Death knell sounds for last 17-inch MacBook Pro model, will be added to obsolete list June...

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  • Reply 21 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    cf77 said:
    I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop. 

    The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

     

    1. The 15" Retina display is NOT a business class screen...shame on you for comparing a shitty Windows laptop with a regular screen to the current 15" MacBook Pro Retina screen. You should know better. 

    2. But faster memory, so its faster and more efficient. What are you doing that requires more RAM? I really want to know this and nobody can tell us. I guess its really just a want and not a need. 

    3. Again, much faster storage and more efficient. Why would you want a shitty hard drive these days just to get more storage? 

    4. The physical screen size itself may be smaller, but you're actually getting a MUCH bigger screen with the current 15" MacBook Pro. Just because you have a 17" screen, doesn't mean its a larger screen in the end. You can't put more stuff on a 17" MacBook Pro screen than the current 15" MacBook Pro screen. 

    5. No, you don't need dongles for everything. You most likely just need a new cable. Ever hear of a USB-C cable? They have more than just USB-C to USB-C you know. Its called a technology advancement. The same thing happened when Apple switched to USB from its older I/O and everyone got over it. The same will happen with this. 

    6. You wouldn't be spending that much in the end...I doubt you need the dongles you think you do. 

    7. There isn't enough of a market for a 17" MacBook Pro...why do you think Apple dropped it in the first place? You get more screen space out of a 15" and its more portable. 
    edited May 2017 sennenStrangeDayschia
  • Reply 22 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    jdw said:
    Ridiculous how Apple keeps the Mac Pro alive knowing full well how few people will buy it versus "the majority of people" and yet they continue to refuse to give us a Pro sized screen when it comes to the MacBook.  If they can sell a Mac Pro, they can see a 17" screen sized MBP, especially if they use that extra size to add plenty of ports and retain a good keyboard!  Think about how much lighter and more portable a modern version could be too, even with a legacy USB-A port and SD card slot, versus the old model 17" MBP!  

    My wife told me to buy a laptop, so I bought a 15" MBP (the "good" 2015 model, of course) and then she said the screen was too small.  I told her Apple doesn't make a 17" anymore and she grew noticeably upset.  It upsets me too, even though I've never had a 17" before.

    Even if some of you out there don't really want one, just be kind and join those of us who do.  Make your case known to Apple here:

    https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html

  • Reply 23 of 59
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
     Bring back the 17 inch MacBook Pro!  They are the only MacBooks I've ever bought!
  • Reply 24 of 59
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    jdw said:
    Ridiculous how Apple keeps the Mac Pro alive knowing full well how few people will buy it versus "the majority of people" and yet they continue to refuse to give us a Pro sized screen when it comes to the MacBook.  If they can sell a Mac Pro, they can see a 17" screen sized MBP, especially if they use that extra size to add plenty of ports and retain a good keyboard!  Think about how much lighter and more portable a modern version could be too, even with a legacy USB-A port and SD card slot, versus the old model 17" MBP!  

    My wife told me to buy a laptop, so I bought a 15" MBP (the "good" 2015 model, of course) and then she said the screen was too small.  I told her Apple doesn't make a 17" anymore and she grew noticeably upset.  It upsets me too, even though I've never had a 17" before.

    Even if some of you out there don't really want one, just be kind and join those of us who do.  Make your case known to Apple here:

    https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
    Done!
  • Reply 25 of 59
    razormaidrazormaid Posts: 299member
    polymnia said:
    cf77 said:
    I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop. 

    The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

     

    You would be in for $6k+ for this theoretical new 17" MBP since it will require any dongles and other extras you included in your estimate to replace your current 17" MBP. 

    That said, you must realize you are an outlier. Apple has moved on from the giant laptop business. I am in favor of the current strategy. A 15" MBP is about the biggest laptop I want to carry everywhere. There are usually monitors to plug into where I go to work. And developers have had 10+ years to optimize their applications to work well on a laptop screen, and they have done good work to make the small screen better. 

    Before you dismiss me as someone who 'doesn't get it' know that my first MBP was a 17" model. While the large screen was great, dragging it around was not fun. I split time between my girlfriend's home and my own at the time and it was just too much. 
    He doesn't get it. LOL  there I said it. 

    Anyone whi who still owns a 17" late model 2011 knows just how GREAT they are for business. Yes I broke down and bought the 2016 Touch Bar but only because I feared apple would place "my baby" on the list sooner or later. 

    Theres so so much I love about my 17" and so much I hate about my new one - it's sad. But as an Apple beta tester who was actually offered by Kess Walker in AppleCare after 4 months with the touch bar a full RMA refund and my money back - she pointed out I wouldn't be able to beta test and help the beta team if she refunds me. She's right. In the end I kept it but for that reason only. Please bring back a pro desktop style 17" laptop so those of us who run our own business and need the real estate more than thin can do our jobs
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 26 of 59
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
    macxpress said:
    I guess Apple is doomed! They don't offer a 17" laptop that .0001% of the market wants. Oh well...nice knowing you Apple. /s

    Its the same 5 or so people that bitch and whine about the lack of a 17" laptop option. That must mean that there's a market for this, right??? Am I right?
    Is .0001% based on an actual statistic?

    I for one bought a 2011 17" i7 maxed out, and after 2 months sold it because of heat/fan issues - the fan speed ramped up over 4K every time I hooked it up to an external 27" Apple Display - in the end it seems there was an extended warranty/recall. 

    Could this be a fundamental reason 2011 17" mbp sales may have declined?  

    http://www.cultofmac.com/262861/early-2011-macbook-pros-dropping-like-flies-heat-issues-blame/

    Extraordinary measures found a refurbished 2010 i7 2.8 that is still my mainstay and runs at minimum fan most of the time.  I am also running a top end i7 2010 iMac & LED Cinema Display because all work together so beautifully (i.e. target display). I have also bought and returned the 2012 & 2016 15" rMBPs for the numerous reasons widely reported.

    The hardware changes (by design) made since then while beautiful and faster seem designed more in isolation and have taken the Mac Pro mostly into the realm of appliance (from my perspective) and so one has to ask if a pro user should have to sell an entire laptop or pro computer if a more suitable non oem drive, ram or other hardware option might be preferable ?

    This also ended a long 2~3 year AppleCare and high end vertical market hardware turnover, and I will keep my old gear running as long as I can, still able to revert to Mavericks or even Snow if Apple gets any more aggressive with data-mining (iCloud, Photos tagging, etc) or dysfunctional with the operating system.  Should pro customers accept an OS (Sierra) that only now just really working (for me) 2 weeks before the tyranny of annual (corporate calendar & 'feed the developer' driven) churn begins all over again with WWDC?

    A friend recently on vacation who runs a dell xps 13" retina/touch screen first said when he saw my 2010 17" was "wow what a great display"...

    To me this is an innovative pro laptop design: The New Razer Blade Pro V2 - The Desktop in Your Laptop

    Add a 'pro' stripped down non-gimmick truly private MacOS, Apple quality, ubiquitous functionality and a quiet running mode (heat may be an issue) and I'd be very tempted again...
  • Reply 27 of 59
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    A key fact that gets overlooked in these conversations is that "we," meaning the majority of AI readers, are not Apple's core audience anymore. When "we" were, the percentages of current Apple users who needed or wanted a 17-inch giant laptop were much higher than now.

    Apple's new user base doesn't want a big, thick laptop. It doesn't want a big slab-side Aluminum Mac Pro monstrosity with PCI-E slots. They want to plunk a piece of hardware down in the corner, and run it without maintenance or upgrades until it dies, however long that takes.

    I don't like it. You don't like it. It is, however, the way it is.

    The .0001 percent? It may not be an actual statistic, but the numbers are still bad for that segment of the market. According to Apple itself, the Mac Pro (and 17-inch MacBook Pro consumers, presumably) is low single digits of its Mac sales, which are already only 10% of the company's earnings. So, let's be generous, and say 5%of Mac customers are looking at a 17-inch if Apple made it. 5% of 10% is a half of a percent of Apple's business. 

    I'm not sure they get out of bed for that, regardless of how many millions it is.
    edited May 2017 tallest skilchiamacxpressGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 28 of 59
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
    A key fact that gets overlooked in these conversations is that "we," meaning the majority of AI readers, are not Apple's core audience anymore. When "we" were, the percentages of current Apple users who needed or wanted a 17-inch giant laptop were much higher than now.

    Apple's new user base doesn't want a big, thick laptop. It doesn't want a big slab-side Aluminum Mac Pro monstrosity with PCI-E slots. They want to plunk a piece of hardware down in the corner, and run it without maintenance or upgrades until it dies, however long that takes.

    I don't like it. You don't like it. It is, however, the way it is.

    The .0001 percent? It may not be an actual statistic, but the numbers are still bad for that segment of the market. According to Apple itself, the Mac Pro (and 17-inch MacBook Pro consumers, presumably) is low single digits of its Mac sales, which are already only 10% of the company's earnings. So, let's be generous, and say 5%of Mac customers are looking at a 17-inch if Apple made it. 5% of 10% is a half of a percent of Apple's business. 

    I'm not sure they get out of bed for that, regardless of how many millions it is.
    ...and dare I ask if such may contribute to why Apple customers still only represent a delta around 10% of the business market for computers...? Assuming growth is still the business religion on a finite planet, could a 10x opportunity / potential be worth 'getting out of bed'...?

    Numerous friends of mine have switched from PC to Mac, partly on past recommendation - regrettably I'm much more balanced in suggestion now, looking at Surface Studio, and the Razer for work use...

    I've been urging something like Protonmail too for all those lured by 'free': Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think again | TED.com
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 29 of 59
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    When "we" were, the percentages of current Apple users who needed or wanted a 17-inch giant laptop were much higher than now.
    A good point. Therefore… HEY, YO, CHINA. DEMAND LARGER LAPTOPS.
  • Reply 30 of 59
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    ...and dare I ask if such may contribute to why Apple customers still only represent a delta around 10% of the business market for computers...? Assuming growth is still the business religion on a finite planet, could a 10x opportunity / potential be worth 'getting out of bed'...?

    Numerous friends of mine have switched from PC to Mac, partly on past recommendation - regrettably I'm much more balanced in suggestion now, looking at Surface Studio, and the Razer for work use...

    I've been urging something like Protonmail too for all those lured by 'free': Andy Yen: Think your email's private? Think again | TED.com
    It wouldn't even be remotely close to 10x. Neither the stagnant PC market, nor the Apple "pro" market will sufficiently support it. Regardless of the complaints about RAM, and processor speeds (both of which were basically foisted on Apple by Intel), the 2016 MBP was very successful for Apple. If the 17-inch form factor was a big seller in arguably its heyday in 2010-2012, it could have continued into the Retina days -- and would have.

    To be clear, "we" would support it, but we don't have the numbers to make that kind of dent.

    A long time ago, in a different venue, a team I led camped outside assorted Apple stores and polled people going in and out. 

    http://www.macnn.com/articles/16/01/10/we.took.a.few.hours.on.saturday.to.ask.apple.shoppers.what.they.thought.131986

    It's still worth a read. That, and out of 1000, I guarantee that the numbers have swung even further in the direction of iOS.
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 31 of 59
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    A key fact that gets overlooked in these conversations is that "we," meaning the majority of AI readers, are not Apple's core audience anymore. When "we" were, the percentages of current Apple users who needed or wanted a 17-inch giant laptop were much higher than now.

    Apple's new user base doesn't want a big, thick laptop. It doesn't want a big slab-side Aluminum Mac Pro monstrosity with PCI-E slots. They want to plunk a piece of hardware down in the corner, and run it without maintenance or upgrades until it dies, however long that takes.

    I don't like it. You don't like it. It is, however, the way it is.

    The .0001 percent? It may not be an actual statistic, but the numbers are still bad for that segment of the market. According to Apple itself, the Mac Pro (and 17-inch MacBook Pro consumers, presumably) is low single digits of its Mac sales, which are already only 10% of the company's earnings. So, let's be generous, and say 5%of Mac customers are looking at a 17-inch if Apple made it. 5% of 10% is a half of a percent of Apple's business. 

    I'm not sure they get out of bed for that, regardless of how many millions it is.
    I'm actually quite content to buy a tightly integrated Mac and run it til it dies. 

    The problem is when Apple doesn't keep updates rolling on the regular. 

    I was was a fan of the physical format and (lack of internal) upgradability of the trash can MacPro. Had they been able to keep upgrading it, I'd happily be on my second machine right now. 

    I don't miss the days of tinkering with my computers. 

    I do miss the days of Apple offing upgrades regularly.
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 32 of 59
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    razormaid said:
    polymnia said:
    cf77 said:
    I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop. 

    The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

     

    You would be in for $6k+ for this theoretical new 17" MBP since it will require any dongles and other extras you included in your estimate to replace your current 17" MBP. 

    That said, you must realize you are an outlier. Apple has moved on from the giant laptop business. I am in favor of the current strategy. A 15" MBP is about the biggest laptop I want to carry everywhere. There are usually monitors to plug into where I go to work. And developers have had 10+ years to optimize their applications to work well on a laptop screen, and they have done good work to make the small screen better. 

    Before you dismiss me as someone who 'doesn't get it' know that my first MBP was a 17" model. While the large screen was great, dragging it around was not fun. I split time between my girlfriend's home and my own at the time and it was just too much. 
    He doesn't get it. LOL  there I said it. 

    Anyone whi who still owns a 17" late model 2011 knows just how GREAT they are for business. Yes I broke down and bought the 2016 Touch Bar but only because I feared apple would place "my baby" on the list sooner or later. 

    Theres so so much I love about my 17" and so much I hate about my new one - it's sad. But as an Apple beta tester who was actually offered by Kess Walker in AppleCare after 4 months with the touch bar a full RMA refund and my money back - she pointed out I wouldn't be able to beta test and help the beta team if she refunds me. She's right. In the end I kept it but for that reason only. Please bring back a pro desktop style 17" laptop so those of us who run our own business and need the real estate more than thin can do our jobs
    My point was that I am not saying 'good riddance' to a machine I never used. 

    If if you mean I don't get being attached to that old boat anchor of a design, you'd be right.

    Modern Macs, for all their shortcomings right now, are way better than the heavy, hot, physically delicate, full of moving parts MBPs of 2010.

    sometimes this place seems like a bunch of Mopar muscle car dudes complaining about modern all-wheel drive vehicles and 9-speed automatic transmissions. 
  • Reply 33 of 59
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    For all the folks whining about needing more screen real estate but refuse to put any frigging effort in finding a solution:

    http://a.co/4F8x4p4

    http://a.co/5ZljrD0 (pre-order for Aug but it looks better than the ASUS one)

    There are USB-3 versions but USB-C has DisplayPort alternate support so should work without any additional drivers and perform better.

    Yes, you do have to carry a second 16" display but you have the 15" display as well.  That's a LOT more screen space than the 17" 1920x1200 screen had and since it is USB-C powered it doesn't require an outlet.  The 15" MBP + external monitor combo is a LOT better than having the 17" MBP.  I don't use a USB-3/C one but drop a normal 24" into the pelican case when I go to a field site to work and given we ship a good amount of gear anyway it's a non-issue.  

    Even if I had to check a pelican case in myself, it's a non issue.  I'd MUCH rather use a 15" on the plane than my old 17" and I'd much rather have a second monitor when I get there than just a 17".

    And a replacement for the 17" MBP doesn't cost $5K+ but $2400 for the 15" MBP + $200 for USB-C external monitor + $50 for a USB-C hub. No other "dongles" required.

    If whatever you are doing isn't driving you crazy on a 2011 MBP then you don't need to max out the 2016 to see an across the board performance increase.  Claiming it costs 5K is complete BS.
    polymniachia
  • Reply 34 of 59
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    nht said:
    For all the folks whining about needing more screen real estate but refuse to put any frigging effort in finding a solution:

    http://a.co/4F8x4p4

    http://a.co/5ZljrD0 (pre-order for Aug but it looks better than the ASUS one)

    There are USB-3 versions but USB-C has DisplayPort alternate support so should work without any additional drivers and perform better.

    Yes, you do have to carry a second 16" display but you have the 15" display as well.  That's a LOT more screen space than the 17" 1920x1200 screen had and since it is USB-C powered it doesn't require an outlet.  The 15" MBP + external monitor combo is a LOT better than having the 17" MBP.  I don't use a USB-3/C one but drop a normal 24" into the pelican case when I go to a field site to work and given we ship a good amount of gear anyway it's a non-issue.  

    Even if I had to check a pelican case in myself, it's a non issue.  I'd MUCH rather use a 15" on the plane than my old 17" and I'd much rather have a second monitor when I get there than just a 17".

    And a replacement for the 17" MBP doesn't cost $5K+ but $2400 for the 15" MBP + $200 for USB-C external monitor + $50 for a USB-C hub. No other "dongles" required.

    If whatever you are doing isn't driving you crazy on a 2011 MBP then you don't need to max out the 2016 to see an across the board performance increase.  Claiming it costs 5K is complete BS.
    Very interesting. I really shouldn't be surprised that self-powered displays are a thing now that USB-C carries significant power. But I'd never thought to look for such a thing.

    id love a quick release VESA mount so I could quickly grab & go.

    i wonder if such a thing would fit in my Timbuk2 tandem bicycle pannier? I like to ride to client sites during the summer, but it's harder to bring all my kit on the bike.

    i totally agree about the size of the laptop making a big difference on airplanes. Even a modern 15" is tight in economy class.
  • Reply 35 of 59
    shapetablesshapetables Posts: 201member
    I'm stopped at a low end restaurant in relatively high end area and there's a guy in here with a 17" PC reading something about German with the font increased to like 20px or something. He has Coke bottle glasses and a barcode haircut, too young to have bought a 15" PowerBook or MacBook with 17" matte display. No way is this an unpopular form factor just because Apple discontinued it. It's called myopia.

    Apple has to make its numbers (even if they do have a negative power bill now) or analysts will take its stock down AND pump their competitors with the proceeds --so Apple needs to produce a product for myopia and for older/business people and film/video people aka a MacBook with a 4K native display plus an "easy reading/matte" option, an optional mobile Xeon processor with ECC RAM (and to explain why most business people running non-web apps need Xeon+ECC).
  • Reply 36 of 59
    This is why the right to repair is so important. Apple should stop lobbying against the movement and get behind it instead.
  • Reply 37 of 59
    tzterritzterri Posts: 110member
    I sent feedback about the need for Apple to introduce a new 17" Macbook. https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
  • Reply 38 of 59
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.

    With "a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive", this machine was hardly obsolete.   Well, OK, the memory needs upgraded, but otherwise, except for power users, this machine is still perfectly functional.   So why did Apple obsolete it?

    For myself:  I'm typing this on a Thinkpad T410 with similar specs (except I upgraded the memory to 8Gb).  It was manufactured a year prior to the MBP that Apple just obsoleted.  And, I am perfectly happy with this machine -- it does everything I need and does it quite well -- and I have every reason to expect it to continue doing well for the next several years...  (at some point I will wipe it and use it to replace my 11 year old IBM T60p that I use strictly to maintain my finances -- but currently, both the T60p and the T410 are working just fine.)

    So, WHY did Apple obsolete this 6 year old MBP?   While the machine needs more memory, otherwise it is a very functional machine.   Is Apple obsoleting based on chronologic age rather than some legitimate functional or technologic reason?
    In my experience, it's mostly time -- but the availability and practicality of keeping service parts on hand is considered.

    Keep in mind that "obsolete" doesn't mean that the OS support for it will be discontinued. It just means that you can't get it serviced at Apple Retail, and Apple support won't help you (much) with it.
    Yes, it is mostly time...  And, I do not buy the "keeping service parts on hand" argument:   Apple sells a premium product and premium level support is expected (particularly when they strongly lean towards inhouse as opposed to 3rd party support).   The analogy is:   Mercedes obsoleting their cars after 5-6 years.   Their buyers would not tolerate that.

    40 years ago cars had a functional life of about 4 years - after they started to rust and fall apart.  But today that functional life is double or triple (or quadruple) that...   Laptops are similar:
    5-6 years ago laptops had a functional life of about 5-6 years and, anything beyond that was a gift.   But, technologic advances in laptops has flattened out and, very simply, a 1 year old laptop is not much improved over a 5-6 year old one.
    ...  The times they are a-changin...
  • Reply 39 of 59
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    macxpress said:
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.

    With "a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive", this machine was hardly obsolete.   Well, OK, the memory needs upgraded, but otherwise, except for power users, this machine is still perfectly functional.   So why did Apple obsolete it?

    For myself:  I'm typing this on a Thinkpad T410 with similar specs (except I upgraded the memory to 8Gb).  It was manufactured a year prior to the MBP that Apple just obsoleted.  And, I am perfectly happy with this machine -- it does everything I need and does it quite well -- and I have every reason to expect it to continue doing well for the next several years...  (at some point I will wipe it and use it to replace my 11 year old IBM T60p that I use strictly to maintain my finances -- but currently, both the T60p and the T410 are working just fine.)

    So, WHY did Apple obsolete this 6 year old MBP?   While the machine needs more memory, otherwise it is a very functional machine.   Is Apple obsoleting based on chronologic age rather than some legitimate functional or technologic reason?
    While Apple may support this with future macOS releases, its not Microsoft and supports 10+ year old hardware. Although, I think even Microsoft is getting away from that slowly. You may not see it this way but its what makes Apple better. They don't have to release something and worry that it won't work properly, or at all with something new. I don't know why people think when they buy something the manufacturer should support it forever. You can't move on with better products and also try and make everything work with old hardware. 
    Ok...  Under your reasoning, the manufacturer should stop support of your new car in 5-6 years.   Time to scrap it and buy a new one!   Forced obsolescence is NOT a successful, long-term marketing strategy.... 
  • Reply 40 of 59
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    Compare "durable goods" like cars to the computer industry at your peril. It's not a great analogy, as the classes of goods aren't even close to the same.

    While Intel may be holding up the works a bit, connectivity, GPU solutions, and other aspects of the industry have marched forward moreso than any advancement in cars interfaces with roads. Also marching forward is contracts to supply parts for a dwindling machine supply, that they are seeing less and less of, as time goes on.

    It's not like the computers light on fire because Apple has called them obsolete. Parts will be available through third parties and eBay for a long time. OS support for a few years too.
    edited May 2017 StrangeDayschia
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