My main computer for the last 8+ years has been a Late 2009 iMac with a 2.8 GHz Core i7 CPU and 2 TB hard drive. I upgraded to 32 GB of RAM and it still runs everything fine, including macOS Sierra and playing 4K video. I used to upgrade Macs every 5 years but this one keeps chugging along. The hard drive fan is slowly on its way out so there is likely an SSD in its future...
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Average Apple Device Lifespan Estimated at Just Over Four Years by Analyst
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My 2008 mac pro is still going strong...10 years old! But laptops and phones are of course prone to more ware and tare.
Glad to see my 27" Not-yet-vintage 2010 3.6 Intel Core i5 w/256 SSD, High Sierra is still running like the bad-ass it's always been and is breaking the curve, moving into year 8. Naturally, I lust after the new iMacs, but still can't find the justification to retire this magnificent machine. I still have a '09 24" Core Duo iMac at the Reception area of my law firm, running El Capitan, handling all iCal appointments, court calendaring, correspondence, composing motions, hosting firm email/scanning/fax and functioning at 100% performance within our network. It's creeping up to 9 years solid. iMacs Rule!
Think about what you just wrote, then consider how many ios devices have had issues with updates. And more specifically, are you really suggesting that let' say 13 months after purchase, the latest galaxy phone just dies? What 3xactly do you mean when you say they won' run? I' sure if they were that bad they wouldn' sell millions every yr?
My wife's Grape iMac is still running well, after 18 years or better. I have a G3/333 that's still functional and my 2007 iMac is still a capable machine. My kids are both rocking our old iPhone 5s', too. All these computers have far outlived Wintel machines that we had at the same time. 4 years? I'd be disappointed if that's all I got out of a Mac.
Four years ago this month I upgraded to a late 2013 MBP when we got rid of cable. It still runs like it’s brand new. It had replaced my 2007 Blackbook, which has been handed down to my in-laws. It’s still running but it is definitely showing its age.
Our iPad 3’s and Minis were replaced after 3 years. Air 2’s and a Mini 4 are going on 2.5 years and seem to holding up better. I’m confident they’ll make it to 2020. I also just picked up a 10.5” Pro I am hoping will last many years.
Our iPad 3’s and Minis were replaced after 3 years. Air 2’s and a Mini 4 are going on 2.5 years and seem to holding up better. I’m confident they’ll make it to 2020. I also just picked up a 10.5” Pro I am hoping will last many years.
This seems like the lifespan calculations should be done separately for each category of device. This claim also seems to assume that users are using their devices for the same purpose throughout the life of the device. Plus it doesn't seem clear whether the reason for buying a new device is due to actually needing to upgrade out of necessity or if it's simply just to have the latest and greatest. I myself have a 2008 15.4" MacBook Pro that I still use. Sure it doesn't update the OS anymore, but I can still use it for several different things. Even though it's really old, I still haven't retired it. Even though I bought an iMac a couple years ago. My iPhone lasted 5 years before I upgraded that as well. I haven't seen anyone I know need a new Apple product within 4 years.
Likewise. I wonder if there is even any consideration to bringing back to 17" MBP? I do think there is a good market for it, but maybe not enough to make it profitable. The shop where I had mine upgraded said that they had quite a few that they still kept going, primarily by professionals who needed some portability e.g., attorneys, but who could also use them in lieu of a desktop with the bigger screen.
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No personal pride involved. It is more a testament to the quality of the product in comparison to other brands that these devices are still functioning, albeit with a few upgrades in some cases. Also, if a product is still functioning to meet one's needs, there isn't a need to upgrade...... or else we're all waiting for the next best thing
I have a bit of a sense of pride in my 2011 MacBook Pro. I love that it's lasted so long makes me feel I made a good decision to buy it. Money well spent and we all made a good decision in going for Apple quality and it's proven itself up to the challenge.
When my 2011 eventually dies, I'll likely keep it. It was my first Apple laptop and was used for 2 university degrees and 2 different jobs.
I was going to say the same thing about my 1985 512k - it still boots up like it was 1985!
Another “older gen” Mac that I have that still works is a 1992 LC II. It’s funny I can still boot it up and try to beat the high scores that I made in Crystal Quest when playing it in the early 90s as a kid.
Now that I think about it the only Mac that I know failed in our family was a Quicksilver G4. I believe it was the power unit that was broken after a lighting strike...
I have a Mac 512 that I picked up that works great. I haven't fired up my SE/30 in a few years, and now I'm nervous that the HD might have caught some sticktion.
A lifepsan is fiction, when you think people replace their device(s) before their device has gone ka-put..
We can calculate and estimate, but that's it.
Sure. Phones and watches surely reduces the average a whole lot. I rarely keep a phone more than two years. My macs however are from 2007 and 2021
My 2014 maxed out 15" mbp runs like crap on the other hand. Mostly due to macOS degrading in quality very sharply as of late.
My devices are still doing pretty well:
Like with everyone, I have had issues with these devices over the years, but they are always software and only once was it hardware when the iMac hdd failed after only 5 months.
- Macbook late 08 has now been donated to parents and is still going strong
- iMac early 2012 - I re-formatted the HDD about a year ago and is going well now.
- Macbook pro mid 2014 - This is my work horse, and is in great condition and still flying. Very happy with it (probably the best computing purchase I have ever made.)
- iPad 2. Was mine, now my 8 year old daughters. Battery is incredible and still pretty much as good as new. The iOS software has slowed it down of course, but is fine for an 8 year old watching youtube.
- iPhone 6s. Going strong. Had problems with iOS 11 at first but still good, now into its 3rd year.
- Apple watch series 1. This is a hand me down from my brother and is still mega. The battery lasts very nearly 2 full days even accounting for running with it etc.
- iPad Mini retina 2. It was going great (after 2 years) until I left it in a taxi in Bangkok. No idea how it's getting on these days
Like with everyone, I have had issues with these devices over the years, but they are always software and only once was it hardware when the iMac hdd failed after only 5 months.
Snow Leopard possibly stands at the pinnacle of OS X development having a significantly smaller footprint on Hardware than later releases of OS X (macOS)
Regrettably third party support is drying up significantly now. The only suitable web browser is Firefox ESR 45.9 both Mozilla and Google have dropped support for the latest releases of Firefox and Chrome.
Dropbox support has recently ended and Steam support dried up a while back. If you want to run Spotify it has to be an older version. It's not all doom and gloom and although I retain a Snow Leopard partition I cannot rely on it so my primary is macOS Sierra. At present it continues to be very usable but there will come a time when Snow Leopard will no longer be a viable option.
Every Apple product that I or anybody in my family has owned has worked for longer than 4 years and that, unfortunately for you, is how averages work.
Well, that sure assumes a lot, and doesn't really provide any useful information. It is also a very broad definition of "lifespan." I define lifespan to be how long the device actually functions, but useabe lifespan is something completely different.
I have owned many Apple devices, including an original iPhone, which still works. I even have a Mac Quadra 610 that still works - useful? no, but it still works and it can do everything it did the day I bought it. With 2 notable exceptions of a PPC Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro that both failed after about 9 years, all other Apple devices I've owned still work, making some of their lifespans pushing 2 decades.
As for useable lifespan, I have no hard data, only personal experience:
Every iPod still works and is still useful, but not all of them are used anymore. I give iPod a useable lifespan of 6 years.
Every iPhone still works, but due to progress of technology and the walled garden, the older ones can't run newer OS and apps, and old cellular tech is about to be shut down. I give iPhone a useable lifespan of 4 years.
Every Mac but two still work, and are still useful. They all can connect to the internet and still run recent enough versions of software to get the job done. Some of the oldest have been converted to Linux, which places no artificial limits on OS versions that will run. Also due to the relatively slow pace of performance improvements in Intel CPUs (only ~5% per iteration) a Core2Duo still performs almost as well as a brand new i5. I give Macs a useable lifespan of 8 years.
I don't own an Apple Watch. If I do at some point, I would expect it to provide its primary function (tell time) for as long as any other watch I own. I would fully expect Apple Watch to have a usable lifespan of more than 20 years (with a battery replacement of course).
I have owned many Apple devices, including an original iPhone, which still works. I even have a Mac Quadra 610 that still works - useful? no, but it still works and it can do everything it did the day I bought it. With 2 notable exceptions of a PPC Mac Pro and a MacBook Pro that both failed after about 9 years, all other Apple devices I've owned still work, making some of their lifespans pushing 2 decades.
As for useable lifespan, I have no hard data, only personal experience:
Every iPod still works and is still useful, but not all of them are used anymore. I give iPod a useable lifespan of 6 years.
Every iPhone still works, but due to progress of technology and the walled garden, the older ones can't run newer OS and apps, and old cellular tech is about to be shut down. I give iPhone a useable lifespan of 4 years.
Every Mac but two still work, and are still useful. They all can connect to the internet and still run recent enough versions of software to get the job done. Some of the oldest have been converted to Linux, which places no artificial limits on OS versions that will run. Also due to the relatively slow pace of performance improvements in Intel CPUs (only ~5% per iteration) a Core2Duo still performs almost as well as a brand new i5. I give Macs a useable lifespan of 8 years.
I don't own an Apple Watch. If I do at some point, I would expect it to provide its primary function (tell time) for as long as any other watch I own. I would fully expect Apple Watch to have a usable lifespan of more than 20 years (with a battery replacement of course).
Late 2013 rMBP and iPhone 5S still working well here, though I'll probably replace the batteries in both soon because I've noticed slight swelling in both after opening them up. My backup computer, a 16 year old PowerBook G4 (with an ATA SSD), still works perfectly running 10.5.
I concur. I recently went through the tedious effort to upgrade an i7 mini to 16GB of ram, and two WD 500GB SSDs and put them in a MacOS soft-RAID0 set. The thing screams. So much more capable than any of the lame-ass Mac mini configurations currently available.
I wondered how long it would take for a sadly nostalgic Steve comment to show up. First post. I’m picturing a widow scanning the horizon for signs of her drowned husband’s ship.
Anyway, switching to Linux on older devices will give them several more years of productivity.