this post was submitted on 07 May 2026
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What are the worst tech purchases you or your family have ever made?

I watched a video recently and wanted to know what other have bought over the years.

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[–] remon@ani.social 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Which model is that supposed to be? My intel model is still getting the latest updates and any MBP with 16 cores must be newer than that ...

[–] Epp@lemmus.org 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

The 2019 MacBook Pro that I paid $3,000+ for after taxes and shipping, but looking at the hardware specs I was mistaken on the core count. It has a i9 Intel CPU with 8 physical cores, and 16 logical. More than enough power for software development if Apple wasn't such a greedy entity.

[–] remon@ani.social 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

That's the same model I have and it does support the latest version (running Tahoe 26.4.1). You'll get security updates until at least fall 2028.

[–] Epp@lemmus.org 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Then I must have the model wrong - I'm traveling currently, and don't have it with me. Whichever model it is, it does NOT have the option to update. I'm stuck on MacOS 15.7.5

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca -1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

I know 2019 seems like just a little bit ago, but it was 7 years ago. I mean, the machine has been supported for at least 7 years. From what you say, it appears you have the 2019 15-inch model only offered from May to November of that year; incredibly bad luck, as the 16 inch was introduced in November of that year and that model is still receiving updates.

While I understand the frustration of not being able to write apps, it's still a solid computer and I personally would love an Intel Mac to run Linux on.

Edit: I took a look at which OS would've come with the computer you have. It's 10.14 Mojave. Oldest MacBook Pro that ran on was the mid-2012, making the length of support you should have expected to be 7 years.

[–] Epp@lemmus.org 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

It's simultaneously the shortest lifespan of any electronics I've ever purchased while also being the most expensive, by a considerable margin. Not a great combo no matter how you attempt to spin it.

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

On what evidence were you basing your assumption it'd last longer than 7 years specifically for development? Seems like 7 years is what would've been expected when you bought it and what can be expected now.

[–] Epp@lemmus.org 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

WTF. Do you work for Apple? What EVIDENCE do I have that I expected my hardware that I bought for over $3,000 to continue functioning until it died? My evidence is my experience with every piece of electronics I have ever owned from every other manufacturer up until that point.

I can still connect to Xbox Live on my Xbox 360, giving it a lifespan, so far, of 21 years.

Knowing what can be expected from Apple is exactly why I won't ever buy an Apple product again, and warn anyone who mentions them that they're buying a ticking time bomb and Apple holds the donator, which they will use for the explicit purpose of extracting more money from people, even while the hardware is still working.

Apple is also the ONLY company that charges an annual fee on TOP of their exorbitant hardware costs for the ability to develop apps for their hardware. They're also the ONLY company that demands you own their brand of hardware to publish apps. Google doesn't force developers to use a Chromebook to publish Android apps, and Microsoft doesn't force developers to use a Windows machine to publish Windows apps. Samsung doesn't demand you develop apps for the Samsung marketplace on a Samsung device.

This is literally only an issue with Apple, and it's entirely of their own creation. Apple is unrestricted and blatant in their greed, and I've learned they're not shy about it at all. I no longer participate in any of their ecosystems and never will again.

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

You're defining "useful lifespan" of the Apple very differently than the Xbox. You're defining the Apple by how long development tools are supported, and while that is a valid criticism, it is the same duration today as it was when you bought the laptop. By the metric you're judging the Xbox, the MacBook Pro can connect to the internet, can run programs, and can connect to Apple's consumer services the same as it ever could. Its life as a consumer device is far from over. I'm typing this on my pre-retina 2012 MacBook Pro (running Linux).

You've said the machines "sole purpose" was development, yet you chose upgrades not essential to that process; the absolute fastest chip at the time and a larger SSD are arguably not necessary for the machine's "sole purpose." And the expected lifespan of the machine by that metric is no different today than when you bought it. Hate to put too fine a point on it, but you choose to overspend on a tool and are upset that the tool didn't ROI your inflated expectation.

Apple's decision to require a Mac for development and "only" supporting for seven years is absolutely worthy of critique. But it's also been consistent, and I'm sorry you didn't factor that in when you bought the machine. Sounds like you're done developing for iOS; I don't blame you. But if you decided otherwise, you can get into a development machine for probably not too much more than what you can sell your 2019 MacBook Pro for. Mac mini (if you can find one) and even the Neo will run absolutely hog wild over the performance of your MBP.

[–] Epp@lemmus.org 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The fact is this was my first, and now only, ever experience with Apple. I've never had development locked to the whims of a third party before. I had no idea they had the ability to lock me out of using it because the entire idea is absurd. The reason the analogy is not perfect is that no other company requires you to buy a new piece of their hardware every seven years to develop. I purchased for Apple the same way I buy the rest of my hardware: buy powerful hardware so it lasts a long time without needing to upgrade.

This is a problem entirely of Apple's own making, exclusive to only Apple, and it's a problem designed specifically to extract more money from people. That's why it was my worst tech purchase ever, and one I will never repeat.

[–] AllHailTheSheep@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

idk. I just graduated college with the laptop I bought in 8th grade. that thing is 9 years old at this point. I paid 550$ after convincing my parents to cover the extra 50$ I didn't have cause I wanted the 1050ti version. I'm a computer science student and took a few mobile app dev classes. it never gave an issue and is still kicking.

I think for nearly 6 times what I paid in 2017, one should be entitled to use a device for as long as the hardware is able to keep going, regardless of brand. that macbook was hobbled by a companies arbitrary decisions. 7 years is apples typical support length, yes (it's the same for iOS on iPhones) but the fact is that these devices are still perfectly capable of remaining useful, but apple gladly turns them all into ewaste to get people to buy new ones.

your point of it still being solid if it had Linux is kinda moot. the average user doesn't know how to install Linux and that's not what they paid 3000$ for.

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

His 2019 is still usable and getting security updates. ITts as usable as your computer. It’s that it can’t do one thing any longer, and that is to develop apps that the App Store will accept. You can criticize the decision to only allow supported models to submit apps, but don't mistake that for ewaste.

Your 9 year old computer; pretty good chance it doesn’t allow for Windows 11. That’s what we’re talking about here, the ability to install the newest operating system. If you’re content without the newest OS, both computers are perfectly fine.

[–] AllHailTheSheep@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"yes, they intentionally made it so a perfectly capable device can't build apps for the app store, but that has nothing to do with ewaste!"

no idea why you've spent so much time trying to convince people in this thread the behavior that apple has been openly criticized and indeed sued over is somehow ok.

[–] blitzen@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Because you and the other poster are making statements I feel are incorrect and worth refuting. And I most certainly reject the idea that the inability to submit App Store apps makes a computer e-waste.

You and the other poster are so blinded by hatred for Apple that you cannot separate reasonable (and warranted) critique from unreasonable.