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How long did your macbook or macbook pro last?

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Dgpsx7

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
32
0
I just got a 2010 13" MBP (I love it). I am coming from an Alienware Area 51 desktop that was a P4 1.7 and had a GeForce 3. This computer lasted 9 years and still works well to this day it just can't play HD video but can run Fireworks and other programs I use. Although I don't expect any other computer to last this long I would like to know your experiences on how long your Macbooks and MBPs lasted.

I plan on keeping my 13" MBP for around 4 years. Am I expecting too much?

Please state the model or specs of your macbook or MBP and how long it lasted. Please include details of what problems you had during the life of your laptop (e.g. hard drive failed, logic board, etc..)

I bought an MBP because I wanted something that was quality and would last longer and work better than a PC. I hope I made the right decision..
 
No, you're not expecting too much. If you take care of it, it will last for many years. Of course, it may be outdated, technologically speaking, but it should still run fine. It's not meaningful to have people list the problems they had, as only a small minority of MBP users post in this forum, and an even smaller percentage post about problems they had, and an even smaller percentage had problems that weren't related to wear and tear that they caused through usage. In general, MBPs are well-built. Anyone can get a defective model. That's why the Warranty and AppleCare are good ideas.
 
3 years ago I sold my friend my Powerbook when I upgraded to the SR MBP. He is still using the powerbook and I think manages to play WoW on it sometimes. I guess that makes it over 5 years old now?

I just gave my mom my 3 year old SR MBP when I bought my i7. Honestly, even at 3 years old the SR MBP is overkill for what my mom does on the computer, but hey she wanted a Mac and the price was right for her ;)

I'm expecting to keep the new 17" i7 I just bought for 3+ years. IMHO, there is a clear upgrade path with more RAM and an SSD that that is a better upgrade than any new upcoming processor tech for the foreseeable future.
 
GGJstudios said:
No, you're not expecting too much. If you take care of it, it will last for many years. Of course, it may be outdated, technologically speaking, but it should still run fine. It's not meaningful to have people list the problems they had, as only a small minority of MBP users post in this forum, and an even smaller percentage post about problems they had, and an even smaller percentage had problems that weren't related to wear and tear that they caused through usage. In general, MBPs are well-built. Anyone can get a defective model. That's why the Warranty and AppleCare are good ideas.
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I generally take very good care of my items which is why they usually last long. I will take this computer on trips and to the park but it won't be moving around too much. It will mostly be acting like a desktop but I bought it for the room it saves and the option of mobility. I use fireworks a lot and I will be using premiere pro and after effects some but other than that nothing too crazy.
 
mdatwood said:
3 years ago I sold my friend my Powerbook when I upgraded to the SR MBP. He is still using the powerbook and I think manages to play WoW on it sometimes. I guess that makes it over 5 years old now?

I just gave my mom my 3 year old SR MBP when I bought my i7. Honestly, even at 3 years old the SR MBP is overkill for what my mom does on the computer, but hey she wanted a Mac and the price was right for her ;)

I'm expecting to keep the new 17" i7 I just bought for 3+ years. IMHO, there is a clear upgrade path with more RAM and an SSD that that is a better upgrade than any new upcoming processor tech for the foreseeable future.
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Very good too hear. I am really happy my comp came with 4gb of ram instead of two because that is an upgrade I would have made. I am pretty sure the price of SSDs will be drastically reduced in the next two years and that is an upgrade I am very interested in. SSDs are hot right now but i'm gonna wait for the storm to calm down a little.
 
1 day and it was broken




j/k quality is pretty high from Apple, all my apple products still work without any issues besides the scratches and cracks.
 
About 1.5 years. I definitely got a lemon. I took care of it very well too.

Though it's not completely unfunctionally, my screen is useless; so I'm forced to use an external monitor, which defeats the purpose of a notebook & portability.

Also, my first battery died within 8 months (got a free replacement from Apple). Then my second one has 30% health with 60 cycles in a 13 months.

But other people I know have had theirs for 2-3 years with no problems.
 
My 2006 MacBook1,1 2.0GHz Core Duo is still going strong. I just outgrew it and fancied the 2010 13" MBP.

Incidentally, the original MacBook battery has done nearly 1200 cycles and still gives about 3 hours of usage....:D

A
 
abcdefghijklmno said:
My 2006 MacBook1,1 2.0GHz Core Duo is still going strong. I just outgrew it and fancied the 2010 13" MBP.

Incidentally, the original MacBook battery has done nearly 1200 cycles and still gives about 3 hours of usage....:D

A
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ditto.

Same Macbook 1,1, same age, still going strong, 400 battery cycles and still 3 hours lfe. But I upgraded to MBP 13" & gave MB to my other half. I'm sure MB will give another 2-3 years no worries.
 
Still using circa 2001 G4 Powerbook as my 2d computer. I expect my 5,1 MPB to have as healthy a life.
 
My piece of crap Dell laptop is at 3 years and still going strong. The MBP better be able to outlive that. >/
 
A friend of mine bought the very first MacBook Pro the day it came out in January 2006. It's still in perfect condition and works as perfect as the day he got it. The only upgrades it has had is software (came with Tiger, now running Snow).
 
technology is technology. i know people with both dells and apple laptops that lasted for at least 5 years. i know people with both dells and apple laptops that only lasted for 1 year...
 
Your Mac will last many many years. I still have an iBook G4 from 2004 that works great.

Its slow and outdated compared to todays standards for sure. But it will last, just dont automatically expect it to run all of the future software because you never know....
 
I've found Macs massively more reliable and long-lasting than PC's.

I still have my very first MBP from 2006; though I'm about to sell it. It was my primary machine for 3 years with very heavy use and I only upgraded to the unibody because it seemed like time and there were so many meaningful upgrades (the chip, the bus speed, the screen, the case & the graphics). As it was, performance-wise, there was very little noticeable difference for most tasks because OS X is so efficient that the old machine was still fast, even 3 years after its release!

My 18mo old UB MBP is in immaculate condition still; my girlfriend is using it for her business machine. I upgraded to the new 17" i5 MBP for the crazy new battery and the larger screen.

My last PC was a Toshiba; 17" screen, weighed about 400lb, about 3 feet thick and lasted 12 months before becoming unusable for anything other than tying down a boat! The wifi failed outright; the screen hinge had lost all tension; it took about a week to reboot; and it needed to be rebooted after about 5 seconds of operation.

My PC before that was a Compaq. It lasted 12 months also before it was so slow, so unreliable and the plastic so worn that it NEEDED replacing!

I also had 2 Compaq desktop machines that I literally threw in the bin after 2 years. They were cheaper, low spec machines but they became so unreliable despite their minimal use that they became unusable.

Contrast that with Macs where I still have a 4yo MacMini and a 3 year old 20" iMac both doing business-critical duties at my work. Both look almost brand new and both perform fast and flawlessly still.
 
I bought my iBook in August of 2005. It's outlived half a dozen power cables, two batteries and numerous falls. I'll be passing it along when I buy a new MBP this fall (I need the processing power/graphics for software for school).

The built-in microphone stopped working a long time ago, but I never really used it. I had to get the DC-in board replaced this past year, but thats no surprise given how its been treated. I've also taken apart the screen to superglue the metal frame back together (it cracked as the result of one of many falls from couches/beds).

There are some scuffs and scratches, but it still looks beautiful to me. I certainly can't complain about Apple's prices, seeing how long this baby has lasted me.
 
Wish me luck with the local AASP. My trackpad and battery connection(s) are still having problems. The battery still pulls 4 hours when it remembers that it's connected.
 
I just upgraded to MBP, but my old MB lasted me over 3 years, and I probably wouldn't have upgraded if it wasn't because my lab offered to pay for a new one... The MB did everything I needed it to, the battery was still retaining good charge - could easily do a little over 4 hours, and even though I brought it with me everywhere it is still in good shape physically.

So I convinced that unless you do heavy gaming or mistreat it your MBP will last you a very very long time!
 
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