how long has your iMac lasted you?

[retta283]

Almost all apps will leave registry trails, and possibly cached files. It's a pain to remove then without using those softwares that you mentioned junk systems.

And on DLL Hell, even besides that, Windows 95 and 98 got junked for me because they were just so unstable. I could not stand to use them for actual work. XP got really slow for me after a year in a sterile environment, so I put the system away and bought a PowerMac G4 to replace it. Only my current Windows 7 box has not slowed down.

I have never installed cleaners, I use Intranet email almost 100% of the time so I do not get that kind of spam mail. Windows Server 2003 is a different use case. Programs are not being installed and uninstalled constantly. Different use case, different environment. I wasn't trying to say that if you Let a Windows box sit idle for a year it will slow down.

 

[mj_]

Again - nothing you say is Windows-specific. It affects macOS just as much as it affects Windows.
And if OP managed to junk up his/her Windows system within just three years chances are it is going to happen just as fast on macOS. That's all I'm trying to say

 

[WrightBrain]

And every other thread on these and other Apple forums now seems to suggest to perform a "clean install" of macOS, either with every (other) major upgrade or anytime users have problems.

I've had to do this. It actually used to be easier when Apple issued Combo Updates instead of just downloading a patch. I would clear up a multitude of problems when I was able to manually repair permissions and manually install the Combo update. Now it's all under the hood and prone to error.

 

[vkd]

I can assure you that it has been achieved many times over. I myself know of at least three systems that have been in active use every single day 24/7 on roughly 320 days per year in a manufacturing environment by a plethora of different users since 2003, are connected to the internet, and are still running their original Windows Server 2003 operating system.

Windows does not junk up by itself. Neither does Linux, macOS, or for that matter any other desktop or server operating system. It's a very popular myth in Apple forums that if you simply leave Windows running it is going to desintegrate all by itself after a while, just like it's a myth that it keeps crashing all the time. People need bogeymen (aka a favorite enemy) to make themselves feel better and to justify their own decisions and opinions, and hating Microsoft and everything that is associated with Microsoft, be that Office, Windows, etc., is an immensely popular sentiment around Apple and Linux users. Just like Apple is a fantastic enemy image for fanatical Windows, Linux, and especially Android users.

Erm, no. Just personal experience.
[doublepost=1555614752][/doublepost]

Again - nothing you say is Windows-specific. It affects macOS just as much as it affects Windows.
And if OP managed to junk up his/her Windows system within just three years chances are it is going to happen just as fast on macOS. That's all I'm trying to say

The simple fact is that some things are well constructed and others are not. Although Windows has improved over the years in this respect, historically it is built on a less-than-great foundation and the fallout of this have not completely gone away yet, decades later. But we concede, it has improved.

 

[Nismo73]

Have a late 2012 27" 680mx 1tb fusion i7 that I got as a refurb in 9/13. Haven't had an issue. Thinking about how long I'm gonna go with it...can wait for the redesign. Get a few hiccups here and there and LR still runs OK on it. I bet if I put a pure ssd inside it would come back to life a bit....I'm still on Sierra

 

[eRondeau]

My mid-2007 24" iMac (purchased in March 2008) is still working. Only turned off a handful of times over a decade. Never a problem, but I eventually upgraded the RAM to the full 6GB and replaced the hard drive with an SSD. Recently I replaced the CPU and Wifi card so it could run Mojave. While the machine has been relegated to part-time work at a vacation house (replaced as daily driver by a 2017 27" i7), it's still is fast enough for many if not most daily tasks, and remains 100% reliable.

Did you notice any difference w/ 6GB vs 4GB? I've got the same machine with 4GB RAM and although I've always known the max was 2GB+4GB I've never thought about going that route. Any thoughts?
[doublepost=1555886271][/doublepost]

Never in the history of this world has this ever been achieved, except, perhaps, on a showroom model that was never used in practice.

I'm usually the first guy to insult Windows, but my workplace has 5 workstations running Zetron radio control software under Windows XP stand-alone on redundant power supplies that haven't been rebooted since the early 2000's. An IT guy rebooted one about 5 years ago just for fun but they hav literally been zero-maintenance. They're not on the internet and receive no updates, they just run a single ancient software application but they run it with 100% reliability. So those five dusty old PC's at least deserve my respect.

 

[EdwardC]

Late 2013 i5 running Mojave on an external SSD. No issues.

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I just purchased my first Mac computer. Always was a PC guy, but I wanted to try this for my photography. I bought the top model with 512gb SSD. I know it’s all relative to what programs you want to run and new programs coming out. I plan on using photoshop and Lightroom that’s about it. That’s all my pc really has but it is getting slower. Had it about 3 years. For the price I’m hoping I can go quite a bit longer on the Mac, so that leads me too my question of how long has yours lasted you and have you noticed a significant slow down over the years with new programs and updates coming out for software?

Bottom of the line early 2011 21" screen iMac. No problems with it whatsoever, but I maxed out the RAM, and replaced the internal hard drive with a 1 TB SSD about a year ago. Use it for photo editing at an amateur level using a standalone CS6, some of the OneOne software, and DXO Nik software package. Running on High Sierra.

By the way, the hard drive was working fine, I just replaced it with the SSD to speed-up startups and the saving of my TIFF photos a little faster. The SSD works quite well for such tasks.

Also have a 13" 2011 MacBook Pro-the one I am using right now to respond to your question. This one too I replaced the internal and perfectly working 256GB hard drive with a 512GB SSD, plus maxing-out the RAM. I use this one every day at work and home, but not for photo editing (don't like small screens for this task). In my view a perfect MacBook Pro with plenty of room and ease of removal/replacement of internal components.

Now, while I am buying a new iMac to replace the other one, what I like the most about Apple computers is the OS, and what I dislike the most is the Apple's obsession with thinness and lack of upgradability. There is no need for Apple to design a computer that one can open the back to remove and replace components instead of having to remove the screen. Also, with the readily availability of SSD's there is not a reason for Apple to still offer internal hard drives. They could start at 256GB SSDs, and let the customer choose the size.

 

[casperes1996]

I'm usually the first guy to insult Windows, but my workplace has 5 workstations running Zetron radio control software under Windows XP stand-alone on redundant power supplies that haven't been rebooted since the early 2000's. An IT guy rebooted one about 5 years ago just for fun but they hav literally been zero-maintenance. They're not on the internet and receive no updates, they just run a single ancient software application but they run it with 100% reliability. So those five dusty old PC's at least deserve my respect.

I don't think anybody was arguing Windows would cause the system to break itself in a controlled environment; Just that regular usage is more likely to crap up Windows over time than other systems - An example being that even something as simple as a game; L.A. Noire for instance, will edit the Registry, and regular uninstalls won't revert the registry edits. You could thus get conflicting registry edits without realising why.

 

[mikehalloran]

I don't think anybody was arguing Windows would cause the system to break itself in a controlled environment; Just that regular usage is more likely to crap up Windows over time than other systems - An example being that even something as simple as a game; L.A. Noire for instance, will edit the Registry, and regular uninstalls won't revert the registry edits. You could thus get conflicting registry edits without realising why.

Exactly. The NSA and US Navy still run Windows 3.11 in certain critical applications as do certain medical systems that I’m pretty sure are still covered by an NDA I signed 16 years ago. When I questioned the Navy, the reply was, “The system goes down, you can reboot in 10 seconds.” Closed networks, of course.
[doublepost=1555905929][/doublepost]Back to the OP. My daughter runs her 2008 iMac on Snow Leopard/El Cap. I’m now replacing a large number of early 2009 iMacs — the school districts have mandated replacement because Apple has ended El Capitan security updates. My wife is still happy with her 2011.

I’m retiring my 2010 because certain critical apps require Mojave and, with others, recent updates make them run too damned slow.

Every one of these obsolete iMacs had the HDDs replaced by me a few years ago or they would be feeble, impossibly slow antiques by now.

Not one of the hundreds of Intel iMacs I service has ever been retired because it no longer works. Ok — nearly all of them suffered drive problems that went away once SSDs became affordable. By replacing the spinning heat pumps, none has suffered a bad GPU, a problem that plagued other 2010–2012 iMacs.

 

[WrightBrain]

Not one of the hundreds of Intel iMacs I service has ever been retired because it no longer works. Ok — nearly all of them suffered drive problems that went away once SSDs became affordable. By replacing the spinning heat pumps, none has suffered a bad GPU, a problem that plagued other 2010–2012 iMacs

Yep. I have a 2010 iMac with a dead GPU collecting dust in my studio now.

 

[mikehalloran]

Yep. I have a 2010 iMac with a dead GPU collecting dust in my studio now.

Have you tried baking it? This reflows the solder and fixes the majority of these.

The problem was caused by the HDD that turns an iMac into an oven. This stresses the solder joints over time. Replacing it with an SSD is pretty easy and inexpensive nowadays—took me 15 minutes to do one yesterday. Of course you still have a 2010 when you're done but, if you don't need Mojave and are not doing much AV, these run High Sierra well.

I require Mojave and do AV work — otherwise my 2010 i7 would still be on my desk.

 

[WrightBrain]

Have you tried baking it? This reflows the solder and fixes the majority of these.

The problem was caused by the HDD that turns an iMac into an oven. This stresses the solder joints over time. Replacing it with an SSD is pretty easy and inexpensive nowadays—took me 15 minutes to do one yesterday. Of course you still have a 2010 when you're done but, if you don't need Mojave and are not doing much AV, these run High Sierra well.

I require Mojave and do AV work — otherwise my 2010 i7 would still be on my desk.

I don't like to bake computer pieces as repairs. No offense. It just makes me feel uneasy. I would rather buy a new GPU, but as you said I'd still have a 2010 and I could better spend the money on another build/repair.

 

[petercw2]

I'm on a mid-2011 i7 (12,2) that was the last model pre-fusion drive. When the HDD spinner failed I hacked in a 2TB Fusion drive myself and it's been a great machine other than running hot and loud fans. The only reason I'm looking to update is because the wifi conks out several times a day for no reason. I can only fix it w/ a reboot of the machine. (plus I can't upgraded to Mojave, but that's a minor issue). I would miss an optical drive as well.

 

[mikehalloran]

I don't like to bake computer pieces as repairs. No offense. It just makes me feel uneasy

So? When it's the correct repair, that's what you do. When you eliminate the cause of the problem, it stays away.

OTOH, I'm not advocating spending any money to repair a 2010 just because it can be done. Naw...

I'm on a mid-2011 i7 (12,2) that was the last model pre-fusion drive. When the HDD spinner failed I hacked in a 2TB Fusion drive myself and it's been a great machine other than running hot and loud fans. The only reason I'm looking to update is because the wifi conks out several times a day for no reason. I can only fix it w/ a reboot of the machine. (plus I can't upgraded to Mojave, but that's a minor issue). I would miss an optical drive as well.

I know the common problem with these but you're looking at $120 labor — for a 2011. Getting rid of the fusion setup makes it faster and eliminates the loud fans— $350 in parts for 2TB but no extra labor if going into the WiFi issue. Again, is it $$$ you want to spend? I wouldn't now (4 years ago was different).

BTW, USB optical drives can be had for $13. High rated USB 3 units begin at $20. Just sayin...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=usb+opti...-rank&qid=1555957214&ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank

 

[casperes1996]

So? When it's the correct repair, that's what you do. When you eliminate the cause of the problem, it stays away.

Well, not to get too sidetracked, but the "baking solution" isn't really eliminating the cause of the issue at all and it doesn't stay away at all. The baking is a temporary solution. I'm sure Louis Rossman could rant on a bit more on this one

 

[iF34R]

Have a late 2012 27" 680mx 1tb fusion i7 that I got as a refurb in 9/13. Haven't had an issue. Thinking about how long I'm gonna go with it...can wait for the redesign. Get a few hiccups here and there and LR still runs OK on it. I bet if I put a pure ssd inside it would come back to life a bit....I'm still on Sierra

I have the same (bought new). Not had any issues with it, but today I'm putting 16GB more ram in it (comes to 32 now), and I have seriously considered switching to straight up ssd. I need to research what options I can use though. Any suggestions?

 

[Ylan]

I used my MB 13" alu from 2008 until last year, (well my kid the last few years).

But then I have maxed out RAM and added an SSD-disk over the years.

And I have updated every Mac I've had as RAM and disk prices have gone down, and software has demanded more.

This is not possible anymore on new laptops, so I believe that next time I buy a laptop, it might not last that long.

Regarding my iMac, I bought the fastest graphics card and SSD, and hope to be able to buy reasonably priced external Thunderbolt casing when I need more space.

Humbly, Ylan

 

[AlexMaximus]

I just purchased my first Mac computer. Always was a PC guy, but I wanted to try this for my photography. I bought the top model with 512gb SSD. I know it’s all relative to what programs you want to run and new programs coming out. I plan on using photoshop and Lightroom that’s about it. That’s all my pc really has but it is getting slower. Had it about 3 years. For the price I’m hoping I can go quite a bit longer on the Mac, so that leads me too my question of how long has yours lasted you and have you noticed a significant slow down over the years with new programs and updates coming out for software?

I think you can use a relative new Mac a lot longer then the three years mentioned above. However, despite those rosy good replies of past usage of 9 years and longer, you should be aware that Apple tends to shorten the life span of products, sometimes even with full intention. Most likely it will be more difficult to work around in the future then in the past. The iMacs became much more difficult to open compared to the 2009/10/11 model year as an example. Companies such as OWC and others provide opening kits with temp sensors and stuff, many forum members provided their own very useful mods to work around and lengthen the shelf life of their Mac through upgrades. It remains to be seen how that battle will go on, especially for machines with that glorios T2 Chip. Thanks to this community we endusers, that have been willing to smart mod their machine with that community approach, did win that battle so far. (Pixlas mod, Dual fan iMac, SSD Upgrades, ...)
Only the dead have seen the end of the war..

 

[padams35]

My mid-2011 iMac (purchased as an off-the-shelf mid-tier standard config mid-2012) lasted me just two years as purchased. Then I upgraded the RAM from 4GB to 12GB and enjoyed another two years before outgrowing the 6770m GPU. So I built an eGPU hack to scratch the gaming itch.. and then 6 months later gave up and bought a console to scratch the itch better. That let the 2011 continue as my primary for another two years before I replaced it with a new desktop.

So, about 6.5 years total life as my primary home computer.

 

[WrightBrain]

So? When it's the correct repair, that's what you do. When you eliminate the cause of the problem, it stays away.

Well...ish. Reflowing the solder is a temporary fix as it does nothing to deal with the thermal issues that caused the damage in the first place. Same thing used to happen to PS3’s.

 

[mikehalloran]

as it does nothing to deal with the thermal issues that caused the damage in the first place

No. As I mentioned, it was the HDD that caused the problem. The WD Black that most used ran extremely hot and the Seagate drives were no better. Eliminate that and install the correct thermal sensor, prevent the GPU problem. 100% of the time.

In 2013, Apple used a slower, cooler HDD to mitigate this and, in 2015, the HDDs got even slower and cooler still. They did the same with the Time Capsules with similar results.

I have done hundreds. Eliminating the HDD in my 2010 was easily paid for by the savings on my electric bill as my air conditioning bill went way down. My office is the only room that has A/C making the savings easy to measure.

 

[jagolden]

Last one went seven years. It was purchased from the Apple refurb store. I wanted to get it because it was still truly an all-in-one with the built in SuperDrive.
It ran into what seemed a problem and my only resource for repair would be Apple but they didn’t service it any longer.
Sold it and bought another, newer refurb but had to purchase an external SuperDrive.

 

[Bl0ckHe1d]

Purchased the 2011 27" iMac new and still running smooth, only upgrades are memory upped to 12gb and replaced the HD with SSD.

Probably one of the best purchase I ever made.

 

[Steve121178]

My late 2012 iMac is still going strong. My fear is that Apple will make it obsolete before it's ready to die. It seems to go on forever.

Money well spent.