why is a apple logo warning logo and reload logo showing when I open apple.com
Running High Sierra on Early 2011 MBP. When I open Apple.Com on Safari 12.1.2 I get this error. What does it mean? Is the computer or MacOS too old? Just curious :)
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You're encountering this issue because your Mac and its software are simply too old to support the modern web standards and security protocols required by sites like Apple.com. When you try to access the site using Safari 12.1.2 on macOS High Sierra (especially on an Early 2011 MacBook Pro), you’ll often see errors like “Safari can’t establish a secure connection to the server” or “This connection is not private.” These messages indicate that Safari can’t verify the site’s security certificate or establish a secure connection.
The root of the problem lies in outdated encryption support. Your version of Safari doesn't support modern HTTPS protocols like TLS 1.3, and the certificate authorities trusted by newer websites may not be recognized by your system. Additionally, Apple has updated its own certificate infrastructure in recent years, and older versions of macOS like High Sierra haven’t received those updates. That means your system no longer trusts the same certificate chains used by Apple and many other websites.
Beyond security, web technology itself has moved on. Websites today rely on newer JavaScript engines, advanced layout features, and browser APIs that Safari 12 doesn’t support. This leaves older systems unable to properly display or securely load many modern pages.
While your 2011 MacBook Pro was a solid machine in its day, it's officially stuck on macOS High Sierra, which is no longer supported. That puts it at a disadvantage not just for features but also for basic web compatibility. If you want to work around this, you can try installing a third-party browser that still works on High Sierra, such as Firefox ESR, Waterfox, or Librewolf. These browsers may give you temporary relief and let you access more websites securely.