Posted on 05/18/2015 8:33:37 AM PDT by Citizen Zed
Apple is about to sunset support for a number of iPhones, Macs, and other products as it plans to switch several models to “Obsolete” or “Vintage” status in June, according to internal documents.
When a device receives Obsolete status from Apple — Vintage status only applies to California and Turkey, where the company is required to continue offering support — it no longer offers service or repair support through its own Apple retail stores or authorized service providers. It typically begins the process for models 5-7 years after manufacturing has been discontinued and maintains a list on its website here.
(Excerpt) Read more at realcleartechnology.com ...
When I say you can still get service in an Apple retail store, they will generally help you. . . but it will be on a pay per service basis. I have had experience where they have waived such fees on “vintage” Macs and have even swapped them out, but do not expect it. They are not in any way required to do so under their terms of service. It will be on an individual choice of the Genius you talk to and/or the store manager. All you can do is try.
Do not expect any help at all on PowerPC Macs. . .
Meanwhile, most Windows PC’s are replaced every two to three years and most Windows laptops have a life expectancy of about 18 months.
I’m currently using a 2009 Mac Pro, which I’ve upgraded to 12 cores (2 x Xeon X5675 processors), 24GB RAM, 1.5TB SSD and 3x1TB & 1x3TB HDD, and I upgraded the wifi card in it to 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and the Bluetooth to BT4.0LE so it supports the latest Handoff and Continuity features of Yosemite.
I also have 2 MacBook Pro’s. One is a 2011 17” that I use as a second desktop. It’s been upgraded to 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD and the latest WiFi/BT card like the Mac Pro. The other is a 2012 13”, which already has the latest WiFi and BT.
I also use a 2012 Mac Mini as my home server. I have 24GB of storage connected, via USB3.0 and Thunderbolt.
I don’t see having to upgrade or replace any of these for years to come, although I may sell the 17” MacBook Pro and use the Mac Mini as my second desktop.
What’s nice is there’s no license fees, license keys, or malware threats to speak of.
Confession : I do have Windoze 7 installed on the Mac Pro and both MacBook Pros, but only so I can run an Access 2010 application that I need for a car show I manage. I might port that application to Open Office Base and eliminate that need.
Most any consumer product built decades ago was built to last, just not as long as the generation before it
Planned obsolescence is the watchword now. Usually, it is camouflaged as progress, more functionality - whatever. Why are there 6 or so iPhone versions from when it was first introduced.
I have tools and other things older than my children, some older than before I met my wife 41 years ago. My grandfather’s Illinois Watch works great - still.
Most name brands us oldsters recognize went Japanese, Chinese, Malaysian, Mexican a decade or more back...today isn’t our daddy’s world.
But I suspect they don't do that precisely because there are a lot of users who would decide they can do just fine with the last generation of hardware and software.....
What kind of database? If you are a programmer, MySQL is free and works pretty well with any number of Mac front-end tools like RazorSQL. Not a full replacement for people used to working with Oracle or SQL Server on Windows, but not too bad.
I don't like much else in the Mac realm. Filemaker is an expensive, limited application that always seemed to prevent me from doing anything I used to like in MS Access. I regretted the expense immediately. Consumer databases like Bento aren't very capable, either. Databases are one of the few areas where OS/X lags Windows - probably because the Apple philosophy is to put everything in the Cloud.
Actually, that is the norm.
App Store retains older versions and provides those to people installing from older platforms. Not a choice made by the developer (AFAIK).
Thing is, I continue to get crash reports from those users - and each time, I think “please, PLEASE upgrade already - I fixed that problem!”
“Why are there 6 or so iPhone versions from when it was first introduced.”
Because the technology really has improved that much.
Just about every spec has improved 4x over 7 years; combined, those make for exponential improvements.
Vacuuming and washing clothes has pretty much stabilized, with the only “improvements” being how cheaply the product can be made.
What you’re saying amounts to complaining that the iPhone makes phone calls just as well as your 50-year-old wired rotary-dial phone ... while completely ignoring the gazillion other things the former can do that the latter never dreamed of. Don’t confuse the Apple Watch with your grandfather’s Illinois Watch - the latter tells time, the former does so much more that calling it a “watch” is a misnomer used for lack of any other word.
Can you roll it back?
Vacuuming and washing clothes has pretty much stabilized, with the only “improvements” being how cheaply the product can be made
As far as washers go, from your comment, you don't seem to have done much repair of such over the last few decades. I have, many times. The only thing I find useless is the added 'benefit' of digital controls. They're nice, but the cost/benefit ratio on repair isn't comparable when you're talking about replacing a whole digital control board versus a mechanical timer (even if it is way overpriced)...been there done that with an oven control/clock board.
What I was talking about is regular consumer support consumer electronics not of the gadget kind, not Apple. Go tell Swordmaker. He'll be on your side I guess. Do you people just spend you time searching relentlessly looking for someone you can hit on because they mention Apple?
My first big stereo purchase was a Sony TC-640 about 1970. Thing was a tank and ran for years. Fell off the trunk lid of my car and, other than a small crack in the walnut case, still worked perfectly. Sold it about 1982 for what I paid for it.
I still have my Sanyo beta vcr. Someday I’ll move those old home videos to a DVD. /procrastinator
Roll it back to 10.5.6?
I have time machine, so I probably could, but Safari and Firefox were starting not to work. Couldn’t upgrade them until I went to Snow Leopard.
You were referring to 40+ year old products, in a thread about the Apple Watch. What other conclusion could I come to from what you wrote and its context?
No, it isn't. I still have my father's Craftsman Saw Table built in the very early 1950s, and it still works. But my modern light-weight table saw with multiple features is so much better. Products made now may not last long, but they are definitely better and feature-rich.
We still daily use our 2006 Macbook, even though we can't upgrade it. Never had a problem with it. But we like the features and speed of our newer Macs. By the way, I'm still using my 1977 model Apple II, upgraded with Compactflash cards and USB sticks. Now that's vintage (more so than 2006). But the newer machines are always faster and better.
Decades ago when visiting some friends, they recorded some video of my daughter playing with their daughter, and gave me the tape. Unfortunately, it's a Beta tape and I've never seen what is on it. Also procrastinated on getting it converted.
What I need to replace is an Access database with 3 tables, 2 of which are lookup tables for the main one. I have a couple of forms to display my stuff, the main form shows 1 or 2 pictures (these are embroidery designs) and a link to a .pdf document. Have made “tags” for each design so I can do “contains” searches. Nothing too esoteric!
I don’t know anything about MySQL, will it allow me to replace what I describe? If so, what “front-end tools” do I need?
I’ve worked in the computer field (on DOS and then Windows boxes) since about 1983, the new Mac? I’m an idiot all over again! *sigh*
Apple won’t update their OS for working systems.
Linux is the solutio
At least if you learn mySQL (or mariaSQL, that’s the “new” free SQL, I hear), along with a web-based front end, you can apply it to _any_ platform, and will never be stuck in a compatibility / vendor end-of-life situation.
“Best effort” is an official Apple Store policy. They aren’t going to turn you away with your Macbook the day after it’s declared “obsolete.” They won’t have any parts for it, and any recently-minted Geniuses won’t be trained on it, but they’ll take their best shot, and call in the guy who’s been there the longest to see what he knows.
The last PowerPC Mac shipped when most of the Geniuses were in high school (or younger), so you’re probably out of luck on hardware, but they could take a crack at software issues.
Yes, my bad. My comment wasn’t so much about Apple as it was about the lengths some manufacturers go to keep products they sell still viable. The discussion then got into a lot of the old stuff like Zenith, Craftsman, etc. and how technology has changed (or hasn’t changed).
Overall I’m happy with my Apple stuff and I can understand why they plan and do what they do - they won’t make their nut just servicing old stuff. I just hate to find out “you can’t get that fixed anymore” from places like SONY.
sorry for the trouble.
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