> If the former, though, then my question would be why would one be content with sticking to old(er) hardware, but not be content with sticking to old(er) softw

> If the former, though, then my question would be why would one be content with sticking to old(er) hardware, but not be content with sticking to old(er) software? Security, and network effects. Supporting deployment back to 10.6 / iOS 6 / etc isn't inherently difficult, but the fast pace of Apple's deployment, the lack of support for downgrading on iOS devices, and the now-constant API churn makes it seem like more hassle than it's worth. Apple is intentionally driving new demand by pushing early obsolescence of old software and hardware.