For me, it's not possible to upgrade beyond Mojave and now I don't have security updates anymore. Open core is too complicated for me and I doubt whether it run Monterey. I have a Mac Pro 2010 with a lot of upgrades (6 core CPU, SSD's, a Metal graphics card and an USB 3 card). I have considered to buy the Mac Studio base model but I am not sure about the fan noise and I'm gonna miss Photoshop CS6. Is it still safe to continue using this Mac Pro for browsing the internet? Or can I save much electricity when I buy a new Mac? How long is this Mac Pro 2010 still usable?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
MP 1,1-5,1 How long can I still use a Mac Pro 2010?
- Thread starter Defever
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I use mine but with opencore. See if you can find a YouTube, or a google that will help you. I am stupid and I did it.
Take a look at OpenCore Legacy Patcher. I believe it has post install patches for your stock WifI and Bluetooth. Many have found it a relatively easy way to use OpenCore and update to Catalina, Big Sur or Monterey.
GitHub - dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher: Experience macOS just like before
Experience macOS just like before. Contribute to dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
Regards,
sfalatko
Fair warning... the Photoshop CS suite requires access to an Adobe license server in order to install it. That server no longer exists. This means that so long as you never need to reinstall the software, you can continue to run it forever (assuming the machine continues to run). I learned this the hard way when I wiped my hard drive and then decided to reinstall from the software discs. Even though you have all the credentials, it fails to install because it cannot reach said server to verify the license. So Photoshop CS no more.
If the computer still runs what you want it to run, why call it unusable? Security updates? You haven't received any security updates in years. There's nothing in a later OS that your system will benefit from because it wasn't written for your hardware to begin with. As far as Apple is concerned, your system was EOL'd a long time ago and if it happens to run a later OS, wow, isn't that nice. If it doesn't? Well, it doesn't support your system anyways.
The Mac Pro you have right now will make more noise than any modern system Apple has to offer. New technology will always trump old technology. If you've managed to suffer though the jet engine next to you for 12 years, you can continue to suffer through it. I don't see "quiet" as a selling point when what you have now hasn't caused you to replace it for all these years as it is. Noise isn't keeping you from using it.
Electricity. How much electricity do you think this thing actually uses? Sure newer hardware may use less, but in the grand scheme of things, you use far more electricity running your refrigerator. You're not going to see a substantial change in your electric bill by switching computers. If you do, something is wrong with your meter.
You computer is unusable when it physically will no longer run. It is unusable when it no longer is capable of doing what you need it to do. It is not unusable because some media blitz says it's old and that you need to buy a new computer... each and every year.
You've saved a small fortune with this baby. Being able to upgrade it over time to make it even better than it was when new. Being able to run software that you bought a long time ago for all these years without being forced into leasing software that essentially forces you to replace your hardware unnecessarily. You buy a new Mac Studio and I will guarantee you that you will not use it for as long as you did your trusty old Mac Pro. I'd venture to say if you even get 5 years out of it you will be lucky. That thing will be considered obsolete in less than 2 years... by design. But unlike your old system, it will offer you no avenue to keep it relevant. The software that will run on it will not be as forgiving as the software you are running on your old Mac now. And if you have any need whatsoever to run bootcamp, you have zero options there unless emulation mode is what you consider equivalent to running it natively.
Keep this all in mind when you take the plunge for a new computer. Everyone eventually has to take the plunge... but unlike most people, you already held onto this computer far longer than the average user would have. The average user replaces theirs every 2 years because they are told to do so. Your next Mac computer will not last as long as your current one... that is a fact. Once you take that plunge, you will be on the replacement schedule defined by Apple, not by you.
If you did buy a Mac Studio... why would you keep this thing to browse the internet? And if all you do is browse the internet, why buy a Mac Studio?
If the computer still runs what you want it to run, why call it unusable? Security updates? You haven't received any security updates in years. There's nothing in a later OS that your system will benefit from because it wasn't written for your hardware to begin with. As far as Apple is concerned, your system was EOL'd a long time ago and if it happens to run a later OS, wow, isn't that nice. If it doesn't? Well, it doesn't support your system anyways.
The Mac Pro you have right now will make more noise than any modern system Apple has to offer. New technology will always trump old technology. If you've managed to suffer though the jet engine next to you for 12 years, you can continue to suffer through it. I don't see "quiet" as a selling point when what you have now hasn't caused you to replace it for all these years as it is. Noise isn't keeping you from using it.
Electricity. How much electricity do you think this thing actually uses? Sure newer hardware may use less, but in the grand scheme of things, you use far more electricity running your refrigerator. You're not going to see a substantial change in your electric bill by switching computers. If you do, something is wrong with your meter.
You computer is unusable when it physically will no longer run. It is unusable when it no longer is capable of doing what you need it to do. It is not unusable because some media blitz says it's old and that you need to buy a new computer... each and every year.
You've saved a small fortune with this baby. Being able to upgrade it over time to make it even better than it was when new. Being able to run software that you bought a long time ago for all these years without being forced into leasing software that essentially forces you to replace your hardware unnecessarily. You buy a new Mac Studio and I will guarantee you that you will not use it for as long as you did your trusty old Mac Pro. I'd venture to say if you even get 5 years out of it you will be lucky. That thing will be considered obsolete in less than 2 years... by design. But unlike your old system, it will offer you no avenue to keep it relevant. The software that will run on it will not be as forgiving as the software you are running on your old Mac now. And if you have any need whatsoever to run bootcamp, you have zero options there unless emulation mode is what you consider equivalent to running it natively.
Keep this all in mind when you take the plunge for a new computer. Everyone eventually has to take the plunge... but unlike most people, you already held onto this computer far longer than the average user would have. The average user replaces theirs every 2 years because they are told to do so. Your next Mac computer will not last as long as your current one... that is a fact. Once you take that plunge, you will be on the replacement schedule defined by Apple, not by you.
If you did buy a Mac Studio... why would you keep this thing to browse the internet? And if all you do is browse the internet, why buy a Mac Studio?
This comes up a lot and more so recently. Just an FYI for anyone who sees this in the semi-near future - apparently there are some avenues to call customer support and get it resolved in some capacity, but VERY VERY mixed results depending on your country and location. The "Offline Activation" process can work for some, as long as you have CC installed (does not need to be purchased).
Regardless, the best way to move forward is with using an activated clone on an older OS install. After 10+ years from release, it is probably time to move on.
My Mac Pro 2010 satisfies most of my needs. For large photo's it is sometimes a bit slow., therefore I considered the Mac Studio. But I can continue with the old machine for now, I think. Another advantage of the Mac Pro is that it is internal expandable.
Open core and everything else aside. If you are concerned about secure web browsing. You can always run a Linux or Windows VM and use it for Firefox and Thunderbird (e-mail).
I watched the manual but I guess I am stupid, not you. ?
I won't install open core because it's too difficult for me.
I think I'll continue with my Mac Pro 2010 using Mojave for some months and Firefox, which is still updated, unlike Safari.
The base Mac Studio is still tempting for me.
Try using RefindPlus. It makes things relatively pain free to install and configure OC, thanks to it's automated installation apps and helpers. There's a large thread in the forums dedicated to RP.
My 2010 cMP 5,1 is running Big Sur with zero issues using the original WiFi+BT card. I'm sure @Dayo will continue to include kext updates for different hardware as OC development continues to progress.
My 2010 cMP 5,1 is running Big Sur with zero issues using the original WiFi+BT card. I'm sure @Dayo will continue to include kext updates for different hardware as OC development continues to progress.
The biggest benefit of adobe CS is the buyout, which is the only advantage I've missed since joining adobe programs.
In addition, the speed of PS has always been interesting to me, since G3, I always have the opportunity to use PS to manipulate large pictures, I rarely feel that PS is very slow under the current equipment, even when using G3. adobe's app, the only situation that impresses me the most, the most unacceptable, is InDesign just released. In those years, when adobe and Quark were competing for the typesetting market, InDesign was so bad that no computer could use it smoothly, and both G4 and G5 were equally slow.
The last time I saw someone complain about the slow speed of PS was when they were working with a PS file with 100 layers, and well, no matter what anyone says, my training tells me that's just crazy.
Sometimes the progress of the times is more like a kind of forced consumption, software and hardware are like this, but if you have enough money, then nothing can stop you from spending.
In fact, I've always thought that the so-called "three generation OS support policy" are BS, and that this support policy affects a lot of things, like surfing.
Yes, I would say that if you continue to browse the Internet with the "old OS", you may no longer be safe. The reason it's no longer safe is because app developers have some kind of "in the interest" of updating with OS versions.
Google Chrome, for example, does not push new versions for OS before the current third generation. In other words, if your OS is already behind the current version of the third generation (currently it looks like Catalina is about to become obsolete), there's a good chance you won't be able to install the new version of Chrome, which is a security concern.
However, not all app developers follow this OS support policy, and your concern is that surfing, at least FireFox as far as I know, does not follow this policy. However, this will depend on the browser you are used to.
So, is it still safe to browse the Internet? I've already told you the answer.
And how long will the 2010 Mac Pro last? In my opinion, the only thing that could prevent this computer from continuing to be used is a failure of the chip on the motherboard, and that's the only possibility. If it's not failing, there's no reason why it can't continue to be used. Of course, this is not the kind of consumer behavior that any company would like to see, and while a 12 year old computer is really old enough by any measure, and my own WInPC doesn't seem to have lasted that long, it is rather odd that I have always considered cMP to be a pretty good computer, and in terms of hardware performance, it is still mid-range mainstream even in 2022. That's one of the reasons why I can't accept the so-called "three-generation OS support policy".
In short, if you can't learn OC, and you can't replace BT and Wifi (although it's really quite simple), then do it, buy Mac Studio, adobe CS will sing "Yesterday Once More" for you, and congratulations on joining adobe Creative Cloud, you will have no choice.
(adobe Creative Cloud is not without its benefits, you will get used to it)
In addition, the speed of PS has always been interesting to me, since G3, I always have the opportunity to use PS to manipulate large pictures, I rarely feel that PS is very slow under the current equipment, even when using G3. adobe's app, the only situation that impresses me the most, the most unacceptable, is InDesign just released. In those years, when adobe and Quark were competing for the typesetting market, InDesign was so bad that no computer could use it smoothly, and both G4 and G5 were equally slow.
The last time I saw someone complain about the slow speed of PS was when they were working with a PS file with 100 layers, and well, no matter what anyone says, my training tells me that's just crazy.
Sometimes the progress of the times is more like a kind of forced consumption, software and hardware are like this, but if you have enough money, then nothing can stop you from spending.
In fact, I've always thought that the so-called "three generation OS support policy" are BS, and that this support policy affects a lot of things, like surfing.
Yes, I would say that if you continue to browse the Internet with the "old OS", you may no longer be safe. The reason it's no longer safe is because app developers have some kind of "in the interest" of updating with OS versions.
Google Chrome, for example, does not push new versions for OS before the current third generation. In other words, if your OS is already behind the current version of the third generation (currently it looks like Catalina is about to become obsolete), there's a good chance you won't be able to install the new version of Chrome, which is a security concern.
However, not all app developers follow this OS support policy, and your concern is that surfing, at least FireFox as far as I know, does not follow this policy. However, this will depend on the browser you are used to.
So, is it still safe to browse the Internet? I've already told you the answer.
And how long will the 2010 Mac Pro last? In my opinion, the only thing that could prevent this computer from continuing to be used is a failure of the chip on the motherboard, and that's the only possibility. If it's not failing, there's no reason why it can't continue to be used. Of course, this is not the kind of consumer behavior that any company would like to see, and while a 12 year old computer is really old enough by any measure, and my own WInPC doesn't seem to have lasted that long, it is rather odd that I have always considered cMP to be a pretty good computer, and in terms of hardware performance, it is still mid-range mainstream even in 2022. That's one of the reasons why I can't accept the so-called "three-generation OS support policy".
In short, if you can't learn OC, and you can't replace BT and Wifi (although it's really quite simple), then do it, buy Mac Studio, adobe CS will sing "Yesterday Once More" for you, and congratulations on joining adobe Creative Cloud, you will have no choice.
(adobe Creative Cloud is not without its benefits, you will get used to it)
You mean MyBootMgr ... strictly speaking. This helps configure two separate and independent tools, RefindPlus and OpenCore, to work together.
That is, RefindPlus by itself is just a tool installed and configured by MyBootMgr ... same as it does for OpenCore.
There is a thread for MyBootMgr on this forum, while RefindPlus is supported on GitHub.