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This is a shame and another setback for Macbooks / Macs. I'd agree with "planned obselescense" over security being the motive as the article pointed out. This w

by Jmcdd 8y ago

This is a shame and another setback for Macbooks / Macs. I'd agree with "planned obselescense" over security being the motive as the article pointed out. This will also not hurt Apple in the slightest, only their consumers who are blinded by their unwavering loyalty to the brand. Sent from my iPhone

smoyer 8y ago
"Sent from my iPhone" - nice! I bought my last ever Apple product, an IPad v1 and was dismayed when less than 2.5 years later it stopped receiving OS updates. Its battery still lasts 20 hours and yet bugs in the browser makes it crash on so many modern web pages. I can get an Android tablet every year for $70 if I just want something I'm going to throw away.
- wvenable 8y ago
  That's the problem with early versions of products though, from any manufacturer. My wife has an original iPad Air, released in 2013, and it just got iOS 12. But it has a 64bit CPU.
- toasterlovin 8y ago
  EDIT: I misread the comment I'm replying to. Parent makes a valid point. Ignore the following. You're actually complaining that a consumer computing appliance you bought received OS updates for 6 years? And your proposed better alternative is buying a device that will probably never receive an OS update?
  - JonathonW 8y ago
    The last OS update the first-generation iPad received was iOS 5.1.1, released just over two years after the first-generation iPad was released. The first-generation iPad was a bit of an odd case for software updates, though (due to insufficient RAM); every other iPad has gotten at least four or five major updates before losing support. And Apple has yet to drop support for any iPads from the iPad Air on (October 2013).
    - toasterlovin 8y ago
      I totally misread the person I responded to. Thanks for setting me straight.
- icantdrive55 8y ago
  "This page will reload due-----." I really loved my iPad, but like you, will probally not buy new again. As to receiving regular OS updates, you need to be careful. The new operating systems usually slow down an older iPad. You can't argue with Apple because it's always for the customers benefit. "We're just keeping on top of security, and new apps!" I wonder if Steve Jobs would be o.k. with devices that seem to short longevity lives? Yes--it's a brilliant strategy. Keep them buying. For guys like me, it doesn't work. I just don't have the disposable income anymore. (You can jailbreak that old iPad. It does speed it up, but there's drawbacks too.)
- tonyedgecombe 8y ago
  The iPad 1 was pretty much the worst case, if you bought just before it was discontinued then you would have got 14 months of updates. We had one and upgraded for the reasons you mentioned, it couldn't cope with JavaScript heavy web sites. However even without the bugs I don't think it had the horsepower to handle the modern web, no amount of updates would have fixed that. iOS 12 supports devices back to the iPhone 5s, so more than 5 years.
jen729w 8y ago
I’m not “blinded by [my] unwavering loyalty to the brand” but the suggestion that this sort of thing is going to send me over to Windows or Linux is ridiculous. I’m a normal guy who works in IT and does pretty much everything with my MBP. Work (Citrix, email, Office), play (Logic, Lightroom), development (Sublime, Chrome, the Terminal) ... I mean come on. For my “loyalty” to be considered “unwavering” there would have to be a legitimate alternative that does just what Apple does, but lets me repair my own [incredibly powerful, thin, built-like-a-slab-of-rock, trivial to keep up-to-date] laptop. That laptop would have to seamlessly sync my phone and watch, there would have to be superb Bluetooth in-ear wireless headphones available for this ecosystem ... it goes on and on. I’m all-in on the Apple ecosystem for a damned good reason and, while I may not love this approach to repairs, that does not make me an unwavering loyalist. Don’t tell me that I can get this all with Linux and a Dell. You know I can’t.
- jwalton 8y ago
  I'm a developer. I just bought a 2018 MBP. I seriously thought about jumping ship to Linux. If I'd known about this, I would have.
  - toasterlovin 8y ago
    Yeah, you folks are the ones making all the noise. Meanwhile the silent majority just doesn't care at all. I haven't performed hardware repairs on a computer in more than a decade and don't plant to start any time soon.
    - tonyedgecombe 8y ago
      Most customers don't care, they don't care about repairability because modern devices are so reliable, they don't care about upgradeability because they bought the appropriate spec in the first place. Even if it does fail they don't really care about the cost of repair because they bought a premium product and their expectations are set accordingly.
      - 8y ago
teknologist 8y ago
Implying that "unwavering loyalty to the brand" is the only reason to want this. I like that my computer is locked down and potentially less vulnerable to random attacks thanks to proprietary locks designed and reviewed by security experts. (I also use an iPhone for this reason.)

by Jmcdd 8y ago

smoyer 8y ago

"Sent from my iPhone" - nice! I bought my last ever Apple product, an IPad v1 and was dismayed when less than 2.5 years later it stopped receiving OS updates. Its battery still lasts 20 hours and yet bugs in the browser makes it crash on so many modern web pages. I can get an Android tablet every year for $70 if I just want something I'm going to throw away.

wvenable 8y ago
That's the problem with early versions of products though, from any manufacturer. My wife has an original iPad Air, released in 2013, and it just got iOS 12. But it has a 64bit CPU.
toasterlovin 8y ago
EDIT: I misread the comment I'm replying to. Parent makes a valid point. Ignore the following. You're actually complaining that a consumer computing appliance you bought received OS updates for 6 years? And your proposed better alternative is buying a device that will probably never receive an OS update?
- JonathonW 8y ago
  The last OS update the first-generation iPad received was iOS 5.1.1, released just over two years after the first-generation iPad was released. The first-generation iPad was a bit of an odd case for software updates, though (due to insufficient RAM); every other iPad has gotten at least four or five major updates before losing support. And Apple has yet to drop support for any iPads from the iPad Air on (October 2013).
  - toasterlovin 8y ago
    I totally misread the person I responded to. Thanks for setting me straight.
icantdrive55 8y ago
"This page will reload due-----." I really loved my iPad, but like you, will probally not buy new again. As to receiving regular OS updates, you need to be careful. The new operating systems usually slow down an older iPad. You can't argue with Apple because it's always for the customers benefit. "We're just keeping on top of security, and new apps!" I wonder if Steve Jobs would be o.k. with devices that seem to short longevity lives? Yes--it's a brilliant strategy. Keep them buying. For guys like me, it doesn't work. I just don't have the disposable income anymore. (You can jailbreak that old iPad. It does speed it up, but there's drawbacks too.)
tonyedgecombe 8y ago
The iPad 1 was pretty much the worst case, if you bought just before it was discontinued then you would have got 14 months of updates. We had one and upgraded for the reasons you mentioned, it couldn't cope with JavaScript heavy web sites. However even without the bugs I don't think it had the horsepower to handle the modern web, no amount of updates would have fixed that. iOS 12 supports devices back to the iPhone 5s, so more than 5 years.

jen729w 8y ago

I’m not “blinded by [my] unwavering loyalty to the brand” but the suggestion that this sort of thing is going to send me over to Windows or Linux is ridiculous. I’m a normal guy who works in IT and does pretty much everything with my MBP. Work (Citrix, email, Office), play (Logic, Lightroom), development (Sublime, Chrome, the Terminal) ... I mean come on. For my “loyalty” to be considered “unwavering” there would have to be a legitimate alternative that does just what Apple does, but lets me repair my own [incredibly powerful, thin, built-like-a-slab-of-rock, trivial to keep up-to-date] laptop. That laptop would have to seamlessly sync my phone and watch, there would have to be superb Bluetooth in-ear wireless headphones available for this ecosystem ... it goes on and on. I’m all-in on the Apple ecosystem for a damned good reason and, while I may not love this approach to repairs, that does not make me an unwavering loyalist. Don’t tell me that I can get this all with Linux and a Dell. You know I can’t.

jwalton 8y ago
I'm a developer. I just bought a 2018 MBP. I seriously thought about jumping ship to Linux. If I'd known about this, I would have.
- toasterlovin 8y ago
  Yeah, you folks are the ones making all the noise. Meanwhile the silent majority just doesn't care at all. I haven't performed hardware repairs on a computer in more than a decade and don't plant to start any time soon.
  - tonyedgecombe 8y ago
    Most customers don't care, they don't care about repairability because modern devices are so reliable, they don't care about upgradeability because they bought the appropriate spec in the first place. Even if it does fail they don't really care about the cost of repair because they bought a premium product and their expectations are set accordingly.
    - 8y ago

teknologist 8y ago

Implying that "unwavering loyalty to the brand" is the only reason to want this. I like that my computer is locked down and potentially less vulnerable to random attacks thanks to proprietary locks designed and reviewed by security experts. (I also use an iPhone for this reason.)