Other Starting to appreciate some bits of the Intel-Mac era.

[TheLion01]

Lately I noticed myself that I am less exciting about Apple Silicon then I was about it at the release of the M1. Especially now with the absurdly high upgrade prices and the lack of upgradability in mind. My first Mac was a MacBook Pro 2013 which came with a 128 GB SSD. I was very happy when I discovered that the Mac was upgradable with a higher capacity NVMe SSD years ago. With this upgrade it was and still is a great Mac to date. In 2020 I was so hyped about AS that I replaced it with the M1 Mac mini and sure it is a amazing fast machine. 2 years ago I replaced it with a Windows computer because Windows 11 was a huge visual improvement imo. I still like my Windows ThinkPad and while it has 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD which suit my needs today, I love the fact that it can be upgraded with more RAM and more storage in the future.

The love for the Mac never faded away so I bought a 2nd hand 2013 MacBook Pro again to play with. I really like to tinker with this device and keeping it up and running for todays internet tasks. Also bought a 2nd hand 2013 21,5" iMac a few days ago. Really loving the idea that the Mac's (and ThinkPad) I have can be made better computers without buying a total new one and by getting more life out of them, they don't end up becoming e-Waste so quickly.

Really hoping there will be a late Intel Mac section in the MR forums.

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

 

[TheShortTimer]

Really hoping there will be a late Intel Mac section in the MR forums.

It's likely that this forum will become all inclusive for Intel Macs.

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

I really have no reason to upgrade to the Silicon models because my computing needs are more than sufficiently met by my existing hardware.

 

[GMShadow]

Especially now with the absurdly high upgrade prices and the lack of upgradability in mind.

This was much of the Intel era as well, really. The difference now is we have durable keyboards again.

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

Still using, they're still supported for now and perform what I ask, plus they're tail-end machines for both lines. That, and I can still keep AppleCare on them for now.

Once OS support ends, I'll likely re-home the iMac and hold onto the MBP.

 

[eyoungren]

My preference is (and always has been) desktops. This message is being typed in on a 2009 MacPro 4,1 that was updated to a 5,1. 32GB ram, 1TB SSD boot drive and three other hard drives for a total of 16TB of drive space. Running Mojave, two Metal compatible GPUs and a DisplayLink device for a total of 8 monitors (2x 30" Cinema Display, 2x 23" Cinema Display, 1x 55" HDTV, 1x 20" Cinema Display and 2x 24" Displays (Acer and eMachines)).

I also own an Early 2009 Mac Mini with a 500GB SSD (4GB ram) and one Late 2009 Mac Mini, also with a 500GB SSD (8GB ram). Both running Mojave.

Welcome to the EIM subforum. Most of us come from the PowerPC subforum and managed to convince the management to launch this subforum. So, if you're asking if anyone else is here - yes. We are.

PS. I have a work issued 2015 MBP, 16GB ram and High Sierra. And a work issued 2023 M2 MBP. It's an interesting thing that my MacPro trumps the 2015 in both ram and drive space.

 

[eyoungren]

It's likely that this forum will become all inclusive for Intel Macs.

I'm seeing a merge of the two subforums at some point. I suspect once the M1/M2/M3/whatever Macs become predominant around here.

I really have no reason to upgrade to the Silicon models because my computing needs are more than sufficiently met by my existing hardware.

I only have a M2 right now because of work. I will be taking one of two routes soon. Either another MP that I will upgrade using OCP or upgrading the MP I already have. There's one particular app I need at the moment before I move forward and it's expensive (to me).

But with Sonoma or Ventura at least, I think I'll be set for another several years.

 

[TheShortTimer]

I'm seeing a merge of the two subforums at some point. I suspect once the M1/M2/M3/whatever Macs become predominant around here.

Yeah, I think that's an accurate analysis of where things will head.

I only have a M2 right now because of work. I will be taking one of two routes soon. Either another MP that I will upgrade using OCP or upgrading the MP I already have. There's one particular app I need at the moment before I move forward and it's expensive (to me).

But with Sonoma or Ventura at least, I think I'll be set for another several years.

I foresee a similar direction for my own roadmap as a Mac owner. Looking around at my hardware stash, I'm struck by the semi-amusing observation that I've got infinitely more powerful computing gear than was used to put Armstrong and his peers on the moon and yet the computer industry would have me believe that my technology is fit for the landfill.

As an adult in my 40s, I now truly understand the wisdom that was expressed by my father and one of his friends during a discussion about the latest release of MS-DOS and their disinterest in the marketing fanfare that surrounded it. They concluded that as long as your existing software fulfils your requirements, there's nothing to be gained from rushing out to replace everything just because a software company has a new product on the market.

 

[Nermal]

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

I'm using a 2020 Intel. I say "using" rather than "still using": Apple fans love to point out the longevity of Macs, and this particular model was sold until March 2022. It does everything it needs to do, and the only real problem is third-party developers beginning to make apps that don't run on Intel. Of course, all the software I need continues to work.

 

[MBAir2010]

‘Read the headline only.

these M1 etc are better in every way, and what we wanted in 2020!

 

[DouglasCarroll]

Lately I noticed myself that I am less exciting about Apple Silicon then I was about it at the release of the M1. Especially now with the absurdly high upgrade prices and the lack of upgradability in mind. My first Mac was a MacBook Pro 2013 which came with a 128 GB SSD. I was very happy when I discovered that the Mac was upgradable with a higher capacity NVMe SSD years ago. With this upgrade it was and still is a great Mac to date. In 2020 I was so hyped about AS that I replaced it with the M1 Mac mini and sure it is a amazing fast machine. 2 years ago I replaced it with a Windows computer because Windows 11 was a huge visual improvement imo. I still like my Windows ThinkPad and while it has 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD which suit my needs today, I love the fact that it can be upgraded with more RAM and more storage in the future.

The love for the Mac never faded away so I bought a 2nd hand 2013 MacBook Pro again to play with. I really like to tinker with this device and keeping it up and running for todays internet tasks. Also bought a 2nd hand 2013 21,5" iMac a few days ago. Really loving the idea that the Mac's (and ThinkPad) I have can be made better computers without buying a total new one and by getting more life out of them, they don't end up becoming e-Waste so quickly.

Really hoping there will be a late Intel Mac section in the MR forums.

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

My main Mac that I use for everything is a 2015 MacBook Pro 15" and it is wonderful. I have already swapped out the battery (not as bad as you think) and upgraded the internal SSD to 1TB (which is a minimum for me) and it is such an excellent machine. I love the screen, love the keyboard, love that I can easily (!?) take it apart and it still just works great and is supported by Apple as of 2024. I have access to other machines, and I do use them for specific uses, but this is my main one. Honestly the only issue I might end up having is when Apple quits supporting this with their new OS and I loose security updates as I do online banking and personal financial management and want a support OS. I "might" be persuaded to keep this machine and try the "Open Core Legacy Patcher" route if it is rock solid and stable.

I do have an M1 Mac mini and it is crazy fast, BUT I hate how locked down the machine is...no fixing that thing when it craps out in the future.

Otherwise, yes I also love some of the older Macs...they just keep on working for everything I need them for.

 

[HiVolt]

The PPC era was also great for buying low end spec and upgrading yourself with cheap PC hardware that Apple & Mac retailers were marking up big time.

RAM, Hard Drives, Optical drives and to some extent video cards were easily upgradeable then, as they were in the first 6-7 years of the Intel era.

 

[jonathanjoestar]

for the intel era, i honestly miss the software design of macOS 10.10-10.15, and the touch bar. i feel lke the latter was introduced at the wrong time, and shouldve been across the whole lineup rather than the pros. And the software design was on point and was easier on the eyes.

 

[HiVolt]

for the intel era, i honestly miss the software design of macOS 10.10-10.15, and the touch bar. i feel lke the latter was introduced at the wrong time, and shouldve been across the whole lineup rather than the pros. And the software design was on point and was easier on the eyes.

The touch bar might have been a good idea if it didn't replace the function row. It should have been above the physical function row, and I think that would have stuck.

 

[Mcrumors David]

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

I cannot overstate how great the XDR Display(s) are (in any Silicon Macbook Pro), Brightness is insane (can jack it up to, I think, 1600nits not just for HDR) when being outside and the refresh rate is so smooth. ...The touchID login is nice too.

Having said that, I have an iMac-27" too that I often use. But everything is better and nicer on Silicon...

 

[jwolf6589]

for the intel era, i honestly miss the software design of macOS 10.10-10.15, and the touch bar. i feel lke the latter was introduced at the wrong time, and shouldve been across the whole lineup rather than the pros. And the software design was on point and was easier on the eyes.

I also miss the Touch Bar. However NO WAY in the world would I trade in my new MacBook air 15 for my old laptop.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I tinkered with my 2012 MBP and got it where I could make use of Continuity etc. However, the last thing I want to do these days is open up a $3k+ Mac and try and work on adding or replacing parts. I will leave that to the pros.

 

[dawnrazor]

I have Mac Studio M2 as my desktop work machine, but my laptop is a 13” MBP from 2019… I’ll just run it into the ground and upgrade when it starts to cost me money like needing a new battery or something… and I’ll replace it with a 13“ MacBook Air…

 

[hagjohn]

I'll keep with Apple Silicon. It is pretty much better in almost every single way than intel version.

 

[bousozoku]

I sometimes use my mid-2012 quad-core i7 MacBook Pro in winter because it's a great heater in the winter.

My 2020 M1 MacBook Air is much, much faster and with very little heat output, so it's better in summer.

 

[eicca]

My old Mac Pro is still doing fine but starting to exhibit some odd behavior. An M-series Mac Mini will likely be in my future. However, I plan on running it off a Thunderbolt SSD cuz there is no way in hell I will be paying Apple for their highway robbery scamtastic 2TB upgrade. EIGHT-FREAKING-HUNDRED-DOLLARS?! Get bent. Anyone who thinks that’s ok has lost their damn minds. No, the extra few hundred MB of transfer speed is not worth $550 over every other high-end SSD out there.

 

[henrikhelmers]

I replaced it with a Windows computer because Windows 11 was a huge visual improvement

I miss the compatibility x86 offered, but this statement is just bananas. Even the new parts of Windows are surprisingly painful on the eyes.

 

[KvR]

I've been running a Mac Pro 4,1 as a home server for years. I upgraded it to 5,1 with 4x HDD, 1x SSD, RX560, and other extra IO cards for years. I love the expandability. It's amazing it was still delivering after almost 15 years. But last month I caved and migrated everything to a Mini M2 with one external HDD. Sonoma with OCLP just wasn't stable anymore. The past was great, but everything integrated is the future. Just roll with it.


Also, if you're a Dutchy the Mac Pro is up for sale 😇.

 

[Miha_v]

Anyone else here returning to Intel Mac's or still using early/late Intel Mac's in 2024? What's your reason?

Still using 2017 27-inch iMac for work (4.2 i7, 32 gigs of memory, 512 SSD storage), and I still love this machine (both visually and performance wise). I think intel bases iMacs look better then the new models. Sure, I wouldn't mind even more performance and I can hear the fans quite often, but it still fits my needs and the fans are nothing compared to my previous loud, noisy PC machine.

Oh, and the screen is still fantastic.

 

[Reggaenald]

Nobody is gonna miss the 2016-2020 Intel MacBooks.

 

[Luna Murasaki]

I'm now using an M3 MacBook Pro as my main machine, but I have my old 2018 Intel MacBook Pro off to the side for compatibility / abandonware-toy purposes. I almost never do anything with it, so it's usually sitting at a blank desktop with no running programs. It doesn't let a little thing like that though stop it from blaring that fan like the screams of the tormented dead from hell into my left ear all day - I think because it is plugged into my KVM and these things seem to get antsy when it comes to external monitors. The top piece of metal behind the keyboard gets so incredibly hot to the touch that I am scared to close the lid for fear of causing heat damage to the bottom part of the screen. When I pick it up to take it somewhere, I feel the warm surface of the desk underneath and wonder if this thing might even be a fire hazard. It was all ridiculous at the time it was new, but it seems even moreso now when to my right is a computer several times more powerful that sounds exactly the same as it does powered off even when playing my computer games.

I'm glad to see the Intel Mac era go and I am not going to miss it.

 

[The Clark]

The only thing I miss is the ability to bootcamp Windows along side MacOS. Other than that, Apple Silicon stole my heart and I haven't looked back.