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How often do you upgrade your Mac?
- Thread starter The Game 161
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coffeemilktea
macrumors 68000
Every 6 or 7 years, usually. My last upgrade was replacing my 2014 MacBook Pro with a 2021 MacBook Pro.
I also have a 2017 iMac that I use when I'm home... I'd have replaced it last year if the M3 iMac weren't so underwhelming. 😅
I also have a 2017 iMac that I use when I'm home... I'd have replaced it last year if the M3 iMac weren't so underwhelming. 😅
BotchQue
macrumors 65816
I upgrade when the OS is no longer supported with security upgrades, normally every 8 years; power never had anything to do with it.
I kept using my original Macbook Air for ten years, because some damn "rumors" website kept promising a 15" MBA, but soon my original dropped to 45-minute battery life, was blocked from my CU and even wikipedia, overheated, and the trackpad could only be clicked in one corner; gave up and spent the $$ on a 16" MBP.
Of course you know what got released some months later... 🤨
I kept using my original Macbook Air for ten years, because some damn "rumors" website kept promising a 15" MBA, but soon my original dropped to 45-minute battery life, was blocked from my CU and even wikipedia, overheated, and the trackpad could only be clicked in one corner; gave up and spent the $$ on a 16" MBP.
Of course you know what got released some months later... 🤨
xraydoc
Contributor
Every time I buy one, I tell myself it'll last 5-6 years since my needs aren't that sophisticated and since Macs tend to last a long time.
Always end up upgrading after around two and a half years anyway, much to my wife's chagrin.
Although I do have a late 2013 iMac that acts as a HomeShare movie server for my AppleTVs, and a 2015-era Mac mini that's running HomeBridge to convert some home automation gear to HomeKit-compatibility. But I'm not sure those count.
Always end up upgrading after around two and a half years anyway, much to my wife's chagrin.
Although I do have a late 2013 iMac that acts as a HomeShare movie server for my AppleTVs, and a 2015-era Mac mini that's running HomeBridge to convert some home automation gear to HomeKit-compatibility. But I'm not sure those count.
K two
macrumors 68020
When 
changes CPUs, e.g. Motorola - IBM - intel - Silicon M4, tbd 😎
changes CPUs, e.g. Motorola - IBM - intel - Silicon M4, tbd 😎
Ben J.
macrumors 65816
It varies.
I had (and still have) a 2008 Mac Pro running as my main machine for ten years. It still works, with dual boot; Snow Leopard and Sierra. Proves to me my thesis that a big investment often can prove a good investment because it will last long. With some SSD and graphics upgrades, it still performs pretty snappy.
Then I got into a testing period going thru an iMac, then Minis; i3, i5, i7 with varying amounts of RAM and learned a lot from that. In 2021, my first M1 mini, in 2022 a mini M2. All these, I owned for roughly a year, and sold them with a loss of 10-20% of the money. So no regrets.
I read about the new M3s and how people expected the next mini w/M3 would not be a very big leap in number of cores and power. I was so happy with my M2 mini 16/256 that I went all-in and invested in a M2 Pro with more cores, memory, ports ++. I'm expecting it to last me a few years, if not out-live me. 😱
And should I be lucky to still be alive, it's such a good configuration of a mac, that I'm sure I'd get half of my money back if I sell it five years from now.
I had (and still have) a 2008 Mac Pro running as my main machine for ten years. It still works, with dual boot; Snow Leopard and Sierra. Proves to me my thesis that a big investment often can prove a good investment because it will last long. With some SSD and graphics upgrades, it still performs pretty snappy.
Then I got into a testing period going thru an iMac, then Minis; i3, i5, i7 with varying amounts of RAM and learned a lot from that. In 2021, my first M1 mini, in 2022 a mini M2. All these, I owned for roughly a year, and sold them with a loss of 10-20% of the money. So no regrets.
I read about the new M3s and how people expected the next mini w/M3 would not be a very big leap in number of cores and power. I was so happy with my M2 mini 16/256 that I went all-in and invested in a M2 Pro with more cores, memory, ports ++. I'm expecting it to last me a few years, if not out-live me. 😱
And should I be lucky to still be alive, it's such a good configuration of a mac, that I'm sure I'd get half of my money back if I sell it five years from now.
MacDaddyPanda
macrumors 65816
My Current macs are my 1st macs so I don't know yet. But my Mac Mini 2018 Intel one was my 1st mac. I got the Mac Mini M2 years later after the hype of Apple Silicon settled in. Then I recently bought MBA M3 and MBP M3 Pro. These should last me 3-5 yrs before I upgrade again, lol. Maybe. But before I was Windows only. I would peace meal my upgrades. GPU upgrades would be 2-3 yrs. Storage as needed. But full Motherboard, CPU, Memory upgrade would be 3-5 yrs.
Unless Apple comes up with a huge upgrade I'll probably hold on to these Apple laptops for a while. And my MM M2 has become my bedroom Computer. So that'll probably stay there for another few years as well. Unless something breaks ofc.
Unless Apple comes up with a huge upgrade I'll probably hold on to these Apple laptops for a while. And my MM M2 has become my bedroom Computer. So that'll probably stay there for another few years as well. Unless something breaks ofc.
Indeed.
- My first Mac was a low-end iBook, just to see whether I liked the OS etc. I had it for about a year.
- My second was a Power Mac G4, which I had for around two years.
- Next was a G5 desktop, which I planned to hang onto for a while, but that one was only about a year as well because...
- First-gen Intel laptop came along and looked so much better than the G5. But that only lasted about a year due to...
- A Core 2-based Intel laptop. This was the first machine that I hung onto for some time, around four and a half years.
- Next, I can't remember the specific CPU, but it was the first machine with Thunderbolt. I actually still have it in a cupboard even though it succumbed to GPU failure. Again, around four and a half years.
- Then came a Core i7 laptop, which I still have and still use regularly. It'll be almost nine years old at this point.
- Finally, my main desktop is three and a half years old.
F23
macrumors 65816
easily more than 6-8 years. I have a 2011 iMac being used as a daily driver after SSD upgrades. My 2014 MacBook Pro easily lasted 6 years, I only upgraded from it bc I wanted something newer, but it was working fine.
Shasterball
Suspended
Whenever the software upgrades are limited, which ends up being every 7-8 years or so? My last iMac lasted 10 years, but it was 2 OS version old and I was not happy with the growing security risk.
Well, the Powermac 7500 lasted from 1995 to 2002 with assorted upgrades, including the CPU.
The 2002 Quicksilver is still working and gets used occasionally. It was the main machine from 2002 until 2009.
The 2009 Mini was the main machine until 2014 when work requirements forced a change to Windows.
That machine is running (OK leisurely walking 🙂) Linux at the moment so I can still get it online for web lookups in the shop, and as a music player.
In 2019 work was no longer an issue, so the 'Blows box was replaced with a built from parts Linux machine. The current Linux install is supported until 2027.
I have picked up two used 2014 Mini's. One is in the stereo cabinet for movies and music, the other is the fileserver. They both run Monterey. The server may get converted to Linux next year if I'm brave enough to wade into Samba, I haven't decided on what to do with the stereo cabinet box.
The windows machine was passed down to the kid, but it went poof (literally) in 2022. It's been replaced with a 2018 vintage HP desktop with a truly ancient video card that can play Minecraft but can not run without turning off trusted boot or some such feature.
The 2002 Quicksilver is still working and gets used occasionally. It was the main machine from 2002 until 2009.
The 2009 Mini was the main machine until 2014 when work requirements forced a change to Windows.
That machine is running (OK leisurely walking 🙂) Linux at the moment so I can still get it online for web lookups in the shop, and as a music player.
In 2019 work was no longer an issue, so the 'Blows box was replaced with a built from parts Linux machine. The current Linux install is supported until 2027.
I have picked up two used 2014 Mini's. One is in the stereo cabinet for movies and music, the other is the fileserver. They both run Monterey. The server may get converted to Linux next year if I'm brave enough to wade into Samba, I haven't decided on what to do with the stereo cabinet box.
The windows machine was passed down to the kid, but it went poof (literally) in 2022. It's been replaced with a 2018 vintage HP desktop with a truly ancient video card that can play Minecraft but can not run without turning off trusted boot or some such feature.
toobravetosave
Suspended
i went from 2012 macbook air to the 16m1pro
probably won’t get another mac for a very long time
probably won’t get another mac for a very long time
jwolf6589
macrumors 601
Liked the Touch Bar but NO WAY would I go back from my M2 air 15 inch!!! It’s way way way faster than the sluggish intel i5.
Parowdy
macrumors 68000
Stepping out of line, I’m still using a stock 2017 TB 13“ MBP.
I initially got it to do some Final Cut editing but those days have long passed and I could easily get away with a MacBook Air, probably even without the Air.
Web browsing, email and some multitasking, that’s all I do these days. I plan on keeping it until it dies or I find an offer too good to pass.
M series Mac’s are so performant, for the same money we paid back then I can get a really nice M1 or M2, or at the point my Mac fails an M3 for the same money but with a whole lot more functionality.
I’m excited for the evolution of Mac each year. Not because I will get it but because I won’t. Seeing what I will eventually get is nice, until then, no pressure.
I also have an iPhone 11 Pro and am really looking forward to someday have an iPhone with Pro Motion and all that jazz. But for now, I’m good.
I initially got it to do some Final Cut editing but those days have long passed and I could easily get away with a MacBook Air, probably even without the Air.
Web browsing, email and some multitasking, that’s all I do these days. I plan on keeping it until it dies or I find an offer too good to pass.
M series Mac’s are so performant, for the same money we paid back then I can get a really nice M1 or M2, or at the point my Mac fails an M3 for the same money but with a whole lot more functionality.
I’m excited for the evolution of Mac each year. Not because I will get it but because I won’t. Seeing what I will eventually get is nice, until then, no pressure.
I also have an iPhone 11 Pro and am really looking forward to someday have an iPhone with Pro Motion and all that jazz. But for now, I’m good.
So far about every 6 years.
I started on a base 2005 Mac Mini and 20” Cinema Display. I got 3 years of good service but it didn’t take long to make me realise I should’ve upped the specs.
Replaced with a not quite base 20” iMac in 2008. 5 years on that one until it didn’t keep up.
Upgraded to a maxed out 2013 27” iMac. I wanted 7 years and got ten, partly thanks to OpenCore. I was a bit annoyed I’d missed out on the 5k retina that came along in 2014 and very nearly upgraded straight away.
I’m back to the Mac Mini now as of 2023, M2 Pro and a studio display. I hope to get well past 5 years before I consider replacing.
My feeling is that Apple silicon is so powerful now, for my uses the middle levels are about right to get me through to end of software support. I couldn’t choose between Mac Studio and Mac Mini but figured the M2 Max would be overkill. We shall see!
Incidentally, all the previous models I still have and they all still work. Solid computers.
I started on a base 2005 Mac Mini and 20” Cinema Display. I got 3 years of good service but it didn’t take long to make me realise I should’ve upped the specs.
Replaced with a not quite base 20” iMac in 2008. 5 years on that one until it didn’t keep up.
Upgraded to a maxed out 2013 27” iMac. I wanted 7 years and got ten, partly thanks to OpenCore. I was a bit annoyed I’d missed out on the 5k retina that came along in 2014 and very nearly upgraded straight away.
I’m back to the Mac Mini now as of 2023, M2 Pro and a studio display. I hope to get well past 5 years before I consider replacing.
My feeling is that Apple silicon is so powerful now, for my uses the middle levels are about right to get me through to end of software support. I couldn’t choose between Mac Studio and Mac Mini but figured the M2 Max would be overkill. We shall see!
Incidentally, all the previous models I still have and they all still work. Solid computers.
Well, since they are keep base-level specs so low, it means you won't be forced to upgrade as often, since they will presumably be supporting the lower specs for longer.
I got my M1 Macbook (1Tb/8Gb) 3 years ago to upgrade from a 2012 iMac (which had 1Tb/8Gb), and don't plan to upgrade again until 2030 at the earliest.
Computers aren't really getting better as fast as they did in the 80s/90s/00s, when you had to upgrade every few years to stay current. Also, most people don't do stuff with them that requires them to be any better.
I got my M1 Macbook (1Tb/8Gb) 3 years ago to upgrade from a 2012 iMac (which had 1Tb/8Gb), and don't plan to upgrade again until 2030 at the earliest.
Computers aren't really getting better as fast as they did in the 80s/90s/00s, when you had to upgrade every few years to stay current. Also, most people don't do stuff with them that requires them to be any better.
I upgraded my mid-2014 MacBook Pro to the M3 base Pro in December, so I got over 9 years of use. It’s still pretty responsive, but the battery life was terrible, even after a replacement. I’m glad I upgraded and hope to get that same length of use!
Populus
macrumors 604
I used my first mac, a 2010 13” Core2Duo MacBook Pro, from 2010 until 2019 when I finally sold it: 9 years of non stop usage (in 2014 I replaced the HDD for an SSD and increased the RAM to 8GB), it was my main computer both on the desk, connected to a 24” external monitor, and on the move.
In 2019 I bought a used 2014 Mac mini, with again 8GB of RAM I replaced the HDD for an SSD. Until today, it is my main Mac, which is almost 5 years, and 10 since the inception of this model.
Because of that, I suspect that my next M4 or M5 (with 24-32GB of RAM) Mac mini will last me 10-12 years.
In 2019 I bought a used 2014 Mac mini, with again 8GB of RAM I replaced the HDD for an SSD. Until today, it is my main Mac, which is almost 5 years, and 10 since the inception of this model.
Because of that, I suspect that my next M4 or M5 (with 24-32GB of RAM) Mac mini will last me 10-12 years.
Around 8 years is normal for me but I tend to get the top end model. This round has been longer as I wait for more software to migrate to Apple Silicon before jumping in. Currently on a MacPro (Late 2013) but looking at a MacStudio in the next few months.
SirAnthonyHopkins
macrumors 6502a
Since 2009 I’ve had four Macs: a MacBook Pro from that year; a 2013 MacBook Air; a 2018 Mac Mini; and the OG 2020 M1 MacBook Air. So an upgrade roughly every four years on average, so I’m due a new one, though I really don’t expect to change my M1 any time soon. Showing no real signs of age and no new Mac has any feature I’m particularly interested in paying for.