Change of Mac users attitude to hardware

I think it's all the new people, the ones who switched to Mac in the last 5 years or so. They've become accustomed to wanting (or in some cases needing) the latest hardware, and haven't shaken the habit yet. Also, graphics cards = e-peen measurement, so there's that too.

 

I don't know. Maybe. But if so, I think constantly upgrading actually makes less sense now than it did in the times of the PowerPC. I upgraded to new computers way more often when Apple was still using G4s in their laptops, simply because I felt that they were always a bit on the slow side, and I really appreciated any increase in speed. Since the introduction of Intel Macs, I only bought the first Intel iMac, then switched to the very first Intel Macbook and have been using that one up until now, never really feeling particularly slowed down by it. And it still seems quite fast to me, especially now that I've put an SSD in it. I might replace the Macbook one of these days, but mainly because I'd like to utilize more than 2GB of RAM, for Virtual Machine usage.

 

Same here. My iMac is only a few months old but it replaced a 9 year old PowerMac G4. My PowerBook G4 is over 6 years old now, and is a bit worse for wear, but is still going strong. I may replace it end of 2011 or beginning 2012.

 

Personally, I'd rather spend the same money on an older Mac than the newest PC. This MacBook I'm using was a year old when I bought it, and it replaced a five-year-old iBook. My wife's PBook G4 is around the same age, and it replaced a Pismo that was nine years old. (I'm probably going to have to buy a Macbook for her come tax return time -- she's gettin' jealous of my box. )

I don't see the need to buy the newest piece of equipment. If what I got can do what I need, why spend the cash?

 

Similar here, my iMac is 4 years old and my MacBook is 3 so is my iPhone.

The computers are both dual core and have a reasonable amount of RAM. Unlike computers before these computers are fast enough for my use so I haven't really had the desire to upgrade them. Sure the newer machines would be nice but I don't want a glossy iMac and can't justify the cost of one when mine is perfectly fine (apart from harddrive space).

The iPhone is an area where I would notice the update as the iPhone I have, the original one, was slow and crippled when it was released, edge wasn't even that well known in the UK because we were already well into 3G by then, so now 3 years later it is really noticeable. But the cost of upgrading is prohibitive right now for me (not on an official contract and never have been).

 

Agreed. As you can see in my signature, my iMac is over 3 years old and my MBP is coming up on 3 years of age. My last phone I had before my iPhone 4 was almost 2 years old. I won't upgrade my phone until it is 2 years old. While I like the new Apple hardware, what I currently have still does everything I need it to.

 

Also keep in consideration how every computer bought in the last 4 years or so can *generally speaking* run any software. We're not talking about games, but productivity software. Take Photoshop: even the last iBooks could run it in an *acceptable* way.

What I am trying to say is, nowadays there are less and less real reasons to change hardware, if not to increase ever so slightly the productivity, which makes sense to the standard user only to feel up-to-date or impress people in forums

I am still rocking on my 4 years old 1.86Ghz MBP, and while I thought many times to change it, I also acknowledge that my current rig is still fantastic for working with even advanced applications!

Wasn't it different, say, 10 years ago? Wasn't new hardware really allowing for accessing new applications? I ask since I wasn't so big into computing then - but I am lead to think so.

 

Updating hardware has become increasingly less necessary IMO.

Things like HDD -> SSD and having over 2GB ram is the most beneficial upgrade now IMO.

The reason for people always having to have the greatest on this site...? Apple's ability to market and create lemmings.

 

Good point.

I'm still using my first Mac, a first-gen Mac Pro with only a better 8800 graphics card, more memory and lots of drives for my video editing.

When I was using PCs, I was continually upgrading hardware and software just trying to find a combination that would work well.
I never did find that elusive combination but at least my last PC was fairly fast at rendering. It took an expensive C2Duo, loads of memory, a decent graphics card and a hardware RAID card to do it. (this was in 06-07)

Then I got the MP and a 2x-4x improvement in Render times. I've been very happy with that, so why change anything? Radeon 4xxx or 5xxx? nah. Put in different CPUs? no point. Get an 8 or 12 core MP? Why? This one is still astounding at what I use it for.

Add a Mini in the guest bedroom for redundancy and I'm happy.

When the time comes, I know where my next computer is coming from.

Another really happy PC to Mac switcher,
Keri

 

I find myself breaking out of that line of thinking now that I'm using Macs.

I used to update my hardware every 18-24 months; right now my MacBook is 4 years old and my iMac 2 1/2, and I'm not in the market to trade in either. I think it's because they seem to last longer before they start bogging down.

 

I agree with a lot of the other posters here, with the want for the latest and greatest, again, mostly only resulting in a bigger e-peen like someone else said.

I can understand the waiting game if you're looking for a new machine that isn't simply replacing a slightly older machine of the same type though. Personally I am of the thought that I don't replace my gadgets until they can no longer do what I ask of them, or are simply annoyingly slow at it.

I have had my computer (my first since my hand-me-down of my dad's early 90s machine when win 98 came out) for a year and a half, and according to my serial, it is actually about two years old (bought from a place that doesn't have super high turnover). It still easily does anything I ask of it, and it will be my main computer until that changes (or I graduate and make some real money )

 

I lust after powerful hardware on desktops, but then I need it for running very intensive engineering applications.

Laptops, on the other hand, I'm not as demanding on.

 

Maybe the run for performance has shifted more toward the mobile business than the desktop in the last years. Now so many people are looking for a mobile replacement for their desktop. In this sense the industry can continue thriving by making more and more powerful laptops.

Which leads me to think - aren't laptops after all destined to take over desktops in the long run? Maybe keeping large screens at home only to connect them to mobile hardware?

 

I swapped a 2 year old MB with a 2.0 ghz C2D and 4 GB of RAM for a ... brand new MBA with a 1.86 ghz C2D and 4 GB of RAM... Hardware lust indeed.

This thread reads like a great big "Get off my lawn!" rant. The fact is, Mac users attitude hasn't changed at all. I knew this guy in the 90s, big Mac fan, swore by the things even as the company was flailing for a life-line. Biggest. Hardware. Geek. Never stopped speaking of SCSI this, Firewire that, PPC faster than Intel, latest graphics, more memory... Guy swapped his PowerMac every year.

 

I think it all depends. It's one thing to be an enthusiast - my main desktop (non-Mac and unlikely to ever be) would be constantly updated and upgraded. Not the most exotic hardware of course but newer things when they would become more affordable. I don't think there is anything wrong with that as I built my own PC from scratch and upgrading it was sort of a hobby. Plus I play games so newer stuff helps.

On the other hand buying an entirely new package because it's newer is a waste of $$$. Apple's upgrades are just incremental with occasional exceptions so just because they increased base RAM or made a prettier-looking enclosure doesn't mean your old system is worthless. Of course this is what makes Apple - Apple and that's how they make money off clueless users. But hey, imho, if people buy it, let them have it!