[weblacky]

I still have my circa-2010 Apple Macbook Pro, but since those fucking asswipes at Apple refuse to support it it's been running Slackware like an Olympic sprinter for years.

So, to put it into the vernacular of Linus Torvalds, FUCK YOU APPLE!

I also have a Core 2 Duo 2010 macbook, it's a nice machine...but let's be real...that was 12+ years ago.  Apple support life was "generally" (but NOT during ANY of the three arch transitions - Motorola 6800, PPC, Intel, Apple ARM)...those were a screw you to buyers in support life) within each arch about 5-8 years...lately more like 8+ on average for me!

Yes, to keep your Apple working you HAVE to keep it nice...so at the end of 8+ years...it still looks brand new!  You made it!  But it's still a long time in today's world.  I just retired a Macbook Pro Retina 2012...that was how long ago?

Most PC laptops don't really last 4 years in most people's (usually 2-3 from what I see) hands and to be fair you can baby a PC laptop and go 10 years (I have several, but support life is often 3 years for PC vendors - parts & accessories).  So you often cannot get a new genuine battery or nice accessories, etc. after a few years for your PC laptop.

I tell people that if you factor in the MacOS upgrades (they used to charge for them, remember) part supply lifespan, the ecosystem of free (Apple ID driven) services: iCloud service sync and current integration with IOS, iPadOS, and apple-to-apple sync that you can definitely get your money's worth if you:

1. (Retail) BUY ONLY current gen stuff (unless it's gifted or used)...they don't price drop fast enough...waiting for a price drop doesn't help you...it hurts you...support life slipping away faster then price drops...so after 2 years you're overpaying for an "old" model that will lose support faster for little money saved.  Buy during "good" refreshes...hold for 8+ years...until you're three MacOSes out of date (max) then buy again. For me...that's been very successful...assuming you don't have an accident or equipment failure that's not your own doing.  I've never had an Apple product "Fail", All my old stuff still works as well...baby it.  Doesn't mean they don't fail...just never happend to me and I'm hyper about how I treat my stuff.

2. FREE: HOW to use their free services to the greatest extent possible...KNOW your iCloud ID and understand the advertised feature sets.  Decided which services you'll be participating and which you're not comfortable doing (online photos...no thanks, But online contacts...yes).

3. RESEARCH heavily before buying (unless under duress or school...where you HAVE to buy now...never works out well) and jump in at the best time you can see for featuresets to price point.

4. PROTECT, Apple laptop are not rugged, not nearly as people think.  They are DESIGNED die with the smallest water exposure (I've seen a three drops take one down, in the keyboard or touch surface) that's how they force turn over for a LONG support life (on average).  So get a nice carrying case, don't compress the laptop between books, don't add things to the screen that are too thick, keep your hands clean, don't eat/drink over the laptop...ever.  If you do...get an external setup to push the laptop away from you.

The numbers can work out if you're realistic and know what kind of work you do and what kind of power you need for your current employment/tasks.  Give yourself some margin to predict needs 5 years from now (so 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB, maybe).

Don't finance anything, period...buy what you can afford...or upgrade on a smaller interval (cycle) of 3-4 years instead of 5-8 years.


Apple Desktops are different...and vary too wildly to generalize as much. I don't like iMac due to trapping MB with LCD, so Mac Mini to Mac Studio (Pro desktop's gone...it's not coming back in consumer forum, only for Pixar animators now).

We're all collectors so we all (likely) share the hatred of wasting things and throwing things away that "work"...SGIs....

I get it, I have the same issue.  Upgrading your Apple setup every 5-6 years for iPhone and 5-8 years for laptops/Desktop is reasonable...as long as you benefit from owning them (make some amount of money).  If they are for children or entertainment only, then scale down the specs (Apple MB Air) and upgrade more frequently instead.  Less

Apple definitely doesn't care about "vintage" stuff and they have zero issues changing things on a whim to suit their business requirements or wants.  Compatibility is NOT their goal (unlike MS), if you stay within the timeframe of their ecosystem...it all generally works out.  

Yes there are hacks and mods to keep older machines on newer MacOSes new, that's okay for a few years...but it's a risk.

If you use Apple products for productivity...go with a flow and be smart and you'll get your value!  Be impulsive and reckless and likely you'll feel you overspent.  For those Apple products that made it through, well if you can give them a new second life, great.  But often it's like the old car, park it and forget about it.  

Until WIndows 11, converting the old Intel-based computers to MS Windows was a good second life for 2-3 years after Apple support ended...now we can't even do that so...factor that in.