macOS Ventura Drops Support for Older Macs, Works With 2017 and Later Machines

[k27]

For those who think that this is not so bad, because there are still security updates:

Apple’s Poor Patching Policies Potentially Make Users’ Security and Privacy Precarious​

https://www.intego.com/mac-security...y-make-users-security-and-privacy-precarious/

Only with the current macOS you really get security updates. There are also security updates for the older versions. But these do not always appear, sometimes significantly delayed. It is completely intransparent. Apple also nowhere writes that old versions are supported.

The emergency solution is to install Windows or Linux (on Intel Macs). However, this will only be possible to a limited extent on AppleSilicon Macs in the future.

Edit:
I had already linked the above article:

Catalina still buggy?

Yes, Catalina is buggy. https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/apples-poor-patching-policies-potentially-make-users-security-and-privacy-precarious/

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Heat_Fan89]

I seriously don’t understand the issue here? A good portion of iPhone users upgrade at least every 2-3 yrs and iPhones are not cheap. A decent iPhone is the price of the 2020 Mac mini, maybe more. Most Mac users keep their devices longer but by the time Apple no longer offers future updates, the current models are usually vastly superior. A Mac user can either donate the Mac to a friend or relative, sell it, trade it in towards a new Mac, use it for a few more years with security patches, run the latest OS in unsupported mode or install Linux.

There are options but at some point a software maker Apple or Microsoft will have a cutoff date. In Apple’s case, it appears they want to move on from Intel devices. That is understandable. I own a 2018 Mini and when the time comes, i’ll buy another one and it will be better than what I had.

 

[fakestrawberryflavor]

Really crazy to me that a lot of you are complaining about a 7 year old machine not getting a new OS. 7 years is a super long time, and honestly, you can still use the device just fine. Not like it’s just gonna turn off. But honestly, 7 years is a bit long for a computer tbh. Time for a new machine. How much has changed in 7 years?! My sperm from 7 years ago is now in 2nd grade learning multiplication. I mean, that’s a big change for a lot of us.

 

[k27]

Really crazy to me that a lot of you are complaining about a 7 year old machine not getting a new OS. 7 years is a super long time,

Outside of the Apple world, it's a short time.
Windows and especially Linux still run on much older PCs, and mostly quite well (especially if you install an SSD instead of a hard drive, for example).
Macs are very expensive and have the shortest lifetime, bad warranty conditions and cannot be upgraded or really repaired.

I find the Apple approach to cut old things actually not so bad, so that you have a modern OS without legacy. But there has to be support for a certain time and this is too short and not technically justified. Some Macs have been thrown out of support for no technical reason. A MacBook Air 2013 did not receive support for Monterey although the hardware runs 100% ("Everything is supported") and would be supported: https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/MODELS.html#macbook-air=

and honestly, you can still use the device just fine. Not like it’s just gonna turn off.

If you ignore that Apple is so bad and instransparent with security updates - especially for older macOS versions (see my post above).
If you ignore that Mac software requires a current version macOS version pretty soon.
If you ignore that Apple excludes a large part of Macs not for technical reasons, but deliberately

 

[George Dawes]

I do a lot of digital banking , is mojave secure ?

I really don’t want to have to upgrade at the moment

 

[k27]

I do a lot of digital banking , is mojave secure ?

Security is relative. Probably no one can answer that seriously, since Apple is intransparent on the subject.
I myself have not dealt with mojave anymore and would assume that there are known security flaws in it, which were probably not patched by Apple.

You should use at least an up-to-date browser. Safari on such an old macOS is probably not up to date. Better use Firefox.

 

[markfc]

I had to replace the internal drive on my 2015 earlier this year when it died. I would have had a 2021 replacement, but after repeated delays I cancelled my order. Then my drive died.

Which drive did you swap it for? Been trying to get a genuine Apple SSD with no luck.

 

[MacHeritage]

I do a lot of digital banking , is mojave secure ?

I really don’t want to have to upgrade at the moment

For that, the OS isn't as important as the browser. I use Safari on Mojave but if you want ultimate, up-to-date security, you could use the latest version of Brave, Firefox, Opera etc. instead. You can also use El Capitan with Brave or Opera and still be secure for banking.

All the banks, that I know of, are still supporting Safari on High Sierra, never mind Mojave. It is up to the individual how important they deem security.

 

[MacHeritage]

Another rich example is Microsoft. Windows 11 abandons all before 2017.

Really? I didn't know that. There is a reason that we don't know of then. Maybe Intel chips before 2017 have major implications that cannot be solved and therefore are being cut off, so that people will upgrade for their security... or something like that. Apple cannot just be following Microsoft, for the sake of it.

 

[k27]

Another rich example is Microsoft. Windows 11 abandons all before 2017.

I have not dealt with Windows anymore.
As far as I know: Windows 11 runs unofficially on old PCs anyway.
Windows 10 is supported until at least 2025.

I would have to research the exact information. But you can already see that this is not comparable with the Apple situation.

 

[Bustycat]

Really? I didn't know that. There is a reason that we don't know of then. Maybe Intel chips before 2017 have major implications that cannot be solved and therefore are being cut off, so that people will upgrade for their security... or something like that. Apple cannot just be following Microsoft, for the sake of it.

Windows 11 officially supports only 8th generation and later Intel Core as well as 2nd generation and later AMD Ryzen. Older CPUs are even blocked by the installation without workarounds.

I have not dealt with Windows anymore.
As far as I know: Windows 11 runs unofficially on old PCs anyway.
Windows 10 is supported until at least 2025.

I would have to research the exact information. But you can already see that this is not comparable with the Apple situation.

macOS 13 can run unofficially on old Macs too.

 

[k27]

macOS 13 can run unofficially on old Macs too.

I know. But only some Macs are 100 percent compatible: https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/MODELS.html#supported-models
With Apple, you have to use such tricks. You can still use Windows 10 for several years. Microsoft takes patching security updates more seriously and is also more transparent than Apple.

Windows 10 - October 14, 2025: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/end-of-support/end-of-support-2025

And for money, you usually get even longer support from MS (intended for companies).

 

[Loge]

Is it just me or does 2017 feel like yesterday? So that means my 2019 MacBook Pro probably has about 3 more years of support. Ugh.

2017 does feel like yesterday. I suspect the events of 2020/21 led to many people wishing the time away.

 

[Bustycat]

I know. But only some Macs are 100 percent compatible.
With Apple, you have to use such tricks. You can still use Windows 10 for several years. Microsoft takes patching security updates more seriously and is also more transparent than Apple.

I did install Windows 11 easily in a computer manufactured in 2008 without problems, yet it will of course be risky to install macOS Ventura to Macs released in 2008.

 

[k27]

I did install Windows 11 easily in a computer manufactured in 2008 without problems, yet it will of course be risky to install macOS Ventura to Macs released in 2008.

I have no doubt about that.

 

[sevoneone]

So it seems the cutoff for support is Kaby Lake/7th gen intel and newer. That doesn’t seem very arbitrary to me. I’m guessing there is a good reason for that, likely related to security?

 

[Everlast66]

Time to say goodbye to my 2015” MacBook Pro. Harsh.

Or maybe say goodbye to Apple entirely ...
Yes, they have a very efficient new generation of laptops now, but the actual user experience of their products (phones and mobile devices) has been going down year after year.
Their products used to be simple, clean, intuitive and well thought out!
Now they seem to be turning into a mess of features, the names of which I can't even be bothered to remember any more, bugs, their products are starting to look more and more Android and Windows!

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

I'm impressed but not threatened, well yet. My Mac Pro still has 64GB of memory, something none of the M1 or M2s can do out of the box I see, and the machines seem to be very strictly hardware limited to their memory and display specs. My Mac Pro, can still use more displays. Like I said, impressed, but still not threatened.

I predicted Apple would throw the Intel Macs under the bus with reckless abandon and that sure turned out correct.

The point Apple is missing is that I have no intentions of buying another Mac anytime soon that has memory limitations under what I already have. I've already maxed out 64GB before, so how the hell could I survive on 24GB without issues, no matter how fast that 24GB is?

Also, I still think these yearly OS updates are a waste of time and only designed to sell more machines through planned obsolescence, rather than necessary features. I'll bet any one of these features could simply be added to Monterey without wrecking the underpinnings.

 

[chetzar]

Windows 7 - 11 years of support
Windows 10 - 7 years of support and still going.
macOS - Meh, give em a few years and call it good.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the groundwork for return of paid macOS updates.

 

[UFO47]

Probably a mistake, but here we see Ventura support for MPB 2016 and later?

Sistemas operativos - macOS Tahoe 26

macOS Tahoe 26 estrena un diseño innovador, más formas de que tu trabajo fluya entre dispositivos y prestaciones para multiplicar tu productividad.

www.apple.com

 

[oldmacs]

Another rich example is Microsoft. Windows 11 abandons all before 2017.

Yes, unfortunately given Windows 10 was so good for support.

 

[oldmacs]

I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the groundwork for return of paid macOS updates.

I'd happily pay for MacOS updates if it guaranteed that Apple wouldn't arbitrary drop support for my Mac!!

 

[oldmacs]

You say this every year but I agree with it every year. The amount of time Macs are supported doesn’t fit with Apple’s mission of being environmentally-friendly at all.

Glad you agree 😂 Yeah I feel like a broken record.

If there were features that were just too intense for a piece of hardware than I'd say ok, but it's simply not the case!

 

[pyramidic.shallot]

lol at people who've never lived through an architecture transition shocked pikachuing at Apple fully merking Intel macs.

They'll get rid of Rosetta 2 in a few years as well, mark my words

 

[Zdigital2015]

Probably a mistake, but here we see Ventura support for MPB 2016 and later?

Sistemas operativos - macOS Tahoe 26

macOS Tahoe 26 estrena un diseño innovador, más formas de que tu trabajo fluya entre dispositivos y prestaciones para multiplicar tu productividad.

www.apple.com

I’m hoping the US website is incorrect and the 2016 MacBook Pro is actually supported, but if not, I suspect I will be able to update it as unsupported.