“Are any of your Apple devices really dead?” My brother-in-law asked me some time ago while we were dining at my vacation home. The immediate answer that came to my mind was yes. Or at least, that was what I wanted to believe, figuring it was logical. Upon reflection, I realized that my initial answer was only partially correct.
I own many products that function perfectly, despite being over a decade old, such as a 160GB iPod Classic that only needs to be recharged to play the thousands of songs stored on it since the 2000s. This speaks highly of Apple, but it also teaches me a lesson about my decisions regarding upgrading those devices.
My devices aren’t dead; I’ve just retired them
The truth is, almost every Apple device I have purchased (the first one was in 2005) is still functioning in some way. Considering it has been 18 years since I first embraced Apple, that’s quite an achievement. Let’s take a walk down memory lane.
- My first Apple device was a 5th generation iPod (Video); I still have it, although unfortunately, it doesn’t work since it was literally run over by an SUV in 2008. I couldn’t revive it.
- My first Mac, a 20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo (the white one), is still in use in the office of Cesar, the person who introduced me to the platform. He uses it as a very basic machine for applications that have become outdated on the latest Macs. That same Cesar also uses a pair of Beats Studio headphones that I once bought but couldn’t tolerate because they caused headaches if worn for more than an hour.
I’m currently using a MacBook Air M2, but all my older MacBooks are either still in use or stored away for emergencies.
- My first MacBook was another white one, purchased second-hand from a friend. It’s not used often, but it’s been inherited by my sister and is still kept on a shelf labeled “just in case.” As far as I know, it still works.
- I then moved on to an 11-inch MacBook Air, which I believe is still stored at my sister’s house since the same brother-in-law, who inspired this article, inherited it. It should still be operational; at worst, the battery may have failed due to age and disuse.
- My 3rd generation iPad, which I bought as my first tablet, is still in good condition and is now used as a gaming device by my youngest niece.
- My 15-inch MacBook Pro, which I used for a time while working with a laptop connected to a monitor, has certainly seen better days, but my niece still uses it for some tasks.
- My brother-in-law’s main Mac is the 13-inch MacBook Pro Core i5 that I bought in 2015.
- The only Mac I can consider clinically dead is my 27-inch iMac Core i7. I bought it in 2013, but designer Miguel Morales recycled its screen to revive his own model. So at least part of it is still functioning.
- I bought the first 12-inch iPad Pro, which my niece has inherited; she uses it for leisure and study.
- Before I had my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I used an iPhone XS, which is now my brother-in-law’s phone.
- My old iPhone 6 Plus serves as my emergency phone, kept in case the one I currently carry gets stolen. It works perfectly.
The important second-hand Mac market
If I attempt to turn on one of the computers that have been powered off for several years, I may find that they are dead. However, I must state that the vast majority of the Apple gadgets I’ve purchased are experiencing a second life. A retirement, to be precise. The obvious question I ask myself is: Did I really need to change them so urgently if they last so many more years? Perhaps I have been too impulsive?
Maybe, and there are signs to support this. I used to consider a Mac to be well-used if it lasted three years or two years for iPhones. The iPhone XS lasted three years, and the 27-inch iMac lasted eight. My current Mac, the Mac mini M1, will remain on my desk for as many years as I can manage. My iPhone 13 Pro Max should last about four years in my pocket, and I would prefer if it lasted five. Oh, and on my wrist, I’m wearing an Apple Watch Series 4, which is approaching five years old. I don’t plan on upgrading it unless absolutely necessary, rather than on a whim. It may be that the Apple Watch Series 9 arrives under different circumstances; we shall see.
It may be that we have reached a point where the evolution of devices does not yield significant changes, but the savings factor and the environmental aspect are also considerations. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that we should utilize our devices until they genuinely need to be retired, either because they are beyond repair or due to a professional requirement that compels me to change.
It will no longer be about wanting a change; it will become a matter of necessity. The disappointing news is that my relatives will no longer inherit my Apple devices as frequently.
Image by Tetsuya Tomomatsu for Unsplash
An earlier version of this article was originally published on 07/07/2023.
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Are any of your Apple devices really dead? My brother-in-law asked me a while back while we were eating at my vacation retreat. The obvious answer that quickly crossed my mind was yes. Or so I wanted to believe, assuming it was logical. Thinking about it, I realized that answer is barely correct.
I have many products that work perfectly, despite having been around for more than a decade, like a iPod Classic 160GB that only needs to be reloaded to play the thousands of songs that have been locked in there since the two thousand. That says a lot of good things about Apple, but it also teaches me a lesson about how I should decide to upgrade those devices.
My devices aren’t dead, I’ve just retired them
The truth is that almost every Apple device I have purchased (the first one was in 2005) is still active in one way or another. And considering it’s been 18 years since I first started embracing Apple, that’s quite a milestone. Let’s take a look back.
- My first Apple device was a iPod 5G (Video) I still have it, although unfortunately it doesn’t work as it was literally run over by an SUV in 2008. I couldn’t revive it.
- My first Mac, a 20-inch iMac Core 2 Duo (and whitey) is still active in the office of Cesar, the person who evangelized me towards the platform. He uses it as a very basic machine and to use applications that have become obsolete on the most recent Macs. That same Cesar also uses some Beats Studio that I bought and didn’t want to use anymore because they gave me a headache if I wore them for more than an hour.
I’m currently using a MacBook Air M2, but all my older MacBooks are still either in use or stored away for emergencies.
- My first MacBook was another whitey purchased third hand from a friend. Not used often, but inherited by my sister and still stored on a shelf labeled “just in case.” As far as I know, it works.
- From there I jumped into a MacBook Air 11-inch which, if I’m not mistaken, is still stored at my sister’s house since the same brother-in-law who inspired this article inherited it. And again, it should still be operational. At most, the battery will have failed due to disuse and age.
- My iPad 3rd generation, which I bought as my first tablet, is still holding up as a gaming device for my youngest niece.
- The MacBook Pro 15-inch I used during a time when I embraced the laptop-connected-to-monitor mode of work is pretty beat up, but my niece uses it for some tasks.
- My brother-in-law’s main Mac is the MacBook Pro 13-inch Core i5 which I bought in 2015.
- The only Mac I can consider clinically dead is my iMac 27-inch Core i7 I bought in 2013, but beware: designer Miguel Morales recycled its screen so he could resurrect his own model. So at least part of it is still alive.
- I bought the first 12-inch iPad Pro, and my niece has inherited it; she uses it as a leisure and study machine.
- Before I had my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I used a iPhone XS which is now my brother-in-law’s phone.
- My old iPhone 6 Plus is my emergency phone, which I keep in case the one I carry now gets stolen. It works perfectly.
The Importance of the Second-Hand Mac Market
It is likely that if I try to turn on one of the computers that have been turned off for several years, I will find that they are dead. However, I still have to say that the vast majority of gadgets from Apple I bought are having a second life. A retirement, that is. The obvious question I ask myself is: Did I really need to change them so urgently if they last so many more years? Maybe I’ve been too impulsive?
It’s possible, and there are signs to support that. I used to consider a Mac to be well-used if it lasted three years or two years for iPhones. The iPhone XS lasted three years and the 27-inch iMac lasted eight. My current Mac, the Mac mini M1, is going to be on my desk for as many years as I can. My iPhone 13 Pro Max should be able to last about four years in my pocket, and it would be nice if it lasted five. Oh, and on my wrist, I’m wearing an Apple Watch Series 4 that’s already approaching five years old. I don’t plan on upgrading until it’s a necessity rather than a whim. It may be that the Apple Watch Series 9 will present itself as an occasion; we’ll see.
This may be happening because we have reached a point where the evolution of devices does not bring major changes, but the savings factor and the environmental one are also at play. It is becoming increasingly clear to me that we must take advantage of our devices until they really have to be retired, either because they die beyond any possible repair or because there is a professional need that leads me to change.
It will no longer be a question of wanting a change: it will be a question of necessity. The bad news is for my relatives, who will no longer inherit my Apple devices so often.
Image by Tetsuya Tomomatsu for Unsplash
An older version of this article was originally published on 07/07/2023.
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