There are two major camps in the PC world that most consumer types fall into- Windows or Mac. Windows users sometimes scoff at Mac fans due to the premium Apple commands for its computers, even though the hardware inside the machines is often dated compared to similarly priced Windows machines. Mac fans sometimes scoff at Windows users over build quality, design, software, security, and lots of other points. Clearly, both platforms have their pros and cons. However, especially as of late, it’s undeniable that Apple has really been trailing in base technology of its Mac platform.
As such, Mac software developer Rogue Amoeba is bashing Apple for what it calls the “sad state” of Mac hardware. Other than the high-end, $5,000 iMac Pro, no Mac hardware has been updated in the past year. The list below shows when each of the Mac machines was last updated; especially the poor little Mac Mini, which has been without an update way too long…
- iMac Pro: 182 days ago
- iMac: 374 days ago
- MacBook: 374 days ago
- MacBook Air: 374 days ago
- MacBook Pro: 374 days ago
- Mac Pro: 436 days ago
- Mac Mini: 1337 days ago
Rogue Amoeba’s Quentin Carnicelli points out that in the case of the Mac Mini the update it did receive back in 2014 was lackluster and its price has remained the same, despite its aging platform. Some of the updates Apple has made have fallen flat and led to issues, such as the move to the butterfly keyboard on the MacBook. That keyboard sparked cries for a recall due to a rash of reported failures and led to a class action lawsuit over the myriad of failures users have faced that Apple often won’t repair.
Carnicelli notes that it’s hard to recommend the current crop of Mac hardware. He says that his company is buying used equipment for testing, noting that isn’t ideal for the company or for Apple. The company’s blog post also takes issue with WWDC having come and gone for another year with no new hardware updates. That means we have a solid chance of seeing no updates until next year.
For those wanting or needing the latest hardware, it appears Macs aren’t an option right now. The befuddling part for many Windows users is that, despite the stale hardware, Mac fans keep buying. Perhaps this is why Apple lets the machines stagnate so. Why update if the public is buying and the old hardware is cheaper, allowing for those infamous margins Apple so loves?
Carnicelli wrote, “Apple needs to publicly show their commitment to the full Macintosh hardware line, and they need to do it now. As a long (long) time Mac OS developer, one hesitates to bite the hand that feeds. At a certain point, however, it seems there won’t even be anything left worth biting.”
[“Source-hothardware”]
