When we hear the word vintage, usually images of old designer clothing spring to mind, but now the word is becoming increasingly associated with our beloved Mac.
Over the last 10 years we have seen many changes to Apple’s software and hardware as the company continues to maintain its standards of innovation, style and progression. Which, as we have come to realize following the release of the iPad and latest Macbook Pro, makes it increasingly harder to upgrade and repair your Apple products.
So, when does a Mac become Vintage?
Below are some classifications that Apple and their Authorized Service Providers use to label the status of your Mac:
- In warranty (1-3 years): The Mac is covered under the first year’s warranty or the AppleCare protection plan.
- Out of warranty (2-5 years): The Mac is not covered under warranty and the repairs or support required will be chargeable.
- Vintage (5 years plus): There are no available parts or support for this Mac, with some minor exceptions.
- Obsolete (7 years plus): There are no parts available and this Mac is no longer supported, on any level.
So, what can you do if you have a mac that is 5 years old or more?
If you have bought a mac in the last few years we recommend to take the following health checks which may help prolong the life of certain elements of your machine once the Mac becomes Vintage.
- I have found that keeping your desktop tidy will maintain a fast boot-up time, if there are little or no files or folders on the desktop your Mac will load faster and therefore will prevent any software issues that can happen as a result of slow booting times.
- If your Mac is a laptop regularly run the battery right down, when you deplete it your Mac’s battery will last longer (laptop batteries need exercise too).
- Run regular back ups of all data that you have on the drive, this may not save your Mac but it will save your data.
- Run repairs on the disk using “disk utility” as this can be useful to try and prevent serious software issues that may crop up.
- Keep your Mac as clean and tidy as possible, dust and dirt can become a real problem and can be instrumental in causing your Mac to cease in functioning.
And finally:
Once your Mac has reached its 5th year, this is when genuine Apple Parts become hard to find with the exception of Ram and Hard Drive (only if your Mac supports them) so remember to keep up to date with Software and OS releases.
By upgrading these two parts you can ensure that your Mac lives a longer life and continues running at a peak performance, while keeping you (within reason) up to date with the newer models that are coming out.
Don’t worry!
Just because your Mac has reached the age of 5 or 7 doesn’t mean that it will automatically die! I have two Mac’s one’s a Power Mac G5, which is classed as Vintage, as well as a 2006 Macbook, both of these are running fine after all this time.
Macs are designed to last but in the end if you want to stay up to date with the latest technology and features then buying a brand new Mac is your only option.
Don’t forget subscribe to free updates from our blog and you’ll receive the latest tips and tricks to keep your Mac happy, healthy and working hard!
Interesting vintage Mac links:
If you’re looking to sell your vintage mac check out Jason Ponic’s guide to selling
Get the vintage mac sounds on your new Mac