How long does a MacBook Pro usually last?

[themacguy]

I am in the desperate need of buying a MBP fast, and the new ones are yet to come out.
The latest MBP is 405 days old, and has Ivy Bridge.
I need this MBP to last, at the minimum, for 2 years, which includes the ability of being able to update it to the latest and greatest OS X versions and being able to run all the bleeding edge software smoothly.
So, all the knowledgeable folks out there, how long does a MacBook Pro last? How long does Apple usually support installing the latest OS X release on the MBP? For how many years?
Also, any owners of an old MBP, does is still feel good using it, and is it fast enough for you?

 

[MacMan]

I still have a 2007 MBP that I use occasionally. It's not as fast as my MBP Retina, but still usable.

 

[themacguy]

I still have a 2007 MBP that I use occasionally. It's not as fast as my MBP Retina, but still usable.

Does it run Lion or Mountain Lion?

 

[wildwillow]

I have the MBP late 2012 with Ivy Bridge. I upgraded to the i7 and 8GB memory, and 120GB SSD and it takes everything I thrown at it and I expect it to last, I would never even consider buying anything else when it comes to laptops. The best combo is PC hack and genuine MBP or MBA.

 

[MacMan]

Does it run Lion or Mountain Lion?

Mountain Lion

 

[themacguy]

I have the MBP late 2012 with Ivy Bridge. I upgraded to the i7 and 8GB memory, and 120GB SSD and it takes everything I thrown at it and I expect it to last, I would never even consider buying anything else when it comes to laptops. The best combo is PC hack and genuine MBP or MBA.

Yeah, even I prefer genuine MacBooks over hackintosh laptops. How much did your MBP cost you with all the upgrades?

Mountain Lion

Wow, its been more than 6 years, and your MBP runs Mountain Lion! That's like 5 versions of OS X. Surely, no PC can run through those many versions while maintaining usability. I am pretty impressed! Mavericks supported?

 

[wildwillow]

Yeah, even I prefer genuine MacBooks over hackintosh laptops. How much did your MBP cost you with all the upgrades?

Well I'm from Europe so the total cost was £1379. But worth every penny. If I put a price comparison to a Windows Laptop i would have payed just over half, along with all the bloat ware. And I would have been looking to replace that in a couple of years, I don't expect to replace my MBP in 5 years saving me a lot and giving me the pleasure of OS X native.

 

[themacguy]

Well I'm from Europe so the total cost was £1379. But worth every penny. If I put a price comparison to a Windows Laptop i would have payed just over half, along with all the bloat ware. And I would have been looking to replace that in a couple of years, I don't expect to replace my MBP in 5 years saving me a lot and giving me the pleasure of OS X native.

Well, I hate Windows. Even a fresh installation of Windows becomes slow as a snail and annoying as a, well, I can't find a comparison for that. I have always wanted to buy a Mac whenever I went to buy a computer, the price always held me back. But the moment I bought a PC, I regretted it. Macs do last a lot. A friend of mine has a snow white MacBook running Lion just as fast as a 2012 iMac base. And the pleasure of native OS X does exceed every other pleasure in the world!

 

[themacguy]

Mountain Lion

Hey, I'd like to know one thing. How's the battery on your 2007 MBP? My laptop's battery died out after it was 2.5 years old, doesn't hold a charge for a second. How long does your battery last? And how long did it used to last when it was new?

 

[BoomR]

I am in the desperate need of buying a MBP fast, and the new ones are yet to come out.
The latest MBP is 405 days old, and has Ivy Bridge.
I need this MBP to last, at the minimum, for 2 years, which includes the ability of being able to update it to the latest and greatest OS X versions and being able to run all the bleeding edge software smoothly.
So, all the knowledgeable folks out there, how long does a MacBook Pro last? How long does Apple usually support installing the latest OS X release on the MBP? For how many years?
Also, any owners of an old MBP, does is still feel good using it, and is it fast enough for you?

I have "Early 2008" MBP - Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz with 4GB RAM (the most it will take). I put Samsung 240GB SSD in it, plus have FW800 external drive for all my music apps, iTunes library, and sample/VST library. This is my "live gig rig" machine - I plug in & run a CME 72-key MIDI controller that's USB-powered. Plus as for apps: iTunes, Logic's MainStage, Band In a Box 2012.5, and kJams Pro (KJ app for playback of some karaoke tracks). All apps loaded simultaneously, but only 2 actually being used at any given time (MainStage + any 1 of the other 3 apps).

oh... And I'm running all this on Mountain Lion. Bought this machine right after it launched ~Feb 2008, making it ~5.5 yrs old. Had the mobo go bad about a year ago, but got a replacement for $275 through my local Apple Store. It's still going strong.

Ive had Apple computers running pro audio apps since 1992/93 when I had Apple IIci and the very first version of ProTools. This MBP is the first machine that I've EVER had where there's been any sort of serious hardware problem. Hopefully that tells you a bit about Apple hardware longevity & reliability. BTW, my partner has the identical MBP & bought about the same time I did... Zero hardware problems for him, and he's on ML, too - it's his main & 1-&-only laptop running Lofic Studio 9 and Digital Performer 7!!!

IMHO, buy now & you'll be good for 5-6 years and any new OS that comes along between now & then