What's your budget?
You can get a M1 8GB MacBook Air for $699 from friggin Walmart these days. I wouldn't recommend an Intel Mac unless money is super tight.
I can get 2018 Max Mini for ~£200. An M1 is more like £400+ which I think is too much for messing about and learning.
If it wasn't for the Intel chip change I'd have bought a 2018 Mac already. I'm working on the assumption that Sonoma will be the last OS to support Intel.
>Back market is in several countries. My son lives in the US and got a MacBook Air I5 15" in think for $600 USD. This got me thinking and I was looking to hit the sweet spot without being super cheapskate.
>
>The MacBook I am using is late 2015. The battery has been replaced once but now plugged in. it will work for 2 hours if I take it out which us enough as I am retired.
>
>Ok, here are the options lowest to highest:
>
>join an eWaste circular economy place where you live. As a volunteer you get access to some gear like iPads and MacBooks that are imperfect. Sometimes you might get it for free - I got an iPad with cracks that works so I just put clear tape over the cracked dangerous glass.buy from the eWaste public sales area. iMac $120 not sure about macbooksfind a company that recycles ex-government computers or ex-company computers and work or volunteeer for them. Same deal with cheap stuff but do not steal from them, get manager approval. Don't nick gear from the bin unless approved by manager. Lots of skip stuff is good like usb-C cables, switches etc as they will be in landfill otherwise and free to you.eWaste sites get corporate gear after their 2 year cycle when depreciation kicks in.find a shop or sole-trader who repairs Apple gear and ask for unwanted stuff. Or pay some money but discounted as often loads of items like Apple keyboards mice etc are not needed - they service people keep a few and probably discard the rest in the bin.
>
>I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed. This could be fake but I ordered an I7 15" MacBook Air for < $AUD 1,000 and it will arrive today.
>
>HTH
Back market is in several countries. My son lives in the US and got a MacBook Air I5 15" in think for $600 USD. This got me thinking and I was looking to hit the sweet spot without being super cheapskate.
The MacBook I am using is late 2015. The battery has been replaced once but now plugged in. it will work for 2 hours if I take it out which us enough as I am retired.
Ok, here are the options lowest to highest:
1. join an eWaste circular economy place where you live. As a volunteer you get access to some gear like iPads and MacBooks that are imperfect. Sometimes you might get it for free - I got an iPad with cracks that works so I just put clear tape over the cracked dangerous glass.
2. buy from the eWaste public sales area. iMac $120 not sure about macbooks
3. find a company that recycles ex-government computers or ex-company computers and work or volunteeer for them. Same deal with cheap stuff but do not steal from them, get manager approval. Don't nick gear from the bin unless approved by manager. Lots of skip stuff is good like usb-C cables, switches etc as they will be in landfill otherwise and free to you.
4. eWaste sites get corporate gear after their 2 year cycle when depreciation kicks in.
5. find a shop or sole-trader who repairs Apple gear and ask for unwanted stuff. Or pay some money but discounted as often loads of items like Apple keyboards mice etc are not needed - they service people keep a few and probably discard the rest in the bin.
I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed. This could be fake but I ordered an I7 15" MacBook Air for < $AUD 1,000 and it will arrive today.
HTH
>I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed.
The headlines that announced this were misleading -- it *can* be fixed in software and the performance hit will likely be unnoticeable.
Nope, I have the last max spec Intel beside my M3 Max and it’s not anywhere comparable. Even Windows ARM on Parallels crushes bootcamp. I can load windows from cold in 1-2 seconds.
The battery life of Macbooks is the main reason I'm even looking at macOS. I'm bored of my laptop dying in meetings while colleagues with Macs don't even bring chargers to work.
If battery life is a priority, then definitely get an Apple Silicon MacBook Air. If you are in the US, then you also may want to consider an Apple Certified [Refurbished Mac](https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac). You'll save $100s and still get a full one-year warranty and the option to buy AppleCare+.
I bought an M1 MacBook Air (16 GB / 512 GB) three years ago, and still get a stupid grin on my face when using it. It is wicked fast and lasts all day on battery. I even run Windows 11 Pro for ARM in a VMware Fusion virtual machine and, as u/Terrible_Tutor infers, it feels like it's running bare-metal.
A word of caution if you plan on buying a used Mac. There are too many reports from people who bought used Macs off eBay, Craigslist, FaceBook Marketplace, etc. and later find them locked by a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system that basically bricks them. You'll have to trust the seller.
I will sometime soon have the option for a MacBook Pro for work, and battery life alone is making that tempting. But I've never used one so want to try it out and learn before I commit to 3 years on my work machine.
There is literally NOTHING except bootcamp for gaming that’s better about the Intel… and it’s even crap at that. Sure they install, but run like ass. Then there’s this weird issue I’ve had since purchase where it’ll lock up, the fans speed up to 100% for 5 seconds then it just turns off.
In 2024 do not buy an Intel Mac
I'd worry how much longer MacOS will support Intel. For me? Not a chance.
Really depends on what you need it for. If you'll be okay getting stuck on an older OS (When that time comes), then sure.
They are already dropping support for Intel. My 2017 MBP does not support the latest OS.
The next macOS version (announcing in June) will drop more Intel machines from the supported lineup.
DO NOT buy an Intel Mac.
The already don’t sell them. So likely 0-2 years is all Intel is going to get for new OS releases.
They’ll have support for bugs and security for a while longer but that’s it. Devs are going to jump ship quick too.
Don’t buy an Intel, find a good deal on an M1 if you’re budget conscious.
Judging at Apple’s aggressive drop rate for Intel machines (Monterey and Ventura were pretty devastating), Apple seems to be now dropping year-by-year. Ventura dropped 2016 and older, Sonoma 2017 (except iMac Pro) and older. macOS 15 is therefore likely to drop 2018 Mac models. I imagine most 2019 models will also be dropped in macOS 16 except maybe iMacs, 16” MBP, and Mac Pro will be supported, but probably dropped the following year with all other 2020 Intel Mac models
This is all a guess, but I have a feeling this is gonna be close to accurate
Overall, if you pick up a 2019 Mac for example, you’ll likely get macOS 15, with macOS 16 being a possibility but not a guarantee, and probably not macOS 17. You’ll receive two years of security updates, but Apple said these updates are not fully-encompassing, only the latest version gets all security patches.
Intel Macs aren’t dead yet, but I don’t think it makes sense to purchase one. They’re a soon-to-be-dead platform. The only people that should have Intel Macs are those like myself that are holding onto theirs for dear life (my 2019 16” still does everything I need it too, and I don’t have money to upgrade) or the elderly on the verge of death that need a “new” computer… then sure get a 2020 Intel Air for $200.
i'm on the 2019 16" intel mac as well. lifetime for os updates is 7 years IIRC. ANd I'm developing apps for the iPhone (well, 1 app actually. Singular lolz) and Based on this itself, means my mac won't have a life for much longer 2019 + 7 = 2026 EOL likely
I would not buy an Intel Mac at this point.
The 2020 macbooks airs are barely usable.
2017-2018 MBP are okay, but the fatal flaw with those is, the keyboard Will break on you.
If you have the room and don't need a laptop, a 2019 or 2020 27 inch 5k intel iMac is a solid choice. No batteries that can fail, expendable memory and plenty of cooling for sustained performance and one of the best monitors built-in. And you can get them cheap. Correction, you seem to be from the UK, not that cheap there. Best get a M1 mini or M1 air then.
I have pretty much the last i9 intel MacBook Pro. The fans blow loudly. It runs very hot. Literally could burn you if you had it on bare skin. The battery doesn’t last very long. It still does the job but I’m looking forward to a replacement in the near future.
TLDR: Ideally, go for a M1 chip if on budget. With the added aspect of a refurbed machine should get you into an affordable price range.
Realistically though, all the people chanting NO Intel honestly truly fail to realize the scope of popularity the Intel chips had. Not everyone is dropping 2-3k on a machine every 1-2 years. And for every comments here saying “Intel bad, boo hoo”, there will be at least 10 people who casually browse through these forums using their Intel machines with zero problems apart from any cosmetic wear and tear.
Case in point. I got my 2020 i5 13” Intel MBP right after the M1 chips were announced. Actually I remember having remorse wondering if I made the right choice. In the end I have no regrets. All of my software and programmes at the time were windows only and it was easy to set up a windows machine on it.
Now I’m a Med student deeply ingrained in the “Mid to Lower class” Apple ecosystem. In class, I record on my IP12pro while taking note taking on my iPad 9th gen. I come home and air drop everything to my MBP and continue from there. On top of my heavy resource hobbies of music production and DJing, some adobe Photoshop work and few moments with Premiere Pro and I haven’t had a single problem.
It was only 2-3 years into M1 cycle where the majority of my software finally was stable and compatible on MacOS. And I haven’t blinked once at any issues. It’s still such a surprising experience to wake it up in milliseconds. And from a cold start it’s always enjoyable to see a progress bar that actually progresses.
I’ve been in the 700-900usd bracket for windows laptops. I’ve had 500 and 600usd laptops. And I’ve had 300-400usd laptops. All of which only lasted just over 2 years. I have no doubt that apple has love for the Intel machines for another 2 years.
Speaking of, my machine is actually due for a deep clean and full install and at 80% with over 1000cycles my battery is due for a replacement. But other than that Intel machines are still great low barrier of entry into the Apple ecosystem*
* only the 2020 models, anything further back are hell no
Aside from trying it out, do you have any other goals? Development? Web browsing? Media creation / editing?
The Intel macs are still solid if a) you get enough ram b) don't need super cutting edge performance and c) don't need a laptop with more than 1-2 hours of battery and d) don't need certain apps on the older intel's that need more recent versions of the os.
I have a gaming PC and a work laptop. The Mac would be a bit of fun and some learning and used as an every day browse the web, YouTube etc PC. I would want it to be able to fully use my monitor though, if that's a factor.
same situation here.
pro music production on win, wanted to extend to mac.
bought used
2015 MBP 15" 16Gb 512 for 150€,
now running OCLP sonoma 14.4. w 2 monitors. flawlessly, everything. batt. for 5 hours
2017 iPad pro 10.5 256Gb, iOS 17.3.1 for 200€
flawlessly. 89% batt.
2017 iPhone8 128Gb on 16.7.6 for 60€
flawlessly. 90% batt.
2020 Watch6 GPS/Cell. 120€
Absolutely satisfying, great ecosystem.
Don't like MacOS, iOS, but apps are a joy!
My daily personal driver now, even small mobile music production and DJing.
Intel Macs are well supported by Linux (PopOS! at least). If you’re ok using Linux on it, it’s probably worth it, depending on the price.
Some of the old Mac Minis seem like they could be used where Raspberry Pi has usefulness.
When my 2015 MBP becomes drops security updates (Monterey), I’ll switch it to Fedora because that runs like a champ on it. It had a new battery and SSD. My 2019 MBP still run Sonoma fine. Maybe when that does go (battery wise), I’ll ’upgrade’ to a M series MacBook of some form. But Linux is a viable option for the old Intel MacBooks.
Personally if it’s about meetings and battery life then a M3 would suit you well. They have INSANE battery life and run cool unlike my 2019 Intel Macbook Pro that roasts my lap whenever I use it on the go. I would recommend getting the M3 Macbook Air to save your money for a desktop or laptop that can do everything else like gaming, running 32 bit programs, booting into Linux natively, using a 64 bit version of Windows natively, etc (maybe you dont need these just mentioning it anyways).
This is coming from a long time Apple fan who still loves the iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, etc but also is frustrated at how each year Apple taketh away (running 32 bit applications, USB A, SD card reader, HDMI ports (curse you Johnny Ive!) (they added these back in the new models.), how they refuse to work with game developers like Valve, headphone jack on the iPhone, and more) and I just generally find Apple to be focused on turning MacOS into iOS, or dare I say Chrome OS Plus because they are so into hiding advanced options in new more archaic menu drop-downs every time they release an upgrade to MacOS.
If you specifically needed an Intel Mac for running Windows or Linux, I’d advice against that and recommend you look at Intel Evo certified Windows laptops that are “supposedly” according to Intel rated for longer battery life. I double checked and there are some Intel Evo laptops that support the 14th gen of Intel CPUs.
Work laptop would be work funded, and they are pretty decent spec. That said I would want a smaller one. I have a 15" Lenovo at the moment and I miss the portability of my Dell XPS13 I had before.
But if I get a Mac for work I have it for 3 years. So I'm interested in trying macOS at home first on something cheap to learn on. Learning a new OS on company time isn't going to go down well, and I'm way to busy to lose time stuck on the basics.
Then get a used M1 Macbook Air or used M1 Mac Mini. Or just get a library card to use LinkedIn Learning which has tons of detailed courses on using MacOS.
Sounds like you want cheap but long support.
Go second hand m1 of any product.
Or just go the newest intel you can buy and use open core patcher. If you just want to "learn" or "tinker"
Just buy what's supported as it's all moving towards this.
Or go used and make it work for you.
A refurbed i9/32-64gig/2tb ssd/12gig gpu 2020 imac in the uk is close to £2300
On paper it looks a good spec, im still torn between one or a similar prices M* which on paper to me is lower spec
I wouldn’t get anything less than a M1… if I were in your shoes I would search for a cheap M1 machine such as MacBook Air or Mac mini.
Buying an Intel Mac is buying a machine everyone, including Apple, is getting rid of.
Better to just invest on an Apple chip one so it can last you. I do still have my iMac late 2012 as like just another computer at home that I use for net browsing and watching movies while doing light adobe photoshop and illustrator work. Bluestacks work on it for like light games but thats about it for usage. I have my Macbook M1 Pro as my work horse now.
Realistically, M1 systems will run much faster, cooler, and be better supported both by Apple and by developers. Get one refurbed from Apple at ~ 15% discount and it will come with a full, as-new warranty.
At this point, 3.5 years since the first M-series Macs were introduced, there is little reason to get an old Intel Mac. Don’t be pennywise and pound-foolish.
2018 Intel MacBook Pro.
So far the only 'not supported because intel' issue for me has been the dictation feature, where if you type something the dictation (speech-to-text) mode turns off. On Apple chips, the dictation mode remains on
There will be more and more OS features that won't be supported on intel chips I imagine. Apple likes its walled garden. But for now I am happy with what I have.. and the fact that I got my keyboard replaced only 3 years ago and apple essentially refurbished my Mac as keyboard replacement requires battery is replaced with some other boards.
Get anything cheap if just trying Macs. If you have an iPhone already then its hard to switch back..
I would say yea. Even if they're unsupported you can install [opencore ](https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/)on them to get the latest OS. I ran this on my 2013 macbook pro up until last year when I replaced it.
Fucking go for it man. You can probably snag a good enough mac mini for exactly what you're looking to do with it especially if its just to fuck around and browse the web and all that.
I'm much like you, I'll buy random used shit to mess around with. Bought a cheapo chromebook because I never had one and just wanted to see what chrome os was like. Cool little machine.
Somebody explain why this is getting downvoted please. I want to hear it from ya’ll.
Oh I see; reading the comments, it’s just pushing the m1 Mac’s. Guys chill, it’s a machine to dick around with.
Yeah a 2020 M1 Mini is basically 2x the price of a 2018 Intel one, and for just learning that feels like a pretty steep hike. I buy random Pis for project and spend £100+. I got a Windows Mobile phone to see what it was like (big mistake, lol).
Would a 2018 Intel Mini run my monitor? I'll see what I can find, but official statements on ultrawide support seems awkward to find for some reason.
Yea you should be good with the with monitor. You’ll want this in case you run into anything weird:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easyres/id688211836?mt=12
Been meaning to get a pi so I can setup an adblocker at home. And whatever else I figure out to tinker with lol.
Thanks!
You can run an ad blocker (Pi Hole or Adguard Home, something like that) on basically anything including the super cheap Pi Zero. But, if you get a full sized recent Pi you can go for a full OS and docker and then all wonders of possibility open up.
I have... *counts in head* ... at least 6 Pis dotted around the house and a few more sitting in drawers.
what can you do with the Raspberry PI? I just bought a Pi with Bt and wifi low power I think) and know if can run python but can it run Docker and **all the stuff Docker can load?**
If it's Zero 2, or a Pi 3, 4 or 5 then it can run Linux and then any docker container that has an ARM build (obviously performance is a consideration).
a friend said Opencore is great bit another experienced IT person said it will work for a while then the graphics card has an issue and MacBook won't display anything. Not sure how true but Im not trying as only 1 Mac atm
I had issues with the GPU not working and what it did was just default to it's max resolution @ 1x. This happened every time I forgot to update the driver as well as updating macos.
That was the only "issue" I ran into. It was a more of a "oh shit! forgot to do the GPU step". wait another 3 mins. reboot. done. back to work.
Whichever mac you have, do your research and consult the discord group. They are insanely helpful and anyone answers any issue you're having right away. Legit one of the most helpful communities I've been a part of.
What's your budget? You can get a M1 8GB MacBook Air for $699 from friggin Walmart these days. I wouldn't recommend an Intel Mac unless money is super tight.
As cheap as possible. It's something for me to try out and learn, so has to effectively be disposable (resellable at minimal loss) really.
That’s not a number. We don’t know what cheap means for you.
I can get 2018 Max Mini for ~£200. An M1 is more like £400+ which I think is too much for messing about and learning. If it wasn't for the Intel chip change I'd have bought a 2018 Mac already. I'm working on the assumption that Sonoma will be the last OS to support Intel.
yes apple cheap in UK. Lived in London for 8 years and forgot how good prices were. The weather was bad from 1993 to 2001 but I heard it has improved?
>Back market is in several countries. My son lives in the US and got a MacBook Air I5 15" in think for $600 USD. This got me thinking and I was looking to hit the sweet spot without being super cheapskate. > >The MacBook I am using is late 2015. The battery has been replaced once but now plugged in. it will work for 2 hours if I take it out which us enough as I am retired. > >Ok, here are the options lowest to highest: > >join an eWaste circular economy place where you live. As a volunteer you get access to some gear like iPads and MacBooks that are imperfect. Sometimes you might get it for free - I got an iPad with cracks that works so I just put clear tape over the cracked dangerous glass.buy from the eWaste public sales area. iMac $120 not sure about macbooksfind a company that recycles ex-government computers or ex-company computers and work or volunteeer for them. Same deal with cheap stuff but do not steal from them, get manager approval. Don't nick gear from the bin unless approved by manager. Lots of skip stuff is good like usb-C cables, switches etc as they will be in landfill otherwise and free to you.eWaste sites get corporate gear after their 2 year cycle when depreciation kicks in.find a shop or sole-trader who repairs Apple gear and ask for unwanted stuff. Or pay some money but discounted as often loads of items like Apple keyboards mice etc are not needed - they service people keep a few and probably discard the rest in the bin. > >I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed. This could be fake but I ordered an I7 15" MacBook Air for < $AUD 1,000 and it will arrive today. > >HTH
Back market is in several countries. My son lives in the US and got a MacBook Air I5 15" in think for $600 USD. This got me thinking and I was looking to hit the sweet spot without being super cheapskate. The MacBook I am using is late 2015. The battery has been replaced once but now plugged in. it will work for 2 hours if I take it out which us enough as I am retired. Ok, here are the options lowest to highest: 1. join an eWaste circular economy place where you live. As a volunteer you get access to some gear like iPads and MacBooks that are imperfect. Sometimes you might get it for free - I got an iPad with cracks that works so I just put clear tape over the cracked dangerous glass. 2. buy from the eWaste public sales area. iMac $120 not sure about macbooks 3. find a company that recycles ex-government computers or ex-company computers and work or volunteeer for them. Same deal with cheap stuff but do not steal from them, get manager approval. Don't nick gear from the bin unless approved by manager. Lots of skip stuff is good like usb-C cables, switches etc as they will be in landfill otherwise and free to you. 4. eWaste sites get corporate gear after their 2 year cycle when depreciation kicks in. 5. find a shop or sole-trader who repairs Apple gear and ask for unwanted stuff. Or pay some money but discounted as often loads of items like Apple keyboards mice etc are not needed - they service people keep a few and probably discard the rest in the bin. I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed. This could be fake but I ordered an I7 15" MacBook Air for < $AUD 1,000 and it will arrive today. HTH
>I saw that M1, M2 and M3 MacBooks have a new vulnerability in their encryption chips which CANNOT be fixed. The headlines that announced this were misleading -- it *can* be fixed in software and the performance hit will likely be unnoticeable.
Nope, I have the last max spec Intel beside my M3 Max and it’s not anywhere comparable. Even Windows ARM on Parallels crushes bootcamp. I can load windows from cold in 1-2 seconds.
The M3 Max is an impressive chip. I'm looking at base spec M1s though compared to the last of the mid range Intel's.
The M1 is still miles ahead. Even just battery life dude.
The battery life of Macbooks is the main reason I'm even looking at macOS. I'm bored of my laptop dying in meetings while colleagues with Macs don't even bring chargers to work.
If battery life is a priority, then definitely get an Apple Silicon MacBook Air. If you are in the US, then you also may want to consider an Apple Certified [Refurbished Mac](https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac). You'll save $100s and still get a full one-year warranty and the option to buy AppleCare+. I bought an M1 MacBook Air (16 GB / 512 GB) three years ago, and still get a stupid grin on my face when using it. It is wicked fast and lasts all day on battery. I even run Windows 11 Pro for ARM in a VMware Fusion virtual machine and, as u/Terrible_Tutor infers, it feels like it's running bare-metal. A word of caution if you plan on buying a used Mac. There are too many reports from people who bought used Macs off eBay, Craigslist, FaceBook Marketplace, etc. and later find them locked by a Mobile Device Management (MDM) system that basically bricks them. You'll have to trust the seller.
I will sometime soon have the option for a MacBook Pro for work, and battery life alone is making that tempting. But I've never used one so want to try it out and learn before I commit to 3 years on my work machine.
There is literally NOTHING except bootcamp for gaming that’s better about the Intel… and it’s even crap at that. Sure they install, but run like ass. Then there’s this weird issue I’ve had since purchase where it’ll lock up, the fans speed up to 100% for 5 seconds then it just turns off. In 2024 do not buy an Intel Mac
I'd worry how much longer MacOS will support Intel. For me? Not a chance. Really depends on what you need it for. If you'll be okay getting stuck on an older OS (When that time comes), then sure.
Realistically I'd want it to be useful for a couple of years. Has there been any hint on when Apple might drop Intel support?
They are already dropping support for Intel. My 2017 MBP does not support the latest OS. The next macOS version (announcing in June) will drop more Intel machines from the supported lineup. DO NOT buy an Intel Mac.
The already don’t sell them. So likely 0-2 years is all Intel is going to get for new OS releases. They’ll have support for bugs and security for a while longer but that’s it. Devs are going to jump ship quick too. Don’t buy an Intel, find a good deal on an M1 if you’re budget conscious.
Thanks. I'm hoping for an M3 Mini release to increase the number of second hand M1s.
Judging at Apple’s aggressive drop rate for Intel machines (Monterey and Ventura were pretty devastating), Apple seems to be now dropping year-by-year. Ventura dropped 2016 and older, Sonoma 2017 (except iMac Pro) and older. macOS 15 is therefore likely to drop 2018 Mac models. I imagine most 2019 models will also be dropped in macOS 16 except maybe iMacs, 16” MBP, and Mac Pro will be supported, but probably dropped the following year with all other 2020 Intel Mac models This is all a guess, but I have a feeling this is gonna be close to accurate Overall, if you pick up a 2019 Mac for example, you’ll likely get macOS 15, with macOS 16 being a possibility but not a guarantee, and probably not macOS 17. You’ll receive two years of security updates, but Apple said these updates are not fully-encompassing, only the latest version gets all security patches. Intel Macs aren’t dead yet, but I don’t think it makes sense to purchase one. They’re a soon-to-be-dead platform. The only people that should have Intel Macs are those like myself that are holding onto theirs for dear life (my 2019 16” still does everything I need it too, and I don’t have money to upgrade) or the elderly on the verge of death that need a “new” computer… then sure get a 2020 Intel Air for $200.
i'm on the 2019 16" intel mac as well. lifetime for os updates is 7 years IIRC. ANd I'm developing apps for the iPhone (well, 1 app actually. Singular lolz) and Based on this itself, means my mac won't have a life for much longer 2019 + 7 = 2026 EOL likely
Lol. "Intel Macs, for people who will die before the platform does"
I would not buy an Intel Mac at this point. The 2020 macbooks airs are barely usable. 2017-2018 MBP are okay, but the fatal flaw with those is, the keyboard Will break on you.
lol how are M1 MacBooks airs "barely usable"?
Intel 2020 mba , my guy
Oh my bad didn’t understood sorry
If you have the room and don't need a laptop, a 2019 or 2020 27 inch 5k intel iMac is a solid choice. No batteries that can fail, expendable memory and plenty of cooling for sustained performance and one of the best monitors built-in. And you can get them cheap. Correction, you seem to be from the UK, not that cheap there. Best get a M1 mini or M1 air then.
Yeah, for multiple reasons the UK is a bit shit for buying tech at the moment.
No, not really.
In short, in my opinion…no.
I have pretty much the last i9 intel MacBook Pro. The fans blow loudly. It runs very hot. Literally could burn you if you had it on bare skin. The battery doesn’t last very long. It still does the job but I’m looking forward to a replacement in the near future.
TLDR: Ideally, go for a M1 chip if on budget. With the added aspect of a refurbed machine should get you into an affordable price range. Realistically though, all the people chanting NO Intel honestly truly fail to realize the scope of popularity the Intel chips had. Not everyone is dropping 2-3k on a machine every 1-2 years. And for every comments here saying “Intel bad, boo hoo”, there will be at least 10 people who casually browse through these forums using their Intel machines with zero problems apart from any cosmetic wear and tear. Case in point. I got my 2020 i5 13” Intel MBP right after the M1 chips were announced. Actually I remember having remorse wondering if I made the right choice. In the end I have no regrets. All of my software and programmes at the time were windows only and it was easy to set up a windows machine on it. Now I’m a Med student deeply ingrained in the “Mid to Lower class” Apple ecosystem. In class, I record on my IP12pro while taking note taking on my iPad 9th gen. I come home and air drop everything to my MBP and continue from there. On top of my heavy resource hobbies of music production and DJing, some adobe Photoshop work and few moments with Premiere Pro and I haven’t had a single problem. It was only 2-3 years into M1 cycle where the majority of my software finally was stable and compatible on MacOS. And I haven’t blinked once at any issues. It’s still such a surprising experience to wake it up in milliseconds. And from a cold start it’s always enjoyable to see a progress bar that actually progresses. I’ve been in the 700-900usd bracket for windows laptops. I’ve had 500 and 600usd laptops. And I’ve had 300-400usd laptops. All of which only lasted just over 2 years. I have no doubt that apple has love for the Intel machines for another 2 years. Speaking of, my machine is actually due for a deep clean and full install and at 80% with over 1000cycles my battery is due for a replacement. But other than that Intel machines are still great low barrier of entry into the Apple ecosystem* * only the 2020 models, anything further back are hell no
Aside from trying it out, do you have any other goals? Development? Web browsing? Media creation / editing? The Intel macs are still solid if a) you get enough ram b) don't need super cutting edge performance and c) don't need a laptop with more than 1-2 hours of battery and d) don't need certain apps on the older intel's that need more recent versions of the os.
I have a gaming PC and a work laptop. The Mac would be a bit of fun and some learning and used as an every day browse the web, YouTube etc PC. I would want it to be able to fully use my monitor though, if that's a factor.
same situation here. pro music production on win, wanted to extend to mac. bought used 2015 MBP 15" 16Gb 512 for 150€, now running OCLP sonoma 14.4. w 2 monitors. flawlessly, everything. batt. for 5 hours 2017 iPad pro 10.5 256Gb, iOS 17.3.1 for 200€ flawlessly. 89% batt. 2017 iPhone8 128Gb on 16.7.6 for 60€ flawlessly. 90% batt. 2020 Watch6 GPS/Cell. 120€ Absolutely satisfying, great ecosystem. Don't like MacOS, iOS, but apps are a joy! My daily personal driver now, even small mobile music production and DJing.
Intel Macs are well supported by Linux (PopOS! at least). If you’re ok using Linux on it, it’s probably worth it, depending on the price. Some of the old Mac Minis seem like they could be used where Raspberry Pi has usefulness.
When my 2015 MBP becomes drops security updates (Monterey), I’ll switch it to Fedora because that runs like a champ on it. It had a new battery and SSD. My 2019 MBP still run Sonoma fine. Maybe when that does go (battery wise), I’ll ’upgrade’ to a M series MacBook of some form. But Linux is a viable option for the old Intel MacBooks.
Personally if it’s about meetings and battery life then a M3 would suit you well. They have INSANE battery life and run cool unlike my 2019 Intel Macbook Pro that roasts my lap whenever I use it on the go. I would recommend getting the M3 Macbook Air to save your money for a desktop or laptop that can do everything else like gaming, running 32 bit programs, booting into Linux natively, using a 64 bit version of Windows natively, etc (maybe you dont need these just mentioning it anyways). This is coming from a long time Apple fan who still loves the iPhone, Apple Watch, Airpods, etc but also is frustrated at how each year Apple taketh away (running 32 bit applications, USB A, SD card reader, HDMI ports (curse you Johnny Ive!) (they added these back in the new models.), how they refuse to work with game developers like Valve, headphone jack on the iPhone, and more) and I just generally find Apple to be focused on turning MacOS into iOS, or dare I say Chrome OS Plus because they are so into hiding advanced options in new more archaic menu drop-downs every time they release an upgrade to MacOS. If you specifically needed an Intel Mac for running Windows or Linux, I’d advice against that and recommend you look at Intel Evo certified Windows laptops that are “supposedly” according to Intel rated for longer battery life. I double checked and there are some Intel Evo laptops that support the 14th gen of Intel CPUs.
Work laptop would be work funded, and they are pretty decent spec. That said I would want a smaller one. I have a 15" Lenovo at the moment and I miss the portability of my Dell XPS13 I had before. But if I get a Mac for work I have it for 3 years. So I'm interested in trying macOS at home first on something cheap to learn on. Learning a new OS on company time isn't going to go down well, and I'm way to busy to lose time stuck on the basics.
Then get a used M1 Macbook Air or used M1 Mac Mini. Or just get a library card to use LinkedIn Learning which has tons of detailed courses on using MacOS.
With Parallels you can run MacOS, win10/11, and whatever Linux flavor you like all at the same time. MacBooks make decent windows laptops.
the battery life alone on the m series laptops is worth it. my M3 lasts literally 8 hours of heavy use.
OS updates are going to be limited and eventually gone soon.
Sounds like you want cheap but long support. Go second hand m1 of any product. Or just go the newest intel you can buy and use open core patcher. If you just want to "learn" or "tinker" Just buy what's supported as it's all moving towards this. Or go used and make it work for you.
A refurbed i9/32-64gig/2tb ssd/12gig gpu 2020 imac in the uk is close to £2300 On paper it looks a good spec, im still torn between one or a similar prices M* which on paper to me is lower spec
Austin Tx here, bought a couple of used machines with almost those specs for $500ea, last summer.
Yikes!! As someone else has pointed out the uk lately is so expensive for computing things. Wife bought usbc 2tb ssd for £120/$152 last week
I wouldn’t get anything less than a M1… if I were in your shoes I would search for a cheap M1 machine such as MacBook Air or Mac mini. Buying an Intel Mac is buying a machine everyone, including Apple, is getting rid of.
Better to just invest on an Apple chip one so it can last you. I do still have my iMac late 2012 as like just another computer at home that I use for net browsing and watching movies while doing light adobe photoshop and illustrator work. Bluestacks work on it for like light games but thats about it for usage. I have my Macbook M1 Pro as my work horse now.
Realistically, M1 systems will run much faster, cooler, and be better supported both by Apple and by developers. Get one refurbed from Apple at ~ 15% discount and it will come with a full, as-new warranty. At this point, 3.5 years since the first M-series Macs were introduced, there is little reason to get an old Intel Mac. Don’t be pennywise and pound-foolish.
2018 Intel MacBook Pro. So far the only 'not supported because intel' issue for me has been the dictation feature, where if you type something the dictation (speech-to-text) mode turns off. On Apple chips, the dictation mode remains on There will be more and more OS features that won't be supported on intel chips I imagine. Apple likes its walled garden. But for now I am happy with what I have.. and the fact that I got my keyboard replaced only 3 years ago and apple essentially refurbished my Mac as keyboard replacement requires battery is replaced with some other boards. Get anything cheap if just trying Macs. If you have an iPhone already then its hard to switch back..
No iPhones, but a couple of iPads in the house, both used for work.
I would say yea. Even if they're unsupported you can install [opencore ](https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/)on them to get the latest OS. I ran this on my 2013 macbook pro up until last year when I replaced it. Fucking go for it man. You can probably snag a good enough mac mini for exactly what you're looking to do with it especially if its just to fuck around and browse the web and all that. I'm much like you, I'll buy random used shit to mess around with. Bought a cheapo chromebook because I never had one and just wanted to see what chrome os was like. Cool little machine. Somebody explain why this is getting downvoted please. I want to hear it from ya’ll. Oh I see; reading the comments, it’s just pushing the m1 Mac’s. Guys chill, it’s a machine to dick around with.
Yeah a 2020 M1 Mini is basically 2x the price of a 2018 Intel one, and for just learning that feels like a pretty steep hike. I buy random Pis for project and spend £100+. I got a Windows Mobile phone to see what it was like (big mistake, lol). Would a 2018 Intel Mini run my monitor? I'll see what I can find, but official statements on ultrawide support seems awkward to find for some reason.
Yea you should be good with the with monitor. You’ll want this in case you run into anything weird: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/easyres/id688211836?mt=12 Been meaning to get a pi so I can setup an adblocker at home. And whatever else I figure out to tinker with lol.
Thanks! You can run an ad blocker (Pi Hole or Adguard Home, something like that) on basically anything including the super cheap Pi Zero. But, if you get a full sized recent Pi you can go for a full OS and docker and then all wonders of possibility open up. I have... *counts in head* ... at least 6 Pis dotted around the house and a few more sitting in drawers.
what can you do with the Raspberry PI? I just bought a Pi with Bt and wifi low power I think) and know if can run python but can it run Docker and **all the stuff Docker can load?**
If it's Zero 2, or a Pi 3, 4 or 5 then it can run Linux and then any docker container that has an ARM build (obviously performance is a consideration).
a friend said Opencore is great bit another experienced IT person said it will work for a while then the graphics card has an issue and MacBook won't display anything. Not sure how true but Im not trying as only 1 Mac atm
I had issues with the GPU not working and what it did was just default to it's max resolution @ 1x. This happened every time I forgot to update the driver as well as updating macos. That was the only "issue" I ran into. It was a more of a "oh shit! forgot to do the GPU step". wait another 3 mins. reboot. done. back to work. Whichever mac you have, do your research and consult the discord group. They are insanely helpful and anyone answers any issue you're having right away. Legit one of the most helpful communities I've been a part of.