While I think that's absolutely correct, they don't make it particularly easy to know what is an old model and what isn't.
This is especially true for the Mac mini where they've had 4-year lifecycles.
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macOS Tahoe Might Support One Fewer Mac Than Previously Rumored
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This is especially true for the Mac mini where they've had 4-year lifecycles.
If you want the longest support lifespan, buy a current-year model. If you buy a 2018 in 2023, you take your chances.
Apple only tells you when they tell you and then you have to decide what you want to do.
I'm using my iMac Pro until the security updates run out so another 2 1/4 years. So the decision is two years from now.
Look, I agree with that. I bought a refurb 2020 Intel iMac the week the Mac Studio was announced (or a week later), knowing roughly exactly how much shorter the life expectancy of my Intel iMac was going to be compared to the Mac Studio. But hey, I got half the life expectancy for one third the price, so I thought I was coming out ahead.
But I think this is utterly unfair to the random person waltzing into the Apple store in 2023. They have no idea what models are 2018s and what models launched a month ago. The refurb store tells you 'Originally launched in ____', but not the regular store.
Look, I agree with that. I bought a refurb 2020 Intel iMac the week the Mac Studio was announced (or a week later), knowing roughly exactly how much shorter the life expectancy of my Intel iMac was going to be compared to the Mac Studio. But hey, I got half the life expectancy for one third the price, so I thought I was coming out ahead.
But I think this is utterly unfair to the random person waltzing into the Apple store in 2023. They have no idea what models are 2018s and what models launched a month ago. The refurb store tells you 'Originally launched in ____', but not the regular store.
That's what forums are for.
There are people on the Mac subreddit that ask about used, new and refurbished Mac all the time. Like lots of posts every day. They don't know the products, prices, support and specs so they ask and people explain it to them. This applies to a lot of things that people buy and people are not shy about asking there.
Reddit seems to give me some of those posts from both Mac subreddits and r/thinkpad. In both cases, it is amazing the number of people asking about ridiculously old machines...
I can agree with parts of the arguments for both opinions that they would vs would not get longer support than past Macs...
Even though Apple doesn't directly sell the base MBA M1 anymore, it continues to be available on that $650 Walmart special. Yes, this is a "third-party" seller, but it has been going on for so long that there has to be some kind of back-room supply chain agreement between Walmart and Apple. I don't believe there would be enough back stock for these to be "clearance" units sitting in a Walmart warehouse after all this time.
What is the future for these machines? I would prefer if Apple acts like any other manufacturer and just publishes a product roadmap and lifecycle policy.
In my experience, these “random people” really have no interest or intention to maximize OS support. The amount of Macs I’ve seen dropped off at recycling centers still on the original OS that the machine shipped with would astound you.Look, I agree with that. I bought a refurb 2020 Intel iMac the week the Mac Studio was announced (or a week later), knowing roughly exactly how much shorter the life expectancy of my Intel iMac was going to be compared to the Mac Studio. But hey, I got half the life expectancy for one third the price, so I thought I was coming out ahead.
But I think this is utterly unfair to the random person waltzing into the Apple store in 2023. They have no idea what models are 2018s and what models launched a month ago. The refurb store tells you 'Originally launched in ____', but not the regular store.
And they're probably dropped off full of malware too because no one understands how to keep computers secure in the 2020s...
M1 was still selling in ~2022. So that is more like 6 - 7 of update after it discontinued. Which is 2029 / 2030.
After that I think they will return to 7 years of release update from release cycle + 2 years of security.
To be fair the M* numbering makes things slightly easier for people now, both googling (“how old is the M3 MacBook Pro?”) and just being able to compare what they’re looking at to current gen, even across mac product lines (“aha! 4 is bigger than 3!”**)
** yeah, I know the ultras throw a tiny wrench in that logic, but anyone buying an m* ultra machine is plunking down at least 4 grand and presumably knows what they’re buying
It's no different than iPhone. Currently, AT&T, Verizon, and countless other carriers around world are still selling brand new iPhone 14. This is fresh stock. But it doesn't mean it'll get the 6-7 years of major OS updates like a brand new model.
M1 MBA is no different. It'll get 6-7 years of major updates. The countdown clock started November 2020.
Apple Store was selling the 21.5-inch iMac (2017) new throughout 2021. Apple dropped major macOS updates for it the next year.
Yeah but one of those two computers is the only machine (for the moment) that can run third party discrete GPUs and handle a terabyte or more of RAM.
For properly large workloads.
I would say that the aliens will stay away from the people who "pre-programmed" themselves by portraying the outer space as something hostile in every single movie they've made.
yeah people crying about intel being canned and blaming cook are conveniently forgetting the support time-frame Jobs gave to PPC after the intel switch.
I really appreciate your in-depth thoughts. Thank you for taking the time to respond! What you provided was very useful and helps me think a little deeper into this situation and see the bigger picture.
I was using it as a working pro up until late 2019 (as a full-time content creator for nature and adventure documentaries) and then I pivoted and picked up an entirely different career path. I still do quite a bit of video editing on it, but nothing to the level I was doing when I was working as a full-time pro.
I also realize that at the level I am currently producing at, I can easily make it another 2 or maybe 3 years using the software at the currently level it is at once dropped from support. So in the end, I will likely get at least 10-11 years out of it…and can then retire it to normal daily computer use beyond that.
Again, thank you for sharing your insight!
What, bought more than all the market leading PC manufactures?? That's a stretch.
It will get security support, but no fixes for anything that Apple breaks (ie how many older devices can't use Apple Home anymore/access notes/reminders etc).
4.5 years of support (2 of those years being security only) is pathetic for an expensive device.
Tim Apple might be a safe pair of hands but Apple is being left behind in innovation and future product strategy. The Steve Jobs playbook is now empty which is why Apple's long term future is bleak right now. It's called stagnation and is the killer of complacent companies.
