How many years do you usually use a mac for?

Some people have systems that have worked for 10 years. The software limits will get you more than hardware, probably. Software may not be re-written for newer OSes. When Apple went from PowerPC to Intel processors, there was a software package needed to run applications written for the old processor. Lion was the end of that patch-software because the vendor of it stopped updating it.

Kepp current install disks and keep good backups to be able to recover on your own as time goes on.

I use a mid-2007 17" that works ok on 10.6 & 8, save the brightness being much, much lower than new.

Two years.

RJB321 wrote:

I was just wondering how long many of you actually use a mac until you buy a new one.

It depends if and how Apple screws us.

For instance I had the PowerMac G5 Duallie with a 30" monitor and Steve Jobs announced the Intel processor swtich, two years later then wouldn't provide OS X 10.6 for my machine so I had to sell it while I could. So I lost about 5-7 years futher producive use of the machine.

Then the 2007 4 year old 15" MacBook Pro I had was working perfectly fine under Snow Leopard, but after I upgraded it to OS X Lion the firmware bricked the machine and Apple would refuse to pay to fix it.

It was their fault too, because Cupertino HQ was pwned by the 750,000 Mac Flashback botnet and OS X Lion was likely tainted by malware to cause such a massive amount of logicboard replacements that were required at the time.

It used to be that Apple (under Steve Jobs) would ignore older Mac's and OS X versions for security updates unless they ran the last two OS X operating system versions, but after Flashback they had to go back and fix so many machines they don't dare to that again.

But Apple has other ways now to force you to upgrade your operating system, especially AppStore as developers will tend ot make programs for the latest OS X version only.

It wouldn't be too bad to upgrade OS X but for the fact that doing so bricks so much of your third party software in the process, gives bad and unwanted features, and then tends slows one's machine down to a crawl as the newer OS X versions are created with newer hardware in mind, not older.

So Apple is basically leveraging more software features and iOS devices to force a faster hardware turnover rate so they can make more money. A lot of the features they are adding are not really used all that much a lot of it is just change for the heck of change and putting a new fancy paint job on the Apple hardware.

"Oh look new OS X, buy a new machine!"

So you have a choice to either keep up with the rapid Apple hardware cycle or buy a Windows machine that will last a decade or more per operating system version.

I know people who still have 10 year old XP machines and they are now getting 10 year life Windows 7 machines.

Apple seems to tie to much features to a new boated OS X version and forcing one to upgrade instead of using OS X and a base and adding new features on top of it if people want it or not. Mac's are laughed out of most corporate enviroments except for a few CEO's , top brass that remain off the networks.

So my turnover rate with Apple hardware since Steve Jobs return has been anywhere from 2-4 years on average, before that it was a lot longer, I could use a machine for a long time like 5-7 years.

I'm hoping with this 17" MacBook Pro lovingly taken care of that I can exceed 5 years, but it's not going to happen because Apple is going to drop support for Snow Leopard 10.6 and the newer operating systems are bloated pieces of ugly crap tied to AppStore/AppleID etc. so the erosion to personal privacy is absolute. They just do things and don't care about what users need or want, it's sickening they think they know what's best for everyone and you need to get aboard their way or tak ethe highway. It's so bad now that even Microsoft has gotten into the customer abuse game with Windows 8.

To reinstall OS X requires a fast Internet connection and I can't trust if the software hasn't been tainted along the way or not. What is wrong with proving USB instlal keys with every new Mac?

Glossy screens and unable to physically remove the storage for secure destruction.

I also don't like the threat that Apple is going to forbid installing software from outside sources, they are already doing everything they can to discourage outside sources, calling them malicious etc. We have been installing software from trusted outside sources for decades with no trouble at all.

They are doing everything possible to drive me and others away as customers and after 20 years I will be finally giving them the boot very shortly.

They can go on making computers only for children, but the Mac professional/power user is a dying breed.

3-5 years. I use it extensively for work and for play. It helps to load up on memory and storage at purchase.

It depends on the use, of course. Some of my Mac-using friends who don't do much more than check email, surf the web, and run business software tend to use their Macs for 5-7 years before upgrading, because the demands of those activities don't change much and even an old computer can check email or run a spreadsheet.

I do graphics and photos, which often require newer hardware, so I usually have to upgrade after 3 years. But I keep the old Mac around for other things and it usually dies on its own after about 4-10 years.

The PowerMac G5 is a special case in my opinion. On the vast majority of my Macs, they have been upgradeable for years with few ill effects. The PowerMac G5 just got caught during that transition time from PowerPC to Intel.

I have a Mac Pro, the first generation, and even though I can only take it as far as 10.7 it has been a rock solid performer for 7 years still as my main desktop, and I can't ask for much better long-term service than that. My guess is that it will continue to run as my main desktop until the 9 or 10 year mark before I finally upgrade to the new Mac Pro.

It depends on your finances, commitment to delayed gratification, Apple's hardware support period, and specific workflow requirements.

Recently, I started with an employer that handed me a surplus 2008 15 inch MacBook Pro. I chose to fresh install Lion, rather than Mountain Lion due to personal preference regarding machine performance capabilities. It works just fine, but lugging those 5.4 lbs is another matter entirely. This machine is soon to be replaced with a new 13 inch Macbook Pro or Air.

There are other good answers to your question in this thread.

The PowerMac G5 just got caught during that transition time from PowerPC to Intel.

Steve Job's refusal to support PPC with Snow Leopard was inexcusable.

G3 iMac purchased new 1999 - still going strong (OS 9.1)

MBP purchased new 2008 - still going strong (OS 10.6.8)

Your Mac will perform all the tasks it could do on day 1 for as long as you are willing to keep it in good repair. But that is not the whole story.

No one could have anticipated that the rise of the Internet and Ethernet would obsolete Performa Macs running system 6.0.8. No one could have anticipated that PowerPC Macs were so much faster that developers invented new things that were previously impossible, or that Intel Macs would eclipse them within a few years.

We live in changing times, and the Mac you buy today will last a good long time. But it may not keep up with the ever-increasing list of things we ask our computers to do for us.

I have a cellar-full of really good older Macs that work perfectly, but are of no use to most people today. I cannot even give them away.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

We live in changing times, and the Mac you buy today will last a good long time. But it may not keep up with the ever-increasing list of things we ask our computers to do for us.

I actually think today's computers will meet most people's needs for several years. A midrange Mac or PC with an i5 and 8GB RAM will handle almost anything most people can throw at it for a few years. Pros just need an i7 and maybe more RAM, and you just plug that thin little computer into a Thunderbolt disk array, a massive monitor or two, external Thunderbolt expansion card chassis, etc and suddenly you almost have a Mac Pro at your desk.

In the mainstream, an increasing wave of upgrades in the next 5 years will not be about compatibility or performance but an increased desire for easy mobility. I find the specs of the new MacBook Air 13" with 12 hours of battery life (met or exceeded by many reviewers) as a tempting replacement for my 15" MacBook Pro, and I never considered anything smaller before. But the 15" I carry everywhere is really starting to feel like a brick. In the more mainstream world, it's people realizing that an ultrabook or tablet form factor and battery life is what is tempting them because performance is more than sufficient.