When do you consider your Mac outdated?

[aloofman]

It's obsolete when I can no longer get good performance when running the apps that I want to use. At some point newer, more demanding apps slow the machine down enough that I get dissatisfied and need a new one. Then I keep waiting until I've saved up enough to buy.

 

[zelmo]

You may be insane.

Nope, just sarcastic as hell.

If I had the spare funds, I'd upgrade every year. I have never worn out a Mac, I just usually get impatient for a faster, sexier machine after about 3-4 years. What is it about Apple design that makes me want to buy every machine they release?
I have always donated the outgoing Mac to a family member, except for the beige G3/266 DT that was replaced by our current iMac, which I sold to work (since it was faster than some of the machines we were using at the time). The G4 iMac serves us well, as we really only use it for email, web, and iTunes. We'll replace it when it can't do those things well anymore, or when it dies.

 

[TEG]

For Gaming: When the newest Games, require 2-4 times the video ram or Proc speed.

Otherwise: When the newest operating system appears, and does not support my system, or makes it run very slow.

TEG

 

[kugino]

I don't consider my Mac outdated till I can't run a current OS on it. I used my 8600 quite succesfuly until 10.2 was released then it was time to upgrade.

i kind of agree with this. panther runs on my bondi blue, so i still use it. but now my bondi blue is dead...so i guess that's when i say it's outdated.

 

[Mord]

bah, the day we have eight core powerbook G10's is the day i consider my trusty powerbook 100 outdated, no 268 can beat it's 8MHz 68000.


stuff is outdated when i have enough money spare for a new one and my old one cant do what i need it to which generally happens when i need to use a new app (aka when i started using mathmatica)

 

[shake]

i consider my mac outdated when the current OS will not run it.

for exmaple, i had a beige G3 tower that i loved, but when 10.3 panther came out, support was dropped for said machine. so i got another that was supported. a dual 533 g4 !

and it seems like g4's will be supported for some time because Apple just keeps introducing new machines with a G4 processor (mini, new powerbook).

 

[leekohler]

I have to tell you-my 4-plus year old 350Mhz Power Mac G4 Sawtooth still kicks. The best thing I've ever done was buy that computer. The G4 has lasted so long! I put a new video card in it, maxed out the RAM years ago and am waiting on a new 1Ghz processor for it. Who know how long I'll have it? I would give it another 2 years at least and give my iBook G4 another year or so.

 

[wordmunger]

I've come up with different levels of being outdated:

1. Your Mac model has been replaced with a newer model.
2. Some (but not all) current Macs at lower levels than yours (if applicable) beat yours on at least 1 item on the tech specs page.
3. Some (but not all) current Macs at lower levels than yours (if applicable) beat yours on ALL items on the tech specs page.
4. ALL current Macs, regardless of price level, beat yours on ALL items on the tech specs page.

Wow, by your model, my computer will be outdated the moment the iBook is upgraded. I have a 1.3 Ghz iBook which I bought just a few months ago!

I'm in the "while it still works" crowd. I ran my TiBook nearly 4 years, until the airport card died and I couldn't replace it since the non extreme airport has been EOL'd. The computer still works -- I gave it to my brother who used it to replace his old Win 95 (!) desktop.

I expect I'll be using my iBook at least another three years; hopefully four or more (though a G5 powerbook could tempt me!).

 

[Trekkie]

When it costs more to fix it than a new one costs.

For example, my rev A powerbook G4 12" lost the hard drive after two years. The hard drive was $149. The new system was $1499.

I got a new hard drive.

Mainly because I don't do a whole lot of 'hard' things on it. Email, Web Browsing, some dilly dallying in iPhoto, a few other simple things.

I have a iMac G5 that I use for my photography and playing games. Honestly unless something weird really happens I won't find myself needing a new iMac until the G6 comes out.

As a former PC user, that is weird. I'm used to needing a new one every year.

 

[thequicksilver]

When a new processor type with a faster MHz speed is released in the same model for a lower price. I had a G3 900 iBook. Wasn't taken with the G4 800MHz at all, but once the 1.07GHzs came out, I got one ASAP.

Now I'm waiting for a dual core G4 or even a G5 to get a new iBook.