How old is my mac?

It is never good to give a serial number on here, best to edit and delete that.

You can get the info on your computer from clicking the apple in the upper left corner, About This Mac, More Info, System Report and that will give the actual model name of the Mac.

Take that and go to: http://www.everymac.com and click the type Mac, then go down the list for the cpu About This Mac showed and find the Model designater that matches, and the year will also be given.

Ralph, the OP can go here directly and enter the serial #

http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html

WZZZ, thanks, knew there a site but could remember anything about the name.

Another good resource. Let's you check up to two Apple serial numbers a day. Will give you info on when your mac was built and shipped.
http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com/Desktop/index.php

This web site is completely inaccurate. I entered my serial number (hesitantly, and now I big time regret it), and it said my machine was built in 2012. Tough to believe, considering I bought it in 2008.

Fellow Mac users/fans, I would not recommend using this site. Who knows what kind of data they are collecting?

evan, I've used that site for years and have never had an issue with getting info on any mac pre 2009. They aren't linked to any database and are not associated with Apple so I'm thinking that perhaps newer machines are not logged correctly. The information you gave, being it was just a serial number, it does not contain any personal information on you. You have nothing to worry about. Apple serial numbers are only used to determine hardware specs.

Evan, if you have concerns about that site, which actually is an ok site, you can also go to the apple, left side of the menu bar, About This Mac, More Info, System Report and copy the Model Identifier...then go to http://www.everymac.com and for your type of machine, such as MacBook Pro, find the model that looks close to what you have and the year. Click on that machine and see if it matches your Model Ident number...if not, go back and go up or down as appropriate until the ident number matches...the detailed information will have the time span over which those machines were manufactured. You don't get the exact date but you get an accurate time span.

Thanks to you both ("fan" and "Ralph") for your replies. I am, perhaps, a bit paranoid about putting out any information on a web site that isn't https, because just when I think someone can't use the info, they find a way. You're right, "fan," to point out that there is little that can be done to me personally with just a serial number. Thanks for that dose of reality and sanity.

At the same time, it doesn't clear up the fact that the appleserialnumberinfo website gave me completely made up information about my machine. So, I'm still a bit skeptical of it.

Thanks, Ralph, for the alternate lookup method. I'll give it a try.

Apple provides information too by serial number. It maybe limited to the last seven years or so.

Query by serial number

Apple's warrenty database will identify the type of Mac you have. Your serial number is securely sent. Provides more information for newer machines.

https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

I am, perhaps, a bit paranoid about putting out any information on a web site that isn't http

We may be able to narrow it down if you post what Apple calls "Machine Model" on OS 10.4 and earlier and "Model Identifier" in OS 10.5 and higher. This do not give away anything unless you post the serial number again 😮

Do "About this Mac" from your Apple menu and, in the resulting window, click the "More Info..." button. If you have a PowerPC iMac, that should launch System Profiler. It's opening window looks like this:

Tell us what the code in the line I've indicated reads for your computer.

For older iMacs, it helps to also have the screen size measured diagonally. Models change rather fast so this could pin down your model winthin 12-18 months.