actually everybody with a bit of knowledge on how warranty works in europe, the UK and the netherlands will be able to tell you that they should atleast last up to 6-8 years. there's this thing called reasonable life expectancy, the UK and the netherlands even have warranty over this whole period, after the standard 2 year warranty. so thinking that they only need to last until the warranty is over is rather flawed, if you're fearing for manufacturing problems (which some have had, i have one here as well, but that were mostly the macbooks) then just wait a few months and read the reviews of endusers.

 

Just get a refurbished Mac Mini 2020 with M1 chip. You can get the base model for less than 400 bucks in the EU with warranty. 700 bucks if you need more RAM or a slightly larger SSD. In terms of connectivity: from what I've heard you need to get an additional USB hub anyway if you want to use the Mini for anything productive. So that should not be a decisive factor against the MAC mini. I wouldn't pay 1k extra just to get a few more USB ports with the Mac Studio....

 

If someone wishes to do that they can. However, Apple certainly make an enormous amount of money selling AppleCare because most people never even use it. Apple's "life cycle" is typically considered 5 years before they begin ending support for stuff. Security updates are additional time frame. I actually just recently got a new security update for the heavily modified 15 year old Mac Pro I use as my DAW computer. Haha, you are the guy who tried to tell someone to codesign every plugin on a machine, individually. That's rich. Ignored.

even ChatGPT knows this.

Spoiler

how long is apple's support of any product
ChatGPT said:


Apple’s support lifespan for a product varies based on its category:

1. Software (macOS, iOS, etc.)
   • Apple provides major software updates (new features) for about 5–7 years after a device's release.
   • Security updates may continue for another 2–3 years after that for older macOS and iOS versions.
2. Hardware (Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc.)
   • Apple typically offers hardware repair and parts for at least 5 years after a product is discontinued.
   • After 5 years, it is considered Vintage (Apple may still offer repairs in some locations).
   • After 7 years, it becomes Obsolete, and Apple stops repairs and official support.
3. AppleCare & Warranty Support
   • Standard 1-year warranty and 90 days of free tech support.
   • AppleCare+ extends hardware and tech support (typically 2-3 years).

 

Last edited: Mar 15, 2025

judging me over not yet knowing how to script in terminal when codesigning? nice one dude. bravo, very reasonable.

but does obsolete mean not functioning anymore? unless one has an irresistible urge to update all the time and just wants to work with what works it can last 10 years easily, production faults not counting. my macbooks last about 6-8 years, then they became to slow for what i was doing or get damaged from usage at live shows and dj-gigs.

last time i had warranty issues was when i bought my macbook at a 3rd party store (mediamarkt), who tried to pull the "we only give warranty for 2 years" stunt, which doesnt work here in the netherlands as we have pretty good consumer rights, similar to what the UK has. i didnt know this at first and it was apple support that informed me about this, they even gave me an additional month of warranty (2 years after purchase) so that i could let it get fixed by apple instead of a 3rd party repaircenter. yes this was one of those macbooks from 2017 with a shitload of problems but credit where credit is due, they went above and beyond to help me out. the macbook still works, sure there are keys that want to doubletap but a little software extension blocking double keystrokes faster then a set amount of ms fixes that. it wont update anymore but as a bedroom videoplayer and on occasion doing a vj-show with it it's still good enough for as long as it keeps working and i dont see a reason why it shouldnt.

one important thing about applecare and warranty: AppleCare+ benefits are independent of consumer rights.
not enough people know about their rights as consumers and not enough people use those rights. companies will not always do this, and some companies will go out of their way to not do this. lying about their own terms, not caring about laws until presented with attorneys and such.

last time i got applecare i got it after i dropped my ipad before putting it in the guard and it fell very unlucky, breaking the screen. no warrenty but i did have the option to buy applecare as they dont physically check the device if it's in the first 2 months after purchase. this in turn gave me a replacement without questions asked, and 9 months later they did again, yes i wasnt well and dropped it twice in a year breaking the screen, applecare was cheaper than buying new ones. i think it came down to about 150 per replacement incl applecare.

also applecare is a service they offer, people can choose to get it. i dont see why this is a bad thing. they offer some pretty good conditions for things that are outside of the normal warranties AKA being stupid and dropping stuff on a regular basis, like me.

 

Last edited: Mar 17, 2025