How long you hold to buy your next mac/computer? (2019)

[cocoua]

How long you hold yo buy your next mac/computer nowadays?

As computers get more and more powerful for common tasks, renovating equipment holds has also extended, as in mobile industry, as new devices specs don't add huge advantages over old ones for the main public.

My wife in example has a 2009 white unibody macbook with added RAM and SSD which works really nice for her work, Office, mail, skype, web surfing and occasional Photoshop works decently on her 10 years old macbook.

I work with After Effects and photo editing, and at home I have a 2012 MBP retina 16GB RAM, 512SSD with 2 external screens which works pretty nice and AE and performance isn't far from my studio's iMac 2018 32GB RAM 512SSD (some renders and other tasks are much better on the iMac, but price for updating is not worth the little or none advantage in some task)

I've just realized that my previous rates were 2000-2003 (3 years) 2003-2007 (4 years) and 2007-2012 (5 years), and now I'm in 7 years, holding to next year maybe

 

[SalisburySam]

@cocoua, +1. I got onto the MacBookPro train with a 15” 2008 model that I loved. I upgraded, primarily for the SSD drive, to a 15” 2012 MBP. I wanted to upgrade, primarily for speed/power improvements, to a 2016 model and fortunately had the chance to try one in an Apple Store. I found the TouchBar more than a little annoying adding no real value to me, but the killer was the “new, improved” keyboard that was just a disaster for me to type with. I thought: okay, we’ll skip 2016 and next year’s model will be better. Then they removed the MagSafe adapter which has saved my laptop many times over the years for a USB-C plug, and the keyboard was no better. So I got a 27” tricked out 2017 iMac and kept the 2012 MBP to use when I need portability as the iMac assuredly isn’t portable.

I don’t do video editing but have the ability to do so on the iMac, so the the MBP can perform pretty much everything I need it to do today, 7 years after manufacture. Yes, the iMac is much faster but even that is primarily in loading software as opposed to executing it for my needs. And the iMac 5K display is just incredible but even the 15” MBP Retina display is pretty good too.

I walked away from 2016-current MBP’s not because I did’t want one, but because of design choices made by Apple that they are not going to force upon me. And I walked away with my wallet. Obviously Apple couldn’t care less about my purchase or my MBP dissatisfiers, but I use the technology I’m comfortable with.

 

[badatusernames]

I’m looking to upgrade my MacBook Pro 2015, next year so five years. I’m not confident with the current Apple MacBook keyboard which is why I’ve been hesitant to upgrade earlier.

 

[mike.coulter]

I usually wait a long time before I upgrade away from any computers.

I bought an iMac G4 just to get used to the OS (circa 2007).

I then bought a late 2008 model iMac C2D 21.5" that ran fine until late 2017 when I decided to buy a workmates late 2013 model MacBook Pro 15" that needed fixing. I can't see myself moving away from this model until it stops making sense to fix it.

 

[Gregg2]

I usually wait until the internet breaks it. That is, when there isn't a browser that can do what I want to do online. I haven't really measured that in years.

 

[janitor3]

I wait a long time before even thinking of buying a new mac, currently running a 2010 Mac Mini , a 2011 13" MacBook pro and a 2014 11" MacBook Air. All of them still performing great. Was thinking of maybe getting a new Mac Mini this year.

 

[Kamolas]

Mac mini 2012 here, bought new in 2014, will keep it at least until it's supported (that will be 2021 with Mojave or more if the next Mac OS is compatible too)

 

[NoBoMac]

My previous Macbook Pro was a 2008. Upgraded RAM to 6GB, put an SSD in it in 2012. GPU finally died in April and got a new one. Was not fastest thing out there, but worked well. Big plus on new is PCIe SSD (vs plain SATA, ie not SATA 2/3) and USB-C ports. Otherwise, for most workloads, not a huge leap forward. And for most people, like phones, what ya got is good enough.

Will be a bunch of folks saying need latest greatest specs because, dude, they really put it through the ringer. In some cases, agree. Most people, think need the juice.

Then again, I'm old: was computing back in pre-floppy days, 64k RAM was huge, file server had 256MB, processors were under 1MHz, one core. I know slow.

Oh and: get off my lawn!

ADD: also comes down to build quality. Previous personal computers were poor quality, so had a stretch of 3 devices that were lousy after 3 years. Mac was first to hold up >3. Mom has an iMac about 10yrs, no complaints. Uncle has an oldish Mac as well and happy with it.

ADD2: also add to the equation for some folks is if also have phone (duh, most likely) and a tablet. Many folks do not have a traditional computer, so, not a worry for them. And in my case, iPad sees the road more than my MBP, and over a week, maybe more time on the couch and in bed. In case of iPad, hung onto my first one for 6yrs. Phones update about every 3yrs due to more wear/tear (always with me, drops, small battery, sweating on at the gym, lots of use).

 

[macj3]

just replace relative's 2005 iMac with a new 2019 21.5

 

[cocoua]

just replace relative's 2005 iMac with a new 2019 21.5

Wow!