6 ms·

> Obsolescence for Macs comes when Apple decides not to allow your mac update the OS to the latest one. That doesn’t make it obsolete, at all.

badc0ffee 11mo ago
When they stop releasing security patches for that OS version 2 years later, it becomes more risky to connect the thing to a network. Or take in any data from the outside, really, whether it's via Bluetooth, or USB drive. And then there's 3rd party software that will stop supporting that old OS version, in part because Apple's dev tools make that difficult. Eventually, Apple's own services will stop supporting that OS - no convenient iCloud support. Finally, the root CA certs bundled with the OS will become too out of date to use. I'm planning on putting Linux on my Intel Mac Mini soon. But when a M3+ Mini goes out of support, will we have that option?
- unilynx 11mo ago
  Don't forget about Bootcamp for the (soon) obsolete Intels . With a debloated Windows 10 (which we're not going to connect to the internet anyway) they can live on for older games.
- illusive4080 11mo ago
  Even my 2017 MBP on macOS 13 still gets security updates. Heck iPhone 6 got a security update recently. Your points are valid but it’s not 2 years, it’s more than that for big vulnerabilities.
  - badc0ffee 11mo ago
    > Even my 2017 MBP on macOS 13 still gets security updates. Has it had one since macOS 26 came out? They usually do 2 versions behind - in the summer, that was macOS 13, but now it's macOS 14.
  - yencabulator 11mo ago
    macOS 13 stopped getting any updates on September 15. Insert coin to continue. https://endoflife.date/macos https://endoflife.date/macos
manmal 11mo ago
Patches for old OS versions are unfortunately not 100% covering all security issues. Apple is often arguing that vulns can only be fixed in actively supported versions.
zahirbmirza 11mo ago
Depends if you use xcode or not...I still have my macbook 12inch, for work use, it is amazing, but I can't run the latest xcode, making it defunct for some of my uses. It would be fine running xcode weak as it is; i am sure. Liquid glass might have killed it tho.
zahirbmirza 11mo ago
Also, would love to hear any tips you have for eeking out use...Sounds like you may have some...
jkestner 11mo ago
I’ve got a 2010 MBP that’s still perfectly suitable, but without OS updates, I can’t get a browser that websites will load cleanly on, can’t use Xcode, bunch of the Apple services the company hooks you on don’t work, etc. Used OpenCore bootloader to extend its life into newer macOSes, but that’s getting hard to keep up with. What a (e)waste.
- davidkwast 11mo ago
  You can use Ubuntu. I use Ubuntu on a 2009 MBP and on a 2010 too.
  - jkestner 11mo ago
    Hadn't thought of doing that - I'm not a natural Linux person myself and I'm repurposing it for an 11yo. But maybe it's not so different from their school Chromebook for what they need. Just removes some of the nice Apple family features and the apps they'd be inheriting, but that's what I get for not paying the tax with new hardware purchases.
    - 20after4 11mo ago
      11 is a great age to start learning Unix. Edit: I know Mac OS X is a Unix and Linux is technically a clone, however, of the two, Linux & GNU is a much better environment to learn in.
- Templeton2X 11mo ago
  [dead]
- NetMageSCW 11mo ago
  It is 15 years old - I think it is past eWaste into antique.
  - jkestner 11mo ago
    You're talking to someone who's fixed their microwave several times to keep it going 20 years.
skor 11mo ago
I use one from around that time to teach my kid basic stuff, you can run linux on it as well.

badc0ffee 11mo ago

When they stop releasing security patches for that OS version 2 years later, it becomes more risky to connect the thing to a network. Or take in any data from the outside, really, whether it's via Bluetooth, or USB drive. And then there's 3rd party software that will stop supporting that old OS version, in part because Apple's dev tools make that difficult. Eventually, Apple's own services will stop supporting that OS - no convenient iCloud support. Finally, the root CA certs bundled with the OS will become too out of date to use. I'm planning on putting Linux on my Intel Mac Mini soon. But when a M3+ Mini goes out of support, will we have that option?

unilynx 11mo ago
Don't forget about Bootcamp for the (soon) obsolete Intels . With a debloated Windows 10 (which we're not going to connect to the internet anyway) they can live on for older games.
illusive4080 11mo ago
Even my 2017 MBP on macOS 13 still gets security updates. Heck iPhone 6 got a security update recently. Your points are valid but it’s not 2 years, it’s more than that for big vulnerabilities.
- badc0ffee 11mo ago
  > Even my 2017 MBP on macOS 13 still gets security updates. Has it had one since macOS 26 came out? They usually do 2 versions behind - in the summer, that was macOS 13, but now it's macOS 14.
- yencabulator 11mo ago
  macOS 13 stopped getting any updates on September 15. Insert coin to continue. https://endoflife.date/macos https://endoflife.date/macos

manmal 11mo ago

Patches for old OS versions are unfortunately not 100% covering all security issues. Apple is often arguing that vulns can only be fixed in actively supported versions.

zahirbmirza 11mo ago

Depends if you use xcode or not...I still have my macbook 12inch, for work use, it is amazing, but I can't run the latest xcode, making it defunct for some of my uses. It would be fine running xcode weak as it is; i am sure. Liquid glass might have killed it tho.

zahirbmirza 11mo ago

Also, would love to hear any tips you have for eeking out use...Sounds like you may have some...

jkestner 11mo ago

I’ve got a 2010 MBP that’s still perfectly suitable, but without OS updates, I can’t get a browser that websites will load cleanly on, can’t use Xcode, bunch of the Apple services the company hooks you on don’t work, etc. Used OpenCore bootloader to extend its life into newer macOSes, but that’s getting hard to keep up with. What a (e)waste.

davidkwast 11mo ago
You can use Ubuntu. I use Ubuntu on a 2009 MBP and on a 2010 too.
- jkestner 11mo ago
  Hadn't thought of doing that - I'm not a natural Linux person myself and I'm repurposing it for an 11yo. But maybe it's not so different from their school Chromebook for what they need. Just removes some of the nice Apple family features and the apps they'd be inheriting, but that's what I get for not paying the tax with new hardware purchases.
  - 20after4 11mo ago
    11 is a great age to start learning Unix. Edit: I know Mac OS X is a Unix and Linux is technically a clone, however, of the two, Linux & GNU is a much better environment to learn in.
Templeton2X 11mo ago
[dead]
NetMageSCW 11mo ago
It is 15 years old - I think it is past eWaste into antique.
- jkestner 11mo ago
  You're talking to someone who's fixed their microwave several times to keep it going 20 years.

skor 11mo ago

I use one from around that time to teach my kid basic stuff, you can run linux on it as well.