macOS Ventura - A bold line in the sand
Apple is a forward looking company. The announcement of macOS Ventura hammers this home in a big way. Apple has drastically reduced the Mac models supported on the soon to be released operating system. For customers who have been holding on to Intel Macs, this is a clear sign that the Intel era is dead and should be forgotten.
The jump from Monterey to Ventura will cut off 3 to 4 years of Mac models. This is an aggressive move, leaving many devices bought within 4 years to be dropped from current OS support. While macOS Monterey supported the 2013 Mac Pro, the 2014 Mac mini, and 2015 and 2016 portable models, these units are now all dropped from Ventura support. What is most frustrating is that the 2014 Mac mini was sold as a new product until October 2018. The 2013 Mac Pro was sold as a new product until December 2019! (Yes, a six year run!). In theory, customers who purchased the 2013 Mac Pro in November 2019 will still be covered by AppleCare. However, the Mac will be forever stuck on Monterey.
macOS Ventura is supported on the following models:
iMac 2017 and later
iMac Pro 2017
MacBook Air 2018 and later
MacBook Pro 2017 and later
Mac Pro 2019 and later
Mac mini 2018 and later
MacBook 2017 and later
If you don’t have one of these Macs, it is time to start planning for replacement. And don’t think this is a one-time aggressive move. Expect Apple to drop more Intel models in 2023. Don't be surprised if Apple drops 2019 models as they will be 4 years old. Intel is the past.
Good riddance! Why would you want to keep the Intel units? By now, you are likely experiencing battery issues on the laptops, graphics card issues on the iMacs, and every possible oddity you can think of on the trash can Mac Pro. The new Apple ARM based Macs are far superior to any Intel Mac ever produced. It is time to replace and join the future. The investment is worth it.
Consider your workflows and how much time you spend waiting for your old Mac to complete a task. Next, consider how long it takes to service these older models. Everything from application installation, to data copies, to general troubleshooting, takes longer. Become more efficient. Upgrade your Macs to the ARM units. As 2023 plays out, we should see the M2 processor making its way into all of the Mac products lines. It is time to budget for replacement.
The bitter irony is that now that Apple actually has hardware we’ve been dreaming of for years, market conditions are conspiring against us. There is the supply chain issue, rampant inflation, demand for higher wages, and the rising cost of everything. This constrains businesses from purchasing capital goods while frustrating those with budgets as product is so hard to obtain.
Despite these concerns, expect your favorite Carbon technician to start talking about fleet upgrades. We’ve been conservative throughout the pandemic, ensuring we’ve keep existing Macs on the road. But, it is time to trade in and trade up. Here is to the future as it is brighter than anything we’ve seen in the last decade.