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How long do you keep your Macbook Pro for?

applebook said:
Only every other update is usually significant. I normally switch computers for financial reasons (upgrade, downgrade) rather than because of desire. I don't think that I've purchased a freshly released MacBook since the original whitebook around 4 years ago.

It took me until last week to buy my 13" MBP --when I saw the deal, I could not pass it up.
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What was the deal??😕
 
I've got a 10+ yr, 8+ yr (just sold), 6+ yr, 3 yr old laptops (and one desktop) still running for various uses on my home network along with the 2 prev gen mac's in my sig and a "new" prev gen AMD quad core win7 box that I'm going to use as a home server...with the last 3 machines, unless something super comes out I don't need anything for at least 3 more years...
 
It varies really. I've been through the following:

August 2004 PowerBook
July 2006 MacBook Black
November 2008 uMacBook Pro 15"

Hm, looks like every two years in fact. However, I'm contemplating upgrading to the new MBPs when they refresh soon, which would be a little over a year since the previous - the MBPs have changed plenty since the first generation unibody, and enough that I want one! (Matte screen option, newer faster CPUs, better GPU, longer battery life...)
 
3-4 years for laptops. I have a Late '06 MB that I gave my wife and for what she uses it for (internet, email, pictures) it will keep chugging - I refuse to put SL on it. I have an Early '08 MBP and I think it will keep me going for another year or two. I use a lot of Lightroom work so I guess it depends on how long my MBP can keep up with the updates. I also refuse to put SL on it.

I've been contemplating an iMac this year sometime so that the laptops can get even more distance on them. I can move my LR stuff to the iMac. We'll see. After building my PCs since early 90s, I'm used to going through computers like once or twice a year hahaha.
 
Late '04 15" G4 Powerbook
Early '09 17" UMBP

So five years inbetween my two, with Mac Pro towers filling the gap. Unsure if it will be another five years till I replace, but who knows as I got the best I could at the time - and doubling of the memory and an SSD when they're cheap and needed for me will extend the life a lot of the MBP.
 
As far as Mac notebooks go, so far my record has been 8 months if I'm careful. So far this Air is the longest I've kept a computer. I'm looking to have it for a good 2 years at least.
 
I generally go at least 3 years, usually 4-5 years before I purchase. But I start getting 'laptop envy' about 2 years in.

Generally, there has to be some sort of major hardware failure before I bite the bullet.
 
Just sent my late 2006 MBP to a trade in company. I'm using the money to fund a Mac Mini htpc set up. So, the money I spent for the laptop in 2006 has lasted 3+ years and now hopefully about 5+ more.😉
 
"New" Pennryn

Just bought a MBP, manufactured Oct 2008, 2.5 ghz, matte, non-unibody for half what a new unibody would cost. It is apparently just as fast as a new unibody (has a 6 mb l2 cache) and its only downside is that the 8600 graphics processor may die. I like the keyboard better than the unibody -- and it has 400 firewire and an express slot. As far as I can see, this is in no way inferior to the newest unibody, and I'm hoping to use it for 2 or 3 years.
 
I've typically kept my machines for around a year and a half. I'm quite happy with the Anti-Glare Unibody. I feel as though I may end up keeping this one much longer. I really want to try to keep one until it dies. I always get too tempted by the latest and greatest however.. 🙄
 
I tend to keep computers until they quit working.

PowerMac still going after 8 years.

PowerBook still going after 6 years.

Yes, I do have a newer desktop and laptop that I use as well. But the old ones keep on working great for me.
 
I'm planning on 4-6 years. In the past I lived within a 2 -3 year cycle. I'm hoping to double that with my current unibody MBP. The power and capability of my 2.53Ghz is such its more then enough to meet my needs now. I don't see the need to drop $2.5k for a new machine anytime soon (not that I have $2.5k anyways.)
 
csdibiase said:
typical upgrade cycle for laptop computers is 3 years per IRS rules 🙂 As an individual I've kept the same laptop for as long as 5 years and as little as 2. It really depends on how powerful the machine is when you buy it and how fast tech moves on you.

Buy something high end and in 2-3 years it's still equivalent to a low end machine and in 4-5 years its obsolete. Buy something low end now and you might find yourself wanting more in just a year or two. I think that's the place many netbook buyers are going to find themselves in soon.
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Aka future-proofing.
 
My Ti1Ghz Powerbook just died. I had it for about 8 years.

Any of you looking to offload a used laptop or imac, sent me a PM.
 
Mine, I bought in October of 08. It is an "early" 08', but manufactured in 09/08, lol. I bought mine when the Uni MBPs were released. I still paid $1700, but they were still $2499 at Best Buy for a week after I received mine.

I got AC on mine, so i have 2 more years before it has no more warranty. If there is some breakthrough in performance, I may upgrade (biggest thing is more maximum RAM), but if say, the refurbs or clearance MBPs are like a 2.66 or 2.8 GHZ and pretty mych everything is the same (I dislike the black keyboard look of the new MBPs) , i wont be upgrading for a while.

On that note, I really REALLy hope Apple goes retro and brings back the all aluminum look of the MBP line. Just something about the black keys that cheapens the look. And yes, people do buy laptops based on looks initially.
 
I've kept my early 2006 MBP running with RAM and hard drive upgrades and its still working for most things. If I replace it after the next upgrade cycle I'll have had it for 4 years.

If the next MBP has Blu-ray or some other feature I really want then I'll probably buy. If not, I'll just save my money. It seems to me that Apple itself isn't that excited about laptops so much anymore--but rather devices like the iPhone and the rumored tablet.
 
HBOC said:
On that note, I really REALLy hope Apple goes retro and brings back the all aluminum look of the MBP line. Just something about the black keys that cheapens the look. And yes, people do buy laptops based on looks initially.
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The keys on the non-unibody are plastic as well but I do agree that silver keys would look better on the unibody than the black ones. Maybe Apple will go really retro and have bronze keys. 🙂
 
dukebound85 said:
Why 3?

Why not until it no longer works for you?
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After 3 years the value drops like a rock. My 3yr old MacBook Pro 2.16 CoreDuo was worth $1200 at the end of the three year mark. Bought a referb for $1800.00. Probably do the same again. Makes the most financial sense to me.

Same thing with my 20" iMac CoreDuo. After 3 years was worth $800.00. A new one costs $1200 to $1500. However I chose to keep it as a torrent downloader, web browser and kids computer. My laptop is pretty much my main computer anymore.
 
csdibiase said:
Buy something low end now and you might find yourself wanting more in just a year or two. I think that's the place many netbook buyers are going to find themselves in soon.
Click to expand...

I think you might be right for anyone who wanted a netbook for actual use. Anyone who got a netbook as a laptop to throw around and write papers on in College (like myself) will be quite happy with it until it can't run Word or the internet anymore 😉

I have a late 06' Macbook Pro I purchased in the first half of 07, and it's still working quite nicely. Generally I keep a laptop 3 years, but only because I end up breaking them. If this one keeps working, I might as well as keep using it.
 
barkomatic said:
The keys on the non-unibody are plastic as well but I do agree that silver keys would look better on the unibody than the black ones. Maybe Apple will go really retro and have bronze keys. 🙂
Click to expand...

well perhaps, but the are recessed more than the new ones, and also i don't really notice that they are plastic. I just like how they are silent (well more so than a PC keyboard). I am sure the new ones are probably the same..?
 
glhiii said:
Just bought a MBP, manufactured Oct 2008, 2.5 ghz, matte, non-unibody for half what a new unibody would cost. It is apparently just as fast as a new unibody (has a 6 mb l2 cache) and its only downside is that the 8600 graphics processor may die. I like the keyboard better than the unibody -- and it has 400 firewire and an express slot. As far as I can see, this is in no way inferior to the newest unibody, and I'm hoping to use it for 2 or 3 years.
Click to expand...

Amen brother. That's what I did 9 months ago. Never regretted it. Waiting patiently for my warranty to expire so I put in 640GB HDD.

What's up with RAM anyway. 6 months ago I had an opportunity on eBay to buy 4GB of RAM for $60 and now I can't find anything under $120. What's up with that?
 
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