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Serious Problem: How long will my Mac Mini 2011 be supported?

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BeautifulWoman_1984

Contributor
Original poster
Sep 5, 2016
536
70
Hey guys, I've got a Mac Mini mid 2011 here with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3MB on-chip shared L3 cache and 8GB of RAM.

I've installed Mac OSX Sierra and everything runs perfectly. However, I just read that the Mac Mini mid 2010 is the oldest Mac Mini supported by Sierra, which is only 1 year behind mine... Is there any way for me to check how long my Mac Mini mid 2011 will be supported?

This is the system requirements page I read: https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht201475

Thanks very much for any help!
 
This is my big worry: That my Mac Mini mid2011 won't be supported in an upcoming version of MacOS that supersedes MacOS Sierra and that I won't be able to get security updates.

I leave my Mac Mini mid2011 running 24/7 so it'd be a security risk...
 
BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
This is my big worry: That my Mac Mini mid2011 won't be supported in an upcoming version of MacOS that supersedes MacOS Sierra and that I won't be able to get security updates.

I leave my Mac Mini mid2011 running 24/7 so it'd be a security risk...
Click to expand...

Apple supports three at a time for operating systems so since you are on the current you have three more releases before your dropped for security if you stay on the current one you have. Machine support who knows when the next arbitrary drop of yours will happen. But as you can see on this forum if there is a way around the artificial limitations placed by Apple on machine support it will be found and people will share how to run the latest OS you can.
 
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Reactions: CoastalOR
Question:
"How long will my Mac Mini 2011 be supported?"

Answer:
Stop worrying about it.
Seriously.

The Mini won't stop working if Apple drops "support" for it insofar as new versions of the OS are concerned.

It will still do everything it ever did with the last version of the OS that works.

Again -- don't get twisted up over issues that are of little importance.

I'm still using my April 2010 MacBook Pro, running OS 10.6.8.
Six versions of the OS "back".
Totally "unsupported".
Runs fine for what I need...
 
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Mr_Brightside_@ said:
As I recall, a number of OSes that no longer receive updates (i.e. 10.6-10.10) continued to receive important security updates both via the App Store and under the hood via XProtect for years after they stopped getting other updates.

Here's a good read:
https://www.intego.com/mac-security...nder-the-hood-features-that-protect-your-mac/
Click to expand...

Thanks for your informative reply!

Is there any way for me to check that Apple will continue to support my Mac Mini mid 2011 when the newest OS is no longer supported?
 
Fishrrman said:
Question:
"How long will my Mac Mini 2011 be supported?"

Answer:
Stop worrying about it.
Seriously.

The Mini won't stop working if Apple drops "support" for it insofar as new versions of the OS are concerned.
Click to expand...

I understand this, but I was concerned exclusively just security updates and not "new feature updates." Like if a security hole is found in MacOSX how would it be patched if Apple no longer supports that particular MacOSX?

Thanks!
 
You might get dropped next year or 5 years only apple knows unfortunately.

But whatever that last release is you will get security updates for at least 3 years after it comes out.
 
General rule of thumb for Apple hardware: support from Apple and authorized providers until 5 years from date introduced.

For software:
10.6 released 2009 last update 2011
10.7 released 2011 last update 2012
10.8 released 2012 last update 2013
10.9 released 2013 last update 2014
10.10 released 2014 last update 2015
10.11 released 2015 last update 2016
10.12 released 2016 last update
 
Currently Apple supports 10.10 and 10.11 with security updates. Historically Apple has a few times released security updates to older versions for very bad vulnerabilities but that is very rare.

Once 10.13 is released its likely 10.10 won't be receiving any major security update. Sierra will likely receive updates for 2 more years after that.

Older versions are still receiving minor XProtect updates to prevent malware from infecting them. Even 10.6 receives those updates.

Personally I wouldn't worry, odds are small that using older OS would lead to problems.

As for how long Mini is supported is anybody's guess but since Apple just dropped older models from the supported list I think its likely they will keep the list same for 3 or 4 OS versions barring any drastic change (such as switch to new processor architecture etc.).
 
Thanks so much!

Like I said, my only concern were the security updates. I don't care about feature updates and so on.
[doublepost=1480291447][/doublepost]Why does Microsoft support hardware that's so much older by the way?
 
Mr_Brightside_@ said:
General rule of thumb for Apple hardware: support from Apple and authorized providers until 5 years from date introduced.

For software:
10.6 released 2009 last update 2011
10.7 released 2011 last update 2012
10.8 released 2012 last update 2013
10.9 released 2013 last update 2014
10.10 released 2014 last update 2015
10.11 released 2015 last update 2016
10.12 released 2016 last update
Click to expand...

I would actually say 5 years from date discontinued, as that's when the product becomes "vintage" and hardware support ends.
 
BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
Thanks, but is there a way I can check with Apple?
Click to expand...
Not really. No one at Apple (that we can talk to anyway) knows what's being planned for the future.

The 2011 Mac Mini will have hardware support until October 23, 2017 (2019 in California), at least in theory, and software support until Apple decides to change the requirements (the last time they did this before Sierra was with 10.8 in 2012).
 
Last edited:
bcave098 said:
Not really. No one at Apple (that we can talk to anyway) knows what's being planned for the future.

The 2011 Mac Mini will have hardware support until October 23, 2017 (2019 in California), at least in theory, and software support until Apple decides to change the requirements (the last time they did this before Sierra was with 10.8 in 2012).
Click to expand...

2019 seems like a long way a way... do you really think the Mac Mini mid 2011 will be supported for that long?

Thanks for your informative answer.
 
BeautifulWoman_1984 said:
This is my big worry: That my Mac Mini mid2011 won't be supported in an upcoming version of MacOS that supersedes MacOS Sierra and that I won't be able to get security updates.

I leave my Mac Mini mid2011 running 24/7 so it'd be a security risk...
Click to expand...

Worry about it when it happens, jeeeezzz.

Not now. Surely you have better things, it's nearly a full year full the next expected version...

Also you are on the Intel i5 architecture... It's less likely to stop getting supported cause that's still basically the architecture that's shipping.
 
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