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Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? It s

Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? It seems wrong to me in an age of excessive e-waste that seemingly arbitrary thresholds is set that has zero hardware links. I generally really like Apple, and is planning on retiring my 2014 Macbook Pro for an M2, but it's still working absolutely great. But i could only upgrade to Monterey with the legacy patcher like many others, seemingly problem free. It's the same thing with older iPads, i wanted to use one as a "hub" for homekit, but you can't because it can't update ios beyond 9 (regular browsing + video + 99% of apps is also broken), so people just throw it in the dumpster with a great battery, a fine screen and a processor that could easily be used as a server, video player, browser etc. I know other companies are often worse but we really need legislation around this; something ala if the biggest players drop support for some hardware let the user upgrade anyway even if performance will be worse, otherwise release all drivers so that you can at least install linux or alternatively release some "trimmed down versions" of the OS for legacy systems that can still run basic functionality.

kcplate 4y ago
> I know other companies are often worse but we really need legislation around this The last thing we need is some crappy poorly written law that is filled with a bunch of unrelated hanger-on pork projects to appease politicians into voting for it.
JohnBooty 4y ago
It's frustrating because I think a lot of people stuck with their 2015 MBPs since it was the last one with a "good" keyboard and solid assortment of ports for quite a while.
ChildOfChaos 4y ago
Yeah, I am a little disappointed that this is the first upgrade that I cannot get with my late 2015 iMac. I'd use the legacy patcher perhaps, but I don't see much on this new version that I would want, so i'd rather keep things offical for now, to avoid any issues. Yes, I get that this machine is 7 years old, but I cannot tell from using it, everything is extremely fast, I upspecced it when I bought it and maxed out a lot of things, it has a decent i7 processor, 32gb of ram and 1tb ssd and the m395x maxed out graphics card, heck it still games well in Windows. I really see zero reason to upgrade, it runs better than my new work windows laptop except that Apple have decided for some reason I can't get the update.
- ergonaught 4y ago
  I had every desire and intention of upgrading my desktop (late 2015 iMac) to the newer hardware, right up until they decided this hardware is somehow incompatible with the newest MacOS. They've basically just ended 20 years of Mac for me. Pity.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - midislack 4y ago
    I hit the same issue back in the 10.4 > 10.5 upgrade days, my computer's OX911 Firewire controller chip just became unstable. No official acknowledgment from Apple, thousands of angry Apple Discussions posts.
- dv_dt 4y ago
  I wonder how well linux runs on the range of phased out macs
  - 0rzech 4y ago
    MBP 2015 with Fedora 36 Silverblue: * Camera didn't work. * Sound coming out from built-in speakers was flat. * Broadcom Wi-Fi didn't work out of the box. Didn't spot any other issues during tests.
crazygringo 4y ago
Of course, because the more older models you support that don't have the hardware needed for your new features, the more programming you have to do to enable/disable those features in different configurations, the more testing, and the more bugs. It becomes impossible to maintain. At some point you have to draw a line and let go, in order to delete the legacy code holding you back. But please don't throw your iPad in the dumpster! I don't know why you're saying it could be easily used as a video or browser -- it still can! Tons of people use old iPads running old versions of iOS specifically as video players. They're perfect for that! Don't put it in the dumpster, sell it on eBay or give it to a friend's kid or something.
- kossTKR 4y ago
  No you can't use it for video and browsing. You can't play video on it because Youtube/Netflix/Hbo + all other video apps don't work anymore on IOS9. You can't browse the web because certificates don't work anymore in the browser. I don't know why you guys are attacking me for proposing legislation and retiring my old iPad - i'm a techy with a 2014 macbook pro that has really tried finding a usecase for his my old 2. gen iPad lol, i use stuff for as long as possible. Most regular non tech people won't be able to stretch their laptops life as long as i did, that's the problem.
  - crazygringo 4y ago
    Sell it on eBay. The 2nd gen used iPads sell for $20-40 [1], so obviously people are still buying and using them for something. I know some people who use them as wall-mounted always-on live weather/news/commute displays, just pointing to an HTML page. [1] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+2nd+generation&_sacat=0&Model=Apple%2520iPad%25202&_dcat=171485&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1 https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+2nd+gene...
elcomet 4y ago
> so it has to go in the dumpster with a great battery, a fine screen and a processor that could easily be used as a server, video player, browser etc. Why would it have to go in the dumpster if it still works well? This reasoning is why we have exessive e-waste, not the lack of upgrades...
- kossTKR 4y ago
  It works well only in theory. Almost no apps works on ios9 anymore, so you can't run netflix, hbo, even browsers are useless because certificates aren't updated - that's why i wanted to just use it as a homekit server, but you can't do this either. ie, the processor is just fine for doing all of the above, but slowly all functionality has been lost.
  - 0xabe 4y ago
    Right, the argument is that the hardware is still functional, but due to the walled garden nature of the ecosystem, it can no longer be used. They are more like appliances and less like general purpose computing devices.
    - roody15 4y ago
      This has been Apple's vision for quite sometime. They want to control the full lifecycle of their devices. Yes they are exactly more like "consoles" or "appliances" and less like full personal computers.
- fl0id 4y ago
  Because you won't get security updates after 2 years or so.
  - alwillis 4y ago
    Apple released a security update for iOS 12 a couple of months ago for devices going back to 2013’s iPhone 5s [1]. [1]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213428 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213428
pohl 4y ago
Seems like maybe a bigger cause of e-waste might be the mindset that a device immediately needs to go in a dumpster the day after some OS upgrade comes out that won't run on it.
- slifin 4y ago
  As a software developer I don't recommend my friends or family put important information or sign in to any device that is running unmaintained OS software Because I assume they're exploitable from a security point of view after that point Of course no one follows that advice but what are we supposed to do?
  - SllX 4y ago
    Apple also isn’t dropping support for older operating systems the second a new one hits the CDNs. A Mac on the latest OS that it can run can still expect at least two to three years of additional security updates, so if yesterday was the end of the line for your Mac and you want to use it for a couple of more years, feel free. You won’t get Stage Manager, but from the reviews I’ve read, you’re not missing much.
  - pwinnski 4y ago
    2016 Macs are not "unmaintained" yet. They should receive security updates for at least two more years, which will make them eight years old at that point.
  - hbn 4y ago
    They're pretty good for keeping "unsupported" devices up to date with security patches. My iPad mini 2 from 2013 just got a security patch a few weeks ago even though it's stuck on iOS 12.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
TwoNineA 4y ago
> Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? How do regular OS patches work with OpenCore Legacy Patcher? Do you have to go hoops to update OS for security / feature updates once you set it up?
whywhywhywhy 4y ago
> excessive e-waste We're talking about the company that makes AirPods and forces Lightning Cables to exist. Half their product line is e-waste.
- duped 4y ago
  Lightning has been around longer than USB-C and they've changed their charging port once in 20 years. That's a better history than every other mobile device manufacturer. Their most recent cable is a bridge between the eventual USB-C transition without obsoleting everyone's existing peripherals and cables.
  - zdragnar 4y ago
    It is also a proprietary connector, which contributes to waste by virtue of not being able to reuse cables from other devices. I can understand that they didn't want to have customers upset that a dodgy third party cable fried their expensive Apple equipment, but the transition to USB-C can't come soon enough IMHO.
    - duped 4y ago
      I don't have this problem, all my devices have had lightning connectors for years. I don't plan or want to leave the ecosystem and my cables have lasted quite some time. Conversion to USB-C will cause me to throw away all my cables.
      - smoldesu 4y ago
        USB-C cables are an investment in the future. Apple helped design the USB-C (and associated Thunderbolt spec) and knew that they would inevitably be forced to switch to USB-C. The iPad came first (to make it "Pro"), but the writing has been on the wall since Macbooks started charging over USB-C. There were legitimately no benefits to using Lightning besides the licensing fees that they charged when people made Lightning-based peripherals. Maybe for you, Lightning cables don't seem like such a bad investment. To me, it's an source of imminent E-waste. The Lightning port on my Magic Trackpad 2 is the only thing that makes it feel dated, and unfortunately the feature that will eventually make it unusable. There is literally zero reason this accessory should have shipped with the port.
plorkyeran 4y ago
Ventura removes all the fallbacks for pre-Haswell CPUs and it now just assumes that AVX2 is available. Even if you can persuade it to boot on older CPUs I'd be pretty surprised if it actually works "just fine".
teilo 4y ago
Yes. Security. Limiting Ventura to machines with the T2 means substantially more secure hardware.
gw99 4y ago
I think they're mostly trying to kill off the old Intel Macs now. And any ARM devices that don't have Neural Engine. I expect the more modern Apple Silicon based ARM devices to have a longer support lifespan than older Macs.
- bpye 4y ago
  I wonder if that is true. I hope so as I have a first gen M1 MacBook Pro and honestly it’s the best laptop I’ve ever had. I do wonder if either we’re going to see the ARM MacBooks have about the same lifetime as iPhones, or if iPhones will end up being supported for longer since they are architecturally very similar.
- FireBeyond 4y ago
  Yup. I fear for my 2019 Mac Pro. Five digits of investment, and out of curiosity, I saw that Apple had reduced its trade-in "value" from $3,700 a few months ago to $1,100 now. Rather insulting, since they're still selling the same Mac Pro, and charging $3,000 for the RAM that's in this one alone.
dainiusse 4y ago
I explain it simply - they will haste to ger rid of all Intel laptops and don't have to maintain x86 version of macOS. That is them becoming evil.
- conductr 4y ago
  They did that when they moved to Intel also. They always have a hardware philosophy and push the market towards it. You see this in chips, cables, audio jacks, etc. It's just Apple being Apple.
  - clem 4y ago
    This is why my next laptop is going to be a Framework running Linux.
- runjake 4y ago
  Evil is subjective. 1. Apple has been doing this for years and years. At this point, it shouldn't be a surprise. 2. It reduces legacy cruft. The alternative is you get to keep 20-30 year old legacy cruft, as with Windows. I'm not saying what Microsoft does is necessarily bad, just different. 3. The Intel laptops don't stop running[a] -- and if history is any indication, will still receive critical security patches. 4. At least the bonus here is that the lowest end Apple Silicon Mac almost entirely crushes the high end i9 MBP 16" it replaced -- for a fraction of the cost. a. Unless it gets hit by one of a number of known quality issues (screen, keyboard, battery, etc).
  - simplotek 4y ago
    > It reduces legacy cruft. What you chose to describe as "legacy cruft" is actually the luxury laptop people spent over $2K close 6 or 7 years ago. > The alternative is you get to keep 20-30 year old legacy cruft, as with Windows. It's not a choice between bricking perfectly good computers after 6 years or maintaining them for 30 years.
    - runjake 4y ago
1123581321 4y ago
Put ChromeOS Flex on it. It’s a flavor of ChromeOS/Neverware meant for old PCs and Macs that can’t keep up with Windows and macOS. https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/ https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/
- lupire 4y ago
  I want a Mac. I don't want a Mac and a Chromebook. But maybe someone else would use my old Mac as a Chromebook. Except there are zillions of cheap Chromebooks around already.
  - 1123581321 4y ago
    In that case, you have either the opencore/hackintosh route or you can simply run on the last compatible OS. There is a market for nicer-feeling Chromebooks, so ChromeOS Flex is a partial remedy for e-waste.
pwinnski 4y ago
If something goes wrong with your machine and you've used OpenCore Legacy Patcher, then oh well, something has gone wrong. If something goes wrong with your machine and you've used the official update channel, then Apple has screwed over older machines on purpose and you can join a class-action lawsuit claiming that. The security footprint of machines running Ventura using OpenCore Legacy Patcher is going to be much smaller than that of machines officially updated, too.
- sys_64738 4y ago
  What are you actually trying to say?
  - pwinnski 4y ago
    The question was: > Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? I gave multiple reasons.
rakoo 4y ago
> Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? Apart from selling more hardware, which is their one and only goal ?
- joshka 4y ago
  >Apart from selling more hardware, which is their one and only goal ? This is probably better stated as two goals: lower costs, higher sales (profit = sales - costs). Dropping support increases the costs line in effect as it's a consumer happiness. But it also decreases it by reducing the support cost (multiple logic paths to support / more code / more bugs etc.)
synicalx 4y ago
Every generation of hardware they support, is another generation they have to test and QA their new stuff on. And then if they're pushing software updates for it that creates the expectation that the Apple Stores will be supporting these old devices as well.
0rzech 4y ago
I suppose it all revolves around money.

kcplate 4y ago

> I know other companies are often worse but we really need legislation around this The last thing we need is some crappy poorly written law that is filled with a bunch of unrelated hanger-on pork projects to appease politicians into voting for it.

JohnBooty 4y ago

It's frustrating because I think a lot of people stuck with their 2015 MBPs since it was the last one with a "good" keyboard and solid assortment of ports for quite a while.

ChildOfChaos 4y ago

Yeah, I am a little disappointed that this is the first upgrade that I cannot get with my late 2015 iMac. I'd use the legacy patcher perhaps, but I don't see much on this new version that I would want, so i'd rather keep things offical for now, to avoid any issues. Yes, I get that this machine is 7 years old, but I cannot tell from using it, everything is extremely fast, I upspecced it when I bought it and maxed out a lot of things, it has a decent i7 processor, 32gb of ram and 1tb ssd and the m395x maxed out graphics card, heck it still games well in Windows. I really see zero reason to upgrade, it runs better than my new work windows laptop except that Apple have decided for some reason I can't get the update.

ergonaught 4y ago
I had every desire and intention of upgrading my desktop (late 2015 iMac) to the newer hardware, right up until they decided this hardware is somehow incompatible with the newest MacOS. They've basically just ended 20 years of Mac for me. Pity.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- midislack 4y ago
  I hit the same issue back in the 10.4 > 10.5 upgrade days, my computer's OX911 Firewire controller chip just became unstable. No official acknowledgment from Apple, thousands of angry Apple Discussions posts.
dv_dt 4y ago
I wonder how well linux runs on the range of phased out macs
- 0rzech 4y ago
  MBP 2015 with Fedora 36 Silverblue: * Camera didn't work. * Sound coming out from built-in speakers was flat. * Broadcom Wi-Fi didn't work out of the box. Didn't spot any other issues during tests.

crazygringo 4y ago

Of course, because the more older models you support that don't have the hardware needed for your new features, the more programming you have to do to enable/disable those features in different configurations, the more testing, and the more bugs. It becomes impossible to maintain. At some point you have to draw a line and let go, in order to delete the legacy code holding you back. But please don't throw your iPad in the dumpster! I don't know why you're saying it could be easily used as a video or browser -- it still can! Tons of people use old iPads running old versions of iOS specifically as video players. They're perfect for that! Don't put it in the dumpster, sell it on eBay or give it to a friend's kid or something.

kossTKR 4y ago
No you can't use it for video and browsing. You can't play video on it because Youtube/Netflix/Hbo + all other video apps don't work anymore on IOS9. You can't browse the web because certificates don't work anymore in the browser. I don't know why you guys are attacking me for proposing legislation and retiring my old iPad - i'm a techy with a 2014 macbook pro that has really tried finding a usecase for his my old 2. gen iPad lol, i use stuff for as long as possible. Most regular non tech people won't be able to stretch their laptops life as long as i did, that's the problem.
- crazygringo 4y ago
  Sell it on eBay. The 2nd gen used iPads sell for $20-40 [1], so obviously people are still buying and using them for something. I know some people who use them as wall-mounted always-on live weather/news/commute displays, just pointing to an HTML page. [1] https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+2nd+generation&_sacat=0&Model=Apple%2520iPad%25202&_dcat=171485&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1 https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ipad+2nd+gene...

elcomet 4y ago

> so it has to go in the dumpster with a great battery, a fine screen and a processor that could easily be used as a server, video player, browser etc. Why would it have to go in the dumpster if it still works well? This reasoning is why we have exessive e-waste, not the lack of upgrades...

kossTKR 4y ago
It works well only in theory. Almost no apps works on ios9 anymore, so you can't run netflix, hbo, even browsers are useless because certificates aren't updated - that's why i wanted to just use it as a homekit server, but you can't do this either. ie, the processor is just fine for doing all of the above, but slowly all functionality has been lost.
- 0xabe 4y ago
  Right, the argument is that the hardware is still functional, but due to the walled garden nature of the ecosystem, it can no longer be used. They are more like appliances and less like general purpose computing devices.
  - roody15 4y ago
    This has been Apple's vision for quite sometime. They want to control the full lifecycle of their devices. Yes they are exactly more like "consoles" or "appliances" and less like full personal computers.
fl0id 4y ago
Because you won't get security updates after 2 years or so.
- alwillis 4y ago
  Apple released a security update for iOS 12 a couple of months ago for devices going back to 2013’s iPhone 5s [1]. [1]: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213428 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213428

pohl 4y ago

Seems like maybe a bigger cause of e-waste might be the mindset that a device immediately needs to go in a dumpster the day after some OS upgrade comes out that won't run on it.

slifin 4y ago
As a software developer I don't recommend my friends or family put important information or sign in to any device that is running unmaintained OS software Because I assume they're exploitable from a security point of view after that point Of course no one follows that advice but what are we supposed to do?
- SllX 4y ago
  Apple also isn’t dropping support for older operating systems the second a new one hits the CDNs. A Mac on the latest OS that it can run can still expect at least two to three years of additional security updates, so if yesterday was the end of the line for your Mac and you want to use it for a couple of more years, feel free. You won’t get Stage Manager, but from the reviews I’ve read, you’re not missing much.
- pwinnski 4y ago
  2016 Macs are not "unmaintained" yet. They should receive security updates for at least two more years, which will make them eight years old at that point.
- hbn 4y ago
  They're pretty good for keeping "unsupported" devices up to date with security patches. My iPad mini 2 from 2013 just got a security patch a few weeks ago even though it's stuck on iOS 12.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

TwoNineA 4y ago

> Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? How do regular OS patches work with OpenCore Legacy Patcher? Do you have to go hoops to update OS for security / feature updates once you set it up?

whywhywhywhy 4y ago

> excessive e-waste We're talking about the company that makes AirPods and forces Lightning Cables to exist. Half their product line is e-waste.

duped 4y ago
Lightning has been around longer than USB-C and they've changed their charging port once in 20 years. That's a better history than every other mobile device manufacturer. Their most recent cable is a bridge between the eventual USB-C transition without obsoleting everyone's existing peripherals and cables.
- zdragnar 4y ago
  It is also a proprietary connector, which contributes to waste by virtue of not being able to reuse cables from other devices. I can understand that they didn't want to have customers upset that a dodgy third party cable fried their expensive Apple equipment, but the transition to USB-C can't come soon enough IMHO.
  - duped 4y ago
    I don't have this problem, all my devices have had lightning connectors for years. I don't plan or want to leave the ecosystem and my cables have lasted quite some time. Conversion to USB-C will cause me to throw away all my cables.
    - smoldesu 4y ago
      USB-C cables are an investment in the future. Apple helped design the USB-C (and associated Thunderbolt spec) and knew that they would inevitably be forced to switch to USB-C. The iPad came first (to make it "Pro"), but the writing has been on the wall since Macbooks started charging over USB-C. There were legitimately no benefits to using Lightning besides the licensing fees that they charged when people made Lightning-based peripherals. Maybe for you, Lightning cables don't seem like such a bad investment. To me, it's an source of imminent E-waste. The Lightning port on my Magic Trackpad 2 is the only thing that makes it feel dated, and unfortunately the feature that will eventually make it unusable. There is literally zero reason this accessory should have shipped with the port.

plorkyeran 4y ago

Ventura removes all the fallbacks for pre-Haswell CPUs and it now just assumes that AVX2 is available. Even if you can persuade it to boot on older CPUs I'd be pretty surprised if it actually works "just fine".

teilo 4y ago

Yes. Security. Limiting Ventura to machines with the T2 means substantially more secure hardware.

gw99 4y ago

I think they're mostly trying to kill off the old Intel Macs now. And any ARM devices that don't have Neural Engine. I expect the more modern Apple Silicon based ARM devices to have a longer support lifespan than older Macs.

bpye 4y ago
I wonder if that is true. I hope so as I have a first gen M1 MacBook Pro and honestly it’s the best laptop I’ve ever had. I do wonder if either we’re going to see the ARM MacBooks have about the same lifetime as iPhones, or if iPhones will end up being supported for longer since they are architecturally very similar.
FireBeyond 4y ago
Yup. I fear for my 2019 Mac Pro. Five digits of investment, and out of curiosity, I saw that Apple had reduced its trade-in "value" from $3,700 a few months ago to $1,100 now. Rather insulting, since they're still selling the same Mac Pro, and charging $3,000 for the RAM that's in this one alone.

dainiusse 4y ago

I explain it simply - they will haste to ger rid of all Intel laptops and don't have to maintain x86 version of macOS. That is them becoming evil.

conductr 4y ago
They did that when they moved to Intel also. They always have a hardware philosophy and push the market towards it. You see this in chips, cables, audio jacks, etc. It's just Apple being Apple.
- clem 4y ago
  This is why my next laptop is going to be a Framework running Linux.
runjake 4y ago
Evil is subjective. 1. Apple has been doing this for years and years. At this point, it shouldn't be a surprise. 2. It reduces legacy cruft. The alternative is you get to keep 20-30 year old legacy cruft, as with Windows. I'm not saying what Microsoft does is necessarily bad, just different. 3. The Intel laptops don't stop running[a] -- and if history is any indication, will still receive critical security patches. 4. At least the bonus here is that the lowest end Apple Silicon Mac almost entirely crushes the high end i9 MBP 16" it replaced -- for a fraction of the cost. a. Unless it gets hit by one of a number of known quality issues (screen, keyboard, battery, etc).
- simplotek 4y ago
  > It reduces legacy cruft. What you chose to describe as "legacy cruft" is actually the luxury laptop people spent over $2K close 6 or 7 years ago. > The alternative is you get to keep 20-30 year old legacy cruft, as with Windows. It's not a choice between bricking perfectly good computers after 6 years or maintaining them for 30 years.
  - runjake 4y ago

1123581321 4y ago

Put ChromeOS Flex on it. It’s a flavor of ChromeOS/Neverware meant for old PCs and Macs that can’t keep up with Windows and macOS. https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/ https://chromeenterprise.google/os/chromeosflex/

lupire 4y ago
I want a Mac. I don't want a Mac and a Chromebook. But maybe someone else would use my old Mac as a Chromebook. Except there are zillions of cheap Chromebooks around already.
- 1123581321 4y ago
  In that case, you have either the opencore/hackintosh route or you can simply run on the last compatible OS. There is a market for nicer-feeling Chromebooks, so ChromeOS Flex is a partial remedy for e-waste.

pwinnski 4y ago

If something goes wrong with your machine and you've used OpenCore Legacy Patcher, then oh well, something has gone wrong. If something goes wrong with your machine and you've used the official update channel, then Apple has screwed over older machines on purpose and you can join a class-action lawsuit claiming that. The security footprint of machines running Ventura using OpenCore Legacy Patcher is going to be much smaller than that of machines officially updated, too.

sys_64738 4y ago
What are you actually trying to say?
- pwinnski 4y ago
  The question was: > Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? I gave multiple reasons.

rakoo 4y ago

> Is there any legit reason Apple is hastening the drop of support for older computers when they can be upgraded just fine with the OpenCore Legacy Patcher? Apart from selling more hardware, which is their one and only goal ?

joshka 4y ago
>Apart from selling more hardware, which is their one and only goal ? This is probably better stated as two goals: lower costs, higher sales (profit = sales - costs). Dropping support increases the costs line in effect as it's a consumer happiness. But it also decreases it by reducing the support cost (multiple logic paths to support / more code / more bugs etc.)

synicalx 4y ago

Every generation of hardware they support, is another generation they have to test and QA their new stuff on. And then if they're pushing software updates for it that creates the expectation that the Apple Stores will be supporting these old devices as well.

0rzech 4y ago

I suppose it all revolves around money.