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Will the current Intel MacBooks get future MacOS updates?

G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
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Since Apple is switching to its own processors, will the current Intel MacBooks get future MacOS updates? I know it will be mostly speculation but also want to know what did Apple do when it transitioned from Power PC to Intel, did they provide new updates to PPC for few years or once Intel MacBook was launched they offered new MacOS only for Intel MacBooks?
I am considering getting either MBP or MBA Intel to have the ability to dual boot Windows and keep software compatibility until everything moves to ARM, but I also want to keep this laptop for 5-6 years, so it's important to know whether MacOS itself will be updated next few years for current Intel MacBooks. If Big Sur is going to be the last MacOS for Intel MacBooks then I might consider getting a good Windows laptop.
 
With the PPC -> Intel Transition there were 2 major releases of OS X that were released for both Intel and PPC; Tiger, and Leopard. But unlike today, it was also a time where they didn't upgrade the OS with a major release yearly. Tiger was released in 2005 and Leopard in 2007. Snow Leopard replaced Leopard in 2009. That covers 5 years of being on the latest OS from the first OS that supported Intel Macs
I imagine that it will be somewhat the same timespan this time around, but with the yearly release schedule it'll be way more operating systems
 
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As you said, nobody knows for sure but it would be unusual to drop support before they even have transitioned the entire product line to ARM.
 
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No one outside of Apple really knows. PowerPC to Intel was announced in 2005 with its last MacOS supported version to be OSX Leopard in 2007 (this received security updates until 2009). My personal opinion is Intel Macs will be supported on newest MacOS versions for at least 3-4 more years given how different the landscape is now compared to 2005. I am a little biased because I purchased a 2020 13" MBP not too long ago 😂
 
They’d better or they will have A LOT of pissed off customers who have spent a lot of money on very (!) expensive computers. I would be one of them 😉. In my opinion when you sell a >3000+ computer to your customers you should be morally obliged to give AT LEAST 5 years of software support...
 
Mark_EL said:
They’d better or they will have A LOT of pissed off customers who have spent a lot of money on very (!) expensive computers. I would be one of them 😉. In my opinion when you sell a >3000+ computer to your customers you should be morally obliged to give AT LEAST 5 years of software support...
Click to expand...

I mean if we look at Apple's usual pattern, they support machines for at least 5-7 years on a hardware level and aside from specific edge cases it's usually the same for software, so I see no reason this should be any different, but time will tell; I'm not afraid to buy an Intel Mac though and if a new 27" iMac with Intel chips comes soon I'll spring for a high end BTO model immediately. And likewise I'd also happily take an ARM MacBook
 
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I’m guessing at least 4-5 yrs. the transition will take 2 yrs. and three yrs of support to appease and keep Apple customers happy and returning to buy a arm Mac when it’s time to upgrade.
 
At WWDC Apple literally said they would continue to support intel MacBooks for several years to come.
 
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