even with 2mb ram, busted LCD screen, and no battery!

I have a 2006 13" Macbook I use for PLC programming. Still going strong.
 
I purchased my first personal Mac at the end of March 2013, a 13" i7 MacBook Air. Just this January I purchased a quad i7 Mac Mini. I consider the MBA my main machine, the mini I mostly use as a media server.

At this point I'm not planning on any more Mac purchases at least until AppleCare expires on the Mini, at which time the MBA will be almost 4 years old. I'm thinking of downsizing to one computer at that time, perhaps a nicely specced 15" MBP (which I'm thinking I'd try to get 5+ years of use out of).

I think I now have myself convinced that any more new Macs in the near future would be mostly a waste of money since the hardware wouldn't be leaps and bounds above what I already have. LOL!
 
I currently use a 2010 Macbook Pro 15, 2.8Ghz, 1650x1080 screen, 8 GB ram, 240 GB SSD. This thing flies, even in 2014! I've been in the Apple store, played on the Retina MacBooks. They're nice, but not nice enough to warrant me to purchase another computer. I'm mean seriously, I've got better things to do with two grand than to upgrade a perfectly working Macbook every year or so. My old Macbook is just fine. My battery lasts 5-6 hours. Programs load instantly. And the screen is bright and clear. I'll use this thing till it chugs to a halt. Or I do. Whichever comes first.
 
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