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how long u guys use a mac?

R

rachislenska

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2014
91
48
hi just curious to know this...in todays world where people get new gadgets every year..new desktop os every year!{at least for apple} I'm curious how long u people usually use ur macs. i know the lifecycle of a laptop is much longer compared to phone.
i usually use my stuff till they are dead..:D .i used my last pc a dell inspiron for 4 years and now have almost stopped using it as it is unbearably slow.
how long does a mac usually last considering all factors like hardware ageing and software updates..?
 
rachislenska said:
hi just curious to know this...in todays world where people get new gadgets every year..new desktop os every year!{at least for apple} I'm curious how long u people usually use ur macs. i know the lifecycle of a laptop is much longer compared to phone.
i usually use my stuff till they are dead..:D .i used my last pc a dell inspiron for 4 years and now have almost stopped using it as it is unbearably slow.
how long does a mac usually last considering all factors like hardware ageing and software updates..?
Click to expand...
It depends on how well you take care of it. Many have used their Macs 5 or 6 years or more. They can keep running long past the point when you choose to upgrade to a newer, faster, more capable model.

Do MacBook Pro's last longer than a standard PC laptop?
 
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I'm an old timer 40+y/o, used to build custom PC rigs in my 20's and 30's with a new PC every 1-2 years.

Now, with not as much free time on my hands I am proud to say I have a 2010 13" MPB and a 2011 iMac still running strong <knock on wood>. Macs last surprisingly long, only PC I had that came close was the Sony Vaio.
 
rachislenska said:
hi just curious to know this...in todays world where people get new gadgets every year..new desktop os every year!{at least for apple} I'm curious how long u people usually use ur macs. i know the lifecycle of a laptop is much longer compared to phone.
i usually use my stuff till they are dead..:D .i used my last pc a dell inspiron for 4 years and now have almost stopped using it as it is unbearably slow.
how long does a mac usually last considering all factors like hardware ageing and software updates..?
Click to expand...

My elderly PowerBook G4 from 2005 is still rock solid to this day.
 
I have a 2009 Mac Mini, and 2010 MBP and a 2012 rMBP. So I think I've shown the ability of holding on to Macs. I've also shown the ability to buy new ones as well. :D
 
I am a professional software engineer, and originally switched to Mac to avoid having to replace my machine every 1.5 years. I use a mac laptop (on average) for about 3 years. My mac desktop is a 2009, so 6 years there.

It's not so much whether the Mac platforms are the best available for performance, and certainly not for upgradability, but, what wins is the solid engineering. They just don't burn up. In my prior days, I would end up replacing a machine because something failed on the motherboard. That has never happened with the mac (for me). The reasons I have replaced a mac were for the increased memory and storage availability in the new model.
 
CarreraGuy said:
I'm an old timer 40+y/o, used to build custom PC rigs in my 20's and 30's with a new PC every 1-2 years.

Now, with not as much free time on my hands I am proud to say I have a 2010 13" MPB and a 2011 iMac still running strong <knock on wood>. Macs last surprisingly long, only PC I had that came close was the Sony Vaio.
Click to expand...
I bought a Sony Vaio in 2007, replaced it after 4 years with a MacBook Air in 2011 which is still running well.
Replaced the Vaio as it was starting to sound like a jet engine when trying to cool, no such issues with the Mac yet.

Looking to upgrade to Macbook Pro later this year, not because the Air is done yet, but I am wanting a little bit more.
 
I've had good luck with my computers

The macbook pro I use today is from April 2008. I will get a new laptop in a week or two, but mine is being handed down. I'm upgrading for more ram, faster processing because I need it.

It still works great. And I can see it lasting a good while longer without problem. It will replace my wife's current computer, an ibook from 2000. Yes. 15 years old. Still works. Just the screen stopped working. The cable to the screen was a known weakness back then. We never bothered fixing it. Just attached a bigger external monitor. I'll bet we could get the cable fixed, but it ain't worth it now.

Before that I used and still have a mac pro G4 tower. I used it for eight years. I only stopped using it because I wanted to use software it would no longer run. But it still works. I have it here 'just in case'.

Before that I think it was my first mac purchase in the early 1990's. Bought a IIci and an e machines monitor. Eventually gave that away.

Ok. Fun to reminisce. Time for lunch.
 
Wow some amazing stuff... My iPad 2 still works but its handed down as I don't use it much now.
 
I'm on my 3rd Mac since 2003. My first was a 12" G4 PowerBook, the first generation of the 12" machine. The PowerBook became a desktop replacement for my in-laws after a display issue killed its portability. The second was a 2008 white MacBook that would still be in service if my son didn't spill sweet tea on it. That machine would really fly with Snow Leopard. The latest addition is a mid2012 MacBook Pro that is closing in on a year old now.

I fully expect this machine to hang on just as long as the others. My strategy has always been to go with the base model and bump ram as needed and I've never found myself lacking computing power for my uses.
 
My Macbook pro just turned 8 years old this week. Still use it regularly. I'm upgrading soon, as I can't run some newer software on the older machine. Still plan on using the old MBP as long as it keeps going. Paid a lot for it, but it ended up being a great investment.
 
Old, old timer here (77). We have my old 2006 mini 1.66 core duo running all the sound programming for the shows at our local theater. My desk top is a 2009 mini 2.53 core 2 duo, spouse's Imac is mid 2007 2.0 core 2 duo. The spare running in the family room is a early 2009 Macbook 2.0 core 2 duo, and my main machine is a mid 2012 Macbook air (a great machine). All except the 2006 mini were purchased as refurbs. All except the 2006 mini are running Yosemite.

All have HD replaced with solid state drives, and ram upgraded which makes them all run well for normal tasks. It is really interesting marketing from the computer manufacturers to have us concentrate on CPU speed all these years when the limiting factor was those old spinning disk storage HDs.

Our 1980's Apple ][ plus still works ((fun to play with).
 
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My 2007 Mac mini still runs as a NAS, unfettled.
My 5 year old IPhone 3GS is being used by my 10 year old without problem. Keeps a days charge.
 
Still using my 2011 macbook air, looking to upgrade to a rMBP now when it gets refreshed. But only because I want to be able to play more games on it. The HD3000 doesn't cut it anymore
 
I use my 2 decade old PowerBooks routinely (posting from the 15" now). My main laptop is a 2010 ThinkPad X201. My 2006 T60 also sees a lot of use. I have no need for anything newer or faster.
 
I keep my phones around way longer than my laptops # Usually I replace a laptop every 2 years, and I keep an iPhone for 3-4 years.
 
Generally about 3 years for me, I guess. My MacBook Air 11" is a little over 2 years old now and being replaced (with a 13" rMBP), but will be handed down or continue to be used as a backup. I never intended the Air to last me as long as the MBPs I normally buy. I also have a mid-2012 15" rMBP that I'll likely keep for at least another two years.
 
I used to use a White Macbook which I bought in 2005, I replaced it in November 2013 with a Retina Macbook Pro. It still worked, I purely upgraded as it was time to "catchup" with the tech & I wanted to use Yosemite's features with my iPhone.

Eight years seemed like a pretty decent run.
 
My kids imac is a 2009 and still going strong. My wife uses a 2010 MBP that you won't be able to pry out of her stiff, cold hands. I have had macs last for 9 or 10 years. Usually where I give up on them is their ability to run newer technology software, not necessarily speed.
 
I'm currently using a 2011 MacBook Pro with a broken keyboard and messed up screen in clamshell mode. I am going to replace it, but I am waiting to see what is announced and for them to appear in the refurbished store so I can get a better deal on the bigger SSDs. So it might be another year.

I replaced the 2006 MacBook Pro with it because it was on its last legs.
 
My daughter uses my old 2010 13" MBP and I use an early 2011 13" MBP

Both going strong, and see no reason to replace either yet.

When I replace mine it will probably be for a Air
 
In 2006, I bought a C2D 24" iMac and a C2D 15" MacBook Pro. I'd probably still be using the Pro, but it got severely damaged at work in 2012. If was 6 years old at the time and luckily, since it was work's fault, they replaced it. It recently died from the Radeongate issue and luckily Apple replaced it with a brand new 2014 Pro.

The iMac is still going strong and will be 9 years old in October. I used to build PCs back in the 90s and 2000s, and until I switched to Apple, I never had a computer for more than 2.5-3 years.
 
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