First, a clarification of some basic terms:
Upgrade refers to a major system (software) or hardware change
Updates are the ongoing patches, versions, security updates, etc... that are offered throughout the year for all your software
Many people consider buying a new computer a pretty large financial outlay and expect their purchase to last a long time. The reality is that the average lifespan of a desktop computer is about three to five years. The lifespan of laptops are slightly less if they are used as designed and are truly mobile; if your laptop sits in your home or office most of the time, then that three to five year rule still applies.
There are many variables that can reduce the lifespan though, such as how much you use the computer and how hard you push it, environmental heat and humidity, and dust. So while you might have had, or know someone who has had a computer that has been working longer, this is the exception to the rule. For most of us, two things drive the need to replace a computer: it fails in some way and repair does not make financial sense, or more often we need new software or hardware to be able to do what we want and need to do on the computer.
Hardware is pretty basic
If you treat your computer well by keeping it and the plugs and the area around it dust free, having the hardware work for more than three years is pretty typical. If, however, you allow dust (enemy number one!) to build up, your computer will slow down and potentially fail sooner. If your environment is unusually hot, cold, or very damp, you will also see issues with a computer before the four to five year mark. Hard drives (where your files are stored) can fail or can get full, but this is often a repair that is worth the few hundred dollars it costs. However, this upgrade is much harder, and often not an option, for the newest Apple computers. Older computers could have the RAM-- memory-- upgraded after a few years for a reasonable cost, but this has also changed with Apple's latest product releases. If you are buying new, be sure to buy as much RAM and storage as you can afford, because many new machines cannot be upgraded later.
A note about hard drives: It is important to note that all iMacs today offer a choice of a Fusion drive (which combines a standard drive and SSD drive) or an SSD (solid state; doesn't spin) drive. The newest laptops only offer SSD drives. Why do you care? Simply put, SSD is faster. The Fusion Drive uses both, and gives you a mix of speed and size. Apple's current OSs all run much better on an SSD drive, and prices are much lower for this option than in past years.
Software is more of a moving target, with every developer, including Apple, having different requirements
Mac OS: Apple releases a new operating system about once every 12-14 months. Once they release a new OS, they typically drop support for an older OS. For example, last year Apple stopped releasing security updates for Mac OS 10.12 (Sierra), and we expect them to drop support for 10.13 (High Sierra) soon. We are already seeing issues with web compatibility under 10.13. This means that web browsers and email in 10.13 or earlier are now vulnerable to all that nasty stuff out there.
Apple has not really changed the hardware requirements in the last few years, but this does not mean you should install 10.15 (Catalina) or 10.14 (Mojave) on a five+ year old machine. In fact, attempting to can cause you all kinds of issues, none of which are easy to fix. If you have a computer that is five years old or older, it is truly time to consider new equipment.
Third Party Software
As you would expect, third party software ranges from software that runs on many generations of hardware and versions of the Mac OS (think Microsoft Office, Firefox, Adobe Reader), to software that often requires a relatively new computer, or at least the latest Mac OS (most often this is financial software/ web sites, or the Adobe Creative Suite type software). Apple has dropped support for 32 bit apps with the release of Catalina last year. This means that users of Microsoft Office will need to be running Office Mac 2016 or Office Mac 365 (which is a subscription). Users of Quickbooks need to upgrade to 2019 or newer in preparation for a new version next year. Quicken 2007 no longer runs and must be upgraded before you computer is. Please let us know if you have questions about alternatives.
So, how to think long term?
The time to make a decision about how long to keep a computer is when you purchase that computer. When we help a client decide which computer to buy, we ask many questions about how they use their computer, how long they plan to keep their computer, and what is on their wish list of how they might use the computer in the future. Then, we look at options, factoring in budget, total storage, RAM (memory), and processor (speed), and then we make the best recommendation. However, we always say that planning for the three to five year lifespan is best; think ahead like this, and you will avoid many issues that crop up when using an older computer, and also have the budget in place to replace your computer in a timely fashion. A bonus? Moving from a three to five year old computer running a relatively current OS is much, much easier and less expensive than moving from a five+ year old computer that has never been upgraded.
Another way to ensure the longevity of your computer is good maintenance. We offer a Tune-Up service to help do preventative maintenance on your computer to make sure it lasts you as long as possible.
During your Tune-Up, we can offer advice on how to get your computers running Mac OS 10.14 (Mojave) or Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina) or advise on a new computer purchase if we do not advise upgrading your current machine.
If you would like to schedule a Tune-Up or a consult on a new computer purchase, call us at 707-573-9649 and schedule a remote appointment with our tech, John, to come up with a plan to make sure your computer keeps working for you as long as possible!
