I’ve been asked this question so many times in the last 6 months: “Should I replace my Mac?”
In my experience, Macs tend to last a little longer than PCs. I usually give a PC 3-5 years of productive usability, and Macs are closer to 5. In my professional PC-user opinion, I think the reason is because Apple locks Macs down, restricting performance to make the machines last longer. But … that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Just like all the PC companies, Apple is public entity and wants to make money, and a 5+ year Mac doesn’t make them any. I might sound like a crazy uncle with this conspiracy theory, but I think it’s true. It would makes sense, right?
You know the easiest way to tell if your Mac needs to be replaced? It no longer updates. Below is a list of machines that will not install the newest Operating System (OS):
- MacBook (early 2016 and later)
- MacBook Air (early 2015 and later)
- MacBook Pro (early 2015 and later)
- iMac (late 2015 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 and later)
- Mac mini (late 2014 and later)
Similar to an OS update, software will stop updating if the hardware specs on the Mac are too far behind. In the new age of subscription software, companies do not like it when you do not update your software and at some point, it will stop working on your computer.
Now that we have that established, let’s talk about some other things that warrant a replacement on almost all electronics.
- Battery issues
- Damage
- Lag
- Random defectives
- Annoying noises
- Storage issues
Hopefully, this helped identify some triggers of when it is time for a change. Most Mac users have used their machines for a long time, so the history can influence mindset. Seems to me, though, that I have seen a decrease in longevity when it comes to Macs. If you think it is time to replace it, it’s likely time to do so (the user knows best!)