For which Apple Mac Computer does the bell tolls: and what it says on the future of the Mac
One thing that should be said about Apple, is that while its cadence in unveiling brand new products is often shorter than a full year, Apple’s stance on supporting its products for the long term goes frequently beyond what other computer manufacturers are capable of. Beyond Apple’s base warranty, AppleCare represents an extended assurance that anything from an iPod to a MacBook Pro, benefit from the best technical support available.
Most Macs can last a full decade, and are typically discontinued after seven years. As they approach such time, they acquire the title of “vintage”, or “obsolete”, depending on whether the product in question is between 5 and 7 years old, or 7 years and older.
For instance, the Thunderbolt Display was first introduced in July 2011, which makes it now a “vintage” product, only a year away from becoming officially obsolete. By this token, and due to Apple’s focus on mobile, and portable computers, the Thunderbolt Display, though still supported until total obsolescence, has been discontinued, and won’t be manufactured, or even updated/reintroduced any longer.
It has been speculated that the MacBook Air might follow the same fate, considering that it is the only surviving non-Retina MacBook. The same might go for the Mac Mini, with a reasonable chance that the Mac Pro, which has not seen an update in almost four years, might follow suit.
While fans of the above product lines might feel a degree of upset, there is a number of products, perhaps less shockingly prominent, that are about to reach retirement age.
In the wake of the release of the brand new MacBook Pro 13 and 15 inch, 2011 MacBook Pro models are slated for discontinuation, along with the 2009 Mac Mini, and 13 inch MacBook.
The list of Macs to be discontinued, is quite hefty, counting almost 40 items, between computers and peripherals.
Nearly anything launched between 2009 and 2011 appears to be on the chopping block, including several models of iMac, and particularly non-Retina models.
While Macs are known to last for a considerable amount of time past their projected lifespan, if your Mac makes the list, chances are it’s time for an upgrade.
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