Older Macs don't have much of an update future

[tizod]

So you switched to Linux and now Safari, Music, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Garage Band, Photos are all missing. You’re still stuck with a 2 core CPU - no thanks.

Yes, I am always amazed how little credit Apple gets for its mostly free software. Plus .pdf editing and for most, no security software. Safari I dont include as many free "same" packages. But Pages/Num/Key are way better than Win and do the file conversion. Plus they are so much easier (Pages is a great page layout program: Word SUXS. Anyway, great comment

 

[bonvoyage]

We have always had multiple computers in my household. Until recently I had a 2020 M1 MacBook Air (which was my personal machine) and an Intel Mac Mini from 2019 for general household use. Since Intel Mac Mini no longer gets OS updates, my policy is to update it. Apple is good about providing security updates for old versions of MacOS but, still, I don't consider it safe enough.

So I used this as an opportunity to get a new M5 MacBook Air with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD. My M1 MacBook Air (16GB RAM and 1 TB SSD) has now become the general use computer for the household. I do run LLMs locally for coding assistance using llama.cpp and I find that the 32GB RAM really helps in this regard.

 

[Ken_Bogart]

The real answer is to convert to ChromeOS on older hardware. Chrome OS can be loaded from a USB drive and tested before committing and installing. It will take a 20 year old PC and make it run like new.

I have been using ChromeOS since about 2013 and will never go back to Windows or MacOS.

 

[Deuce]

The real answer is to convert to ChromeOS on older hardware. Chrome OS can be loaded from a USB drive and tested before committing and installing. It will take a 20 year old PC and make it run like new.

I have been using ChromeOS since about 2013 and will never go back to Windows or MacOS.

I wouldn’t compare Chrome to Mac OS….

 

[Al18]

FYI Apple supports macOS Sequoia (15) on the 2018 Mac Mini for another 2+ years.

 

[Al18]

If you just want an inexpensive computer to run Linux, a new Raspberry Pi 400 (4 core 64-bit with 4 GB RAM) costs $40 at Microcenter. Add $8 for a power supply and $10 for a 32 GB microSD card.

 

[Koolau]

I have no problem running a so called obsolete Mac as long as it does the job and is not a security risk. Apple has been known in the past to issue security updates to obsolete equipment that no longer shines with new bells and whistle. My 2019 Mac runs my photo software very well though a bit slow. No need to replace it yet. Maybe in 2030? I don’t know.

My thoughts exactly. My "new" Mac is only a couple of years old now and I'm actually updating it to Tahoe 26.4.1 as we speak. As long as they keep it running (safely) I'm okay with it.

 

[tenant13]

My Macs last for up to 10 years so that’s less than $100/year in terms of hardware cost. Which is half price of one night at a crappy Holiday Inn in the middle of nowhere and less then an Uber drive to the airport. That puts things in perspective for me.

 

[jim584672]

If you just want an inexpensive computer to run Linux, a new Raspberry Pi 400 (4 core 64-bit with 4 GB RAM) costs $40 at Microcenter. Add $8 for a power supply and $10 for a 32 GB microSD card.

That has got to be painful, running a system on a microSD card.

 

[ejw93]

Older Macs with Intel CPUs are perfect for running Linux. I am currently using as my daily laptop a 2015 MacBook Pro that is running a flavor of Ubuntu Linux.

+1. I'm running Debian 'Bookworm' Linux distribution on a 2012 mac mini.

The intel-based macs/imacs/mac mini's work well with Linux.

 

[Jerry1]

I wouldn’t compare Chrome to Mac OS….

I wouldn't either, but if you just want a machine (an old one) to use for basic things like email and web surfing, it's a good alternative. Seems like it would be a good option for an old laptop for a student.

 

[Al18]

Raspberry Pi computers are designed to run on a MicroSD card. In my experience, it's quite a bit faster than an old Mac mini and a spinning hard drive.