How long do you keep your Mac?

[MjWoNeR]

I got mine as soon the slim models got released. 27" Late '12.
My very first Mac really, and coming from building PCs I maxed it for future proofing.
3.4GHz i7
GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB
3TB Fusion drive
And upgraded the RAM to 32gigs of Corsair memory.

It's been holding out well, considering I had to use the warranty twice. Once for a failing hard drive and once for screen smudges, but it is turned on 24/7, year round, as my PCs were. Other than that it's solid.

Since it's still quite fast for day to day use, I'm thinking of keeping it at least as long as Apple supports it with newer OSes. The day a new MacOS is not compatible, I'll start considering a new machine.

How about you?

 

[willmtaylor]

Our 2009 Quad Core i5 27" iMac just had the GPU die. Other than that, it was still doing great. Sure, the 7200 RPM HDD made me a bit impatient at times, but not a big deal.

8 years though? I'll take that. RIP buddy.

 

[EugW]

Note though, the last one is just being used as a monitor.

And the first two don't officially support High Sierra, but I'm running High Sierra on them anyway.

 

[trsblader]

The day a new MacOS is not compatible, I'll start considering a new machine.

My plan as well. 2011 base model iMac and 2012 base model retina MBP still both run as good as new and the only issue I've ever had was the ram chips in the MBP needed re-soldered in 2015 which was a free out of warranty thing from Apple luckily. Up until they stopped OS support, I was still using a 2008 base model MacBook on a regular basis and anytime I travelled for holidays.

I debated a new 2017 27" iMac, but after running through a bunch of scenarios, I decided just to keep what I have until support ends. I figure the 2011 either won't get the next OS next year or it'll be super watered down and not have most of the new features, then the MBP will lose support 2 years after that. That puts me looking for a new computer in 2021 or so.

 

[Fishrrman]

I still have a Macintosh SE30 up in the attic, bought in 1989.
Doesn't boot any more, however...

 

[kazmac]

My 2010 21.5" iMac is working fine (albeit slow), but now it has a nice home in sunny Miami being used by my former coworker's family.

They will probably inherit this 2013 27" iMac too, although I am thinking of maybe giving it to the folks downstairs, but this won't be for awhile yet.

 

[klatox]

I have a late 2015 iMac 5K (16GB RAM, i5 3.3Ghz, M395X, 512GB SSD). I was considering upgrading to the 2017 just to get the Radeon Pro 580 since I play games, but I decided to wait for whatever the next iteration will be. I'm waiting for a slightly beefier GPU and the 6-core Intel processors. Icing on the cake for me would be a smaller bezel with FaceID.

 

[kschendel]

Mac's in our house:
Performa 6100 sometime in 1994
Bronze keyboard Powerbook G3 1999 (*)
Powerbook G4 "TiBook" 2002
iMac G4 15" 2003
MacBook Pro 15" (5,1) "mid 2009" 2009
iMac 24" "early 2009" 2009 (*)
Mac Pro (4,1) 2009 (*)
retina MacBook Pro 15" "late 2013" 2013 (*)

So the desktops lasted 9, 6, and 8-and-counting years, the laptops lasted 3, 7, 4, and 4-and-counting years. Laptop #3 would have been around longer except I accidentally doused it with red wine. (It was eventually fixed, after I bought its replacement, and it's still running for my daughter.)

The (*) machines are still operational and owned by us; the MP has been significantly upgraded CPU/memory/SSD and is good for at least a couple more years, and the iMac has had memory/SSD upgrades and probably has another year in it. I don't use the powerbook G3 very much...

 

[MjWoNeR]

From what I see in this thread is that Macs might be more expensive than PCs, but they do last longer.

I have a late 2015 iMac 5K (16GB RAM, i5 3.3Ghz, M395X, 512GB SSD). I was considering upgrading to the 2017 just to get the Radeon Pro 580 since I play games, but I decided to wait for whatever the next iteration will be. I'm waiting for a slightly beefier GPU and the 6-core Intel processors. Icing on the cake for me would be a smaller bezel with FaceID.

I game too with Bootcamp, but the iMac starts showing its age when it comes to games, the mobile GPUs they use, age fast. I thought about an eGPU but it's not worth it with my version of thunderbolt. When my iMac can't play games anymore I will stop mixing work with pleasure and build a gaming PC once again.

 

[klatox]

From what I see in this thread is that Macs might be more expensive than PCs, but they do last longer.

I game too with Bootcamp, but the iMac starts showing its age when it comes to games, the mobile GPUs they use, age fast. I thought about an eGPU but it's not worth it with my version of thunderbolt. When my iMac can't play games anymore I will stop mixing work with pleasure and build a gaming PC once again.

Yep I also game in bootcamp. I basically play older games, though, as I'm way behind on releases. Not to mention that I need to play with max settings so that limits me

 

[MjWoNeR]

Yep I also game in bootcamp. I basically play older games, though, as I'm way behind on releases. Not to mention that I need to play with max settings so that limits me

Tell me about it! I'm playing AoE3 for the zillionth time, in preparation for the AoE Definitive Edition that comes out in October.

 

[WebHead]

I’ve always been happy to pay a premium for Apple gear, but have insisted on getting the maximum life out of it.

For me that’s five years for iOS devices and eight years for macOS.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Change mine about every second model, three years or so. Still have my original LC from 1992 running System 7.0.1 to use with my Apple Camera, though lately less regularly. With its 128MB hard drive, and 8MB of memory you can understand why.

In over 25 years had to replace one hard drive!!

 

[Richdmoore]

I got mine as soon the slim models got released. 27" Late '12.
My very first Mac really, and coming from building PCs I maxed it for future proofing.
3.4GHz i7
GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB
3TB Fusion drive
And upgraded the RAM to 32gigs of Corsair memory.

It's been holding out well, considering I had to use the guarantee twice. Once for a failing hard drive and once for screen smudges, but it is turned on 24/7, year round, as my PCs were. Other than that it's solid.

Since it's still quite fast for day to day use, I'm thinking of keeping it at least as long as Apple supports it with newer OSes. The day a new MacOS is not compatible, I'll start considering a new machine.

How about you?

The same, will try to upgrade my 2011 iMac model once it won't take the newest macOS. I may try to hold out for a year, depending how close I think new Mac models are and guesstimates about future releases.

 

[signuphere]

I have a mid'11 21.5 which has been absolutely stellar. Just put in a SSD which made it amazingly fast. Doubled the RAM a few years ago. I like the slim Macs better looks wise, but I'm sort of glad I have the last iteration of the serviceable (easy to open), and optical drive-equipped line. Never had a PC last more than 2 years, so paying the "Apple tax" is actually cheaper!

 

[Lesser Evets]

My Apple/Mac history:

Apple ][+ (1984)
Mac LC (1991)
Mac Performa 5400 (1996)
PowerMac 8500 (1997)
PowerMac G4 500 (2000)
PowerMac G4 800 DP (2001)
PowerMac G4 1.25 MDD (2003)
MacPro 2.66 Quad (2007)
Mac Mini i7 4 core 2012 (Jan. 2014)

I've had a couple iMacs and Powerbooks and iBooks as adjunct computers as well.

When the computing power sped up, and advancements were piling on rapidly, I updated my main computer more often.
My 2.66 MacPro was the longest used computer of them all, and it was still OK to use in 2014-2015, and I even used it a few times in 2017! It isn't worth much any more and it is sluggish with almost everything, but it was the best value of any Mac I owned.

This 2012 Mini is far more powerful than the 2006 Mac Pro, and will be good for another 2 or 3 years at this rate.

I was planning to get a top-rank iMac this year, but I have now decided to skip it. The entire infrastructure of Macs is going to leap between now and 2020. I might hold out for a DDR5 RAM iMac in 2020, and I'd like to wait for the 10nm Intel chips, USB 3.2, etc.

My 2019-2020 Mac will probably last for 7-9 years, unless processing and connectivity leaps in the 2020s. Most all my computing needs are handled adequately by this 2012 Mini; I would love the 50% speed boost of modern iMacs, but I can hold out.

The Computers of the 90s and early 2000's were annoying! They were promising audio and video and image work efficiency, but they were really crappy. Once the MacPro emerged in 2006, computers became what they promised for decades before. They aren't "all that", but they are getting there. The closer they get to "all that", the less purchasing a person has to do in order to get work done. The modern iMac is (to me) almost "all that", since the external speeds are quite snappy, the top processor is phenomenal, the screen is great, the resolution is dazzling, and unless a person is doing high-end computing, they do it all very fast and very well.

When external speeds are as fast as internal (or close), the memory is super-fast, they store (inexpensively) 3+ TB SSD drives inside, and the processors are maybe 2x what they are now, I can't imagine needing a new computer for 10+ years. Unless you are doing the super-computing of CGI or something similar.

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

2010 27" imac, 16Gb Ram, added 512 SSd. Fan blows most of the time, and some slowdowns, but otherwise fine.
2011 and 2012 Macbook Airs for me and my wife.

 

[Efrem]

I've always kept mine until there was something specific I wanted to do that they wouldn't do because they were too old, slow, limited, etc. Right now I'm using a late 2011 17" MacBook Pro (the last design with that screen size). It's maxed out with a 2.5GHz Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM a 512GB SSD. It runs everything I need quite fast enough, though there are a few recent features (such as some aspects of automatic data interchange with my iPhone) that it doesn't support. I'll miss it when it has to go.

 

[navt]

2007 20” iMac 2.0 C2D running El Capitan. Memory and SSD upgrades.

 

[Sheza]

I'm currently around 2-3 years for iOS devices, and I think 5 years for Mac.

 

[Hexley]

The day a new MacOS is not compatible, I'll start considering a new machine.

How about you?

We have the same iMac.

My Fusion Drive failed and I had to split the defective HDD from the currently working SSD. Even with Apple Care it would be outside of warranty.

I bought the tools from OWC to replace the HDD. I am thinking of going 8TB, 10TB or 12TB.

I could possibly move to a dual SSD but I hate the it that I get 5x less storage for the same price. Write and read speed would be 1,000MB/s each.

I hope it fails after 2023. By then I expect Apple to dump Intel chips and move their Macs to the same chips that power their iPhones and iPads.

I have these Intel Macs that I want to move to SSDs because HDD have failed or I want to speed it up.

Early 2006 MBP macOS support lasted 5 years, 6.5 months
Mid 2007 iMac macOS support lasted 9 years, 1.5 months

The 2002 PowerMac G4 that I have could be made to run using 256GB CF cards with a IDE to CF adapter. macOS support lasted for 7 years, 7 months.

 

[Georgio]

I also have an i7 27" Mac the same spec as yours. It's had a pretty hard life as a design machine for work and a bootcamp play machine for fun usually WoW though not recently.
Bottom line is that even after five years it still works flawlessly, hasn't missed a beat in all that time and Saturday I updated to High Sierra without any issues so I'm all set up for a few more years yet.

I'll be casting an interested eye over the iMac Pro when it finally debuts in December as a possible replacement.

 

[tyche]

2010 21.5" 3.5 GHz model still going strong. I upgraded to 16gb ram and an internal SSD years ago and have no complaints.

Keep meaning to get a 5k model but unless this one burns out, I find the cost is too high to make a quick decision.

 

[padams35]

7+ years is my current trend.

Oldest 'working' is a 2006 MBP, but in practice I stopped regularly using it after 7-8 years and finally replaced it with a 2015 MBA last year. If the MBA also lasts 7-8 years I'll be happy.

My current desktop is a mid-tier 2011 21" iMac with self upgraded ram, SSD, and now an eGPU. Without the SSD/eGPU I'd have had to replace it after 5 years for gaming. With and I expect ~7 years.

 

[stillcrazyman]

My Macs have lasted, on average, more than 6 years.

My current one - Late 2012 iMac w/ 32GB, OWC 1TB SSD, and runs High Sierra just fine. I've thought about starting to save for a new one, but I don't have any compelling need for a new machine yet. I'm not a power user. I use mine mainly for editing photos. I've edited almost 20k photos on this machine in the last five years. It works.