I am similar and ended up replacing my Mac Pro 5,1 with a Studio Max at the end of last year. I really like the Studio Max and would highly recommend it.
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How often do you upgrade your Mac?
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I am similar and ended up replacing my Mac Pro 5,1 with a Studio Max at the end of last year. I really like the Studio Max and would highly recommend it.
Guess you're not getting another Mac.Whenchanges CPUs, e.g. Motorola - IBM - intel -
My first Mac LC III in 1993, my second Mac a Performa in 1999. Then I went Windows PC's for a while owning 2 PC laptops from now defunct laptop makers, and also several Handheld Windows CE PC's. Then I said goodbye Windows and went back to Mac full time with the iBook in 2005. Then a MacBook white in 2009 or so, MacBook Pro in 2015, MacBook pro in 2020 with the touch bar, and finally MacBook air M2 15 inch in December of 2023.
You missed the Apple II which I used heavily in my K-12 days. Used MSDOS also on occasion but mostly the Apple II.When
The first Mac I purchased was a 2011 13” MBA. However, I sold it shortly after the first 15” Retina MBP was announced in 2012 (and subsequently purchased one) After around a year, I decided to sell the MBP as I did not like the extra weight. I also had issues with multiple screens having dead pixels. I went through several replacements. I then purchased a 2013 13” MBA. I sold this in 2016 as I needed a Windows laptop for work. In 2019 I purchased a used 2015 13” MacBook Pro (the last before the re-design), but unfortunately the logic board died 8 months later. I then purchased a 13” M1 MacBook Air when they were released in late 2020, and then upgraded to a 15” M2 MacBook Air when they came out last year. It’s definitely my favourite so far.
2003 - emac
2006 - 13" blackbook
2009 - 13" macbook
2012 - 13" mbp
2015 - 15" mbp
2019 (current) - 16" mbp
Don't see any need to upgrade from my current anytime soon.
2006 - 13" blackbook
2009 - 13" macbook
2012 - 13" mbp
2015 - 15" mbp
2019 (current) - 16" mbp
Don't see any need to upgrade from my current anytime soon.
I used to replace my PowerMac / MacPro every other interaction, so roughly 2-3 years. Laptops would be around 4-5 years.
Then came the 2013 MacPro, unchanged until early 2020 with my 2019 MacPro which I still use today.
I’m planning on going to an M3 MacPro if they get it right or moving to a custom built PC if they keep delivering the overpriced yet limited MP like the M2.
Laptops are usually 2-3 years but only because we use many laptops and rotate out old ones. We just bought two M3 MBP to replace a M1 MBA.
Meanwhile, my daily use laptop is still a M2 MBA.
Nothing wrong with the m2 and the m3 air is not that much better if even noticeable.
I plan around Apple's obsolescence strategy. About 6-8 years after intro, a model goes onto the vintage list, and that's generally when I'll be upgrading. There are of course disruptions to this, like the thunderstorm that killed my 2012 MacBook Air...
For example, I now have a 14" MBP M1-max, which I've had for a bit over two years. I figure late 2027 or early 2028.
I generally keep iPhones for about 5 years too.
Correct. But when buying a machine for business use we tend to buy the newest.
The oldest machine in regular use is an old 27-inch Intel iMac for the accountant. But for media production or mission critical use on events we are using M2 and M3 machines.
Thinking 🤔 back...
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Purchased secondhand
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Purchased secondhand
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I still have it, considering if it would be worth trying to donate at some point.
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Purchased secondhand probably in 2007 or 2008
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All the way to the present, I can tell you the price ($2999) without any reference — probably because, if I recall correctly, it was and has been the most I’ve spent on a single Mac.
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Survived a nearly full glass of strawberry orange juice spilled over the keyboard.
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Preordered — so, revision A. I also had the color matched Imation SuperDrive and Epson 740i inked printer. Oh!.. And played many hours of Nanosaur and Myth II: Soulblighter.
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The game included this time was Power Pete.
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Who can forget the classic brick/block breaking game, Brickles?
Laptops have been owned alongside at least one desktop Mac.
MacBook Pro "M1 Pro" 10 CPU/16 GPU 16" Specs (16-Inch, M1 Pro, 2021, MK1E3LL/A*, MacBookPro18,1, A2485, 3651): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the MacBook Pro "M1 Pro" 10 CPU/16 GPU 16". Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Mac mini "M1" 8 CPU/8 GPU 2020 Specs (M1, 2020, MGNR3LL/A*, Macmini9,1, A2348, 3569): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Mac mini "M1" 8 CPU/8 GPU 2020. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012) Specs (Late 2012, MD387LL/A, Macmini6,1, A1347, 2570): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Mac mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.16 13" (Black) Specs (Mid-2007, MB063LL/A, MacBook2,1, A1181, 2139): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the MacBook "Core 2 Duo" 2.16 13" (Black). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Power Macintosh G5 Dual Core (2.0) Specs (Late 2005, M9590LL/A, PowerMac11,2, A1117/A1177*, 2023): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Power Macintosh G5 Dual Core (2.0). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
iMac G5/1.8 17" Specs (iMac G5, M9249LL/A, PowerMac8,1, A1058, 1989): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the iMac G5/1.8 17". Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
PowerBook G4 1.0 (Ti) Specs (1 GHz/867 MHz, M8859LL/A, PowerBook3,5, A1025, N/A): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the PowerBook G4 1.0 (Ti). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
PowerBook G3 333 (Bronze KB/Lombard) Specs (Bronze KB/Lombard, M7304LL/A, PowerBook1,1, M5343, None): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the PowerBook G3 333 (Bronze KB/Lombard). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
iMac G3/233 Original - Bondi (Rev. A & B) Specs (iMac - Original, M6709LL/A*, iMac,1, M4984, None): EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the iMac G3/233 Original - Bondi (Rev. A & B). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Macintosh Performa 6200CD Specs: EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Macintosh Performa 6200CD. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Macintosh LC III Specs: EveryMac.com
Technical specifications for the Macintosh LC III. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.
Laptops have been owned alongside at least one desktop Mac.
Good question 🤔 let’s check:
2011 MacBook Air
2016 MacBook Pro
2019 Intel iMac
2022 M2 MacBook Air
Now that we have the strong M-Chips, I think I’ll be staying on Apple laptops. As a Web Developer an Air is sufficient.
I might be going for a new MacBook Pro in 1-2 years, if Gaming finally will get a good push, otherwise it will be probably until 2028 before I want something new. Maybe another air or maybe a Mac mini plus an apple studio display
2011 MacBook Air
2016 MacBook Pro
2019 Intel iMac
2022 M2 MacBook Air
Now that we have the strong M-Chips, I think I’ll be staying on Apple laptops. As a Web Developer an Air is sufficient.
I might be going for a new MacBook Pro in 1-2 years, if Gaming finally will get a good push, otherwise it will be probably until 2028 before I want something new. Maybe another air or maybe a Mac mini plus an apple studio display
I don't change them until I have a really good reason.
My iMac lasted 9 years until the graphics card died and it just wasn't worth repairing.
Macbook pro was about 5 years. It had several problems all repaired by Apple so no complaints, but I broke the screen and it wasn't worth repairing. That's the thing. When you have an expensive repair and you look at the price of new machines it just isn't worth it sometimes.
Just upgraded a 2016 Macbook because the battery life was awful but otherwise it's still a snappy machine. Really love that little machine
Still have 2018 Macbook pros in the family going strong which I hope will last a couple more years.
My iMac lasted 9 years until the graphics card died and it just wasn't worth repairing.
Macbook pro was about 5 years. It had several problems all repaired by Apple so no complaints, but I broke the screen and it wasn't worth repairing. That's the thing. When you have an expensive repair and you look at the price of new machines it just isn't worth it sometimes.
Just upgraded a 2016 Macbook because the battery life was awful but otherwise it's still a snappy machine. Really love that little machine
Still have 2018 Macbook pros in the family going strong which I hope will last a couple more years.
4-5 years or so normally, but I budget for every 3.
For what its worth:
2007 Mac Mini
2011 Macbook Pro 15"
2015 Macbook Pro 13"
2020 Macbook Air 13"
2021 MacBook Pro 14"
The Air to Pro was bad timing on the air (early intel 2020) and disappointment that it didn't perform any better than my 2015 pro.
2009 MacBook Pro 17" - ok resale value
2011 MacBook Pro 17" - no resale value
2015 MacBook Pro 15" - no resale value
2019 MacBook Pro 16" - good resale value
2021 MacBook Pro 16" - good resale value
2023 MacBook Pro 16"
So I'm planning to replace the current M3 in fall 2025 (assuming the M5 16" will be introduced then).
2011 MacBook Pro 17" - no resale value
2015 MacBook Pro 15" - no resale value
2019 MacBook Pro 16" - good resale value
2021 MacBook Pro 16" - good resale value
2023 MacBook Pro 16"
So I'm planning to replace the current M3 in fall 2025 (assuming the M5 16" will be introduced then).
In 2019 I got a 2012 MBP and a 2014 MBA - my first Macs and really just to see how I like them. The screen resolution on both was pretty awful, though - especially the 1280x800 on the MBP.
Then an Intel i5 MBP in mid-2020 when I was sure that I was going to stick with Macs. I should have waited another couple of months and gotten an M1 but I needed a new laptop 😅
I then got an M1 MBA in 2021 and that is still with me and will be for a good while to come.
I do have an itch to upgrade, but it’s a “want” rather than a “need” and I’ll likely ignore it until the M1 MBA is getting noticeably slower.
So… not really sure yet because I got into Macs at a weird time.
Then an Intel i5 MBP in mid-2020 when I was sure that I was going to stick with Macs. I should have waited another couple of months and gotten an M1 but I needed a new laptop 😅
I then got an M1 MBA in 2021 and that is still with me and will be for a good while to come.
I do have an itch to upgrade, but it’s a “want” rather than a “need” and I’ll likely ignore it until the M1 MBA is getting noticeably slower.
So… not really sure yet because I got into Macs at a weird time.
Its depends on the computing performance, and MacOS support involved. My record holder was a mid 15" 2012 retina MBP and that came with MacOS X Mountain Lion, I was able to use it with Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, and then another 2 years with patches/safari updates that paralleled Big Sur/Monterey. The new late 2021 14"/16" M1 Pro/Max MBP's came out and I updated to a 16" MBP. That was more than 9 years. Usually I switch out Macs about every 5 years which is long enough for the cost of the purchase to be forgotten.
Used to be every two-three years.
Was always disappointed with the heat, noise and performance. Overall it was a slick design but it just didn’t do its job.
Since Apple Silicon the computer finally behaves like I expect and I have no urge to replace it. Will probably have 5 year cycle now or something.
Was always disappointed with the heat, noise and performance. Overall it was a slick design but it just didn’t do its job.
Since Apple Silicon the computer finally behaves like I expect and I have no urge to replace it. Will probably have 5 year cycle now or something.
I've averaged every three years since 2006 (14" iBook G4, 15" PowerBook G4, 20" iMac, 21.5" iMac, 13" MBA, currently M1 Mini) but I kept some longer than others. I prefer to upgrade every 4 or 5 years, and my M1 Mini is in its fourth year, so beginning in November I'll consider upgrading if anything appeals to me. But it's still working great, so maybe I'll just buy a bigger monitor (I'm using a 24" 2560 X 1440 Lenovo) and run it until it slows to the point of frustration.
Rarely. The dual Xeon X5690 5,1 in my signature was the quad-core 3.2ghz Xeon 8GB RAM 1TB HDD machine I purchased brand new from Apple. It has upgraded wifi and bluetooth so it has all modern convenience features. Same done for the other 5,1 (which I got second hand for its dual-CPU tray). They are both quite snappy machines.
The 6,1 the only thing done was upgrade from 2.4ghz 12 core to 2.7ghz 12 core. It is still quite quick and does what I need it to do, with a benefit that it is relatively portable.
The 7,1 is going to get some RAM upgrades and my eye is on a W3275M Xeon (28 core 2.5ghz). If I see W6800X Duos available at the right price I'll grab those first. Currently it is doing the job with no issues and is the most reliable machine I've used.
Aside from that they all just run fine. 6,1 and 5,1 machines are all on Monterey.
Next upgrade is likely Lenovo Thinkstation PX to replace 7,1 when it is no longer fit for purpose.
The M2 Macbook Air is relatively new, it's used only when I'm abroad or need to do work where it would not be practical to take the 6,1. I'm not sure how the MacBook Air will go in the later years and who knows if Apple might decide to drop support for it suddenly with little warning. I'm happy with that laptop so far. It's not the fastest but the battery life is good and the screen is okay. If I were buying it again I wouldn't go for the midnight colour, that shows every fingerprint and scratch.
The 6,1 the only thing done was upgrade from 2.4ghz 12 core to 2.7ghz 12 core. It is still quite quick and does what I need it to do, with a benefit that it is relatively portable.
The 7,1 is going to get some RAM upgrades and my eye is on a W3275M Xeon (28 core 2.5ghz). If I see W6800X Duos available at the right price I'll grab those first. Currently it is doing the job with no issues and is the most reliable machine I've used.
Aside from that they all just run fine. 6,1 and 5,1 machines are all on Monterey.
Next upgrade is likely Lenovo Thinkstation PX to replace 7,1 when it is no longer fit for purpose.
The M2 Macbook Air is relatively new, it's used only when I'm abroad or need to do work where it would not be practical to take the 6,1. I'm not sure how the MacBook Air will go in the later years and who knows if Apple might decide to drop support for it suddenly with little warning. I'm happy with that laptop so far. It's not the fastest but the battery life is good and the screen is okay. If I were buying it again I wouldn't go for the midnight colour, that shows every fingerprint and scratch.
