5/31/22
9:00 am

When Is the Right Time To Buy a New Mac?

What to consider when you are thinking of buying a new Mac. Should you buy when you need a new Mac, or when Apple comes out with a new model? How do you know when Apple is about to release something new?

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Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. When is the right time to buy a new Mac?
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So when deciding if it's the right time to buy a new Mac there are two major factors to take into consideration. One is, of course, is Apple about to come out with a new version of the Mac that you're looking at. The other is what are your needs? Is it time for you to get a new Mac. Now a lot of thought and discussion goes into that first question. But I think the second question is actually more important for most people. So let's start off by taking a look at how often you should be buying a new Mac.
Mac users fall into a wide range from people that always want to have the latest and greatest Mac even if they are buying a new one every year to people that want to buy one and use it as long as they possibly can before getting a new Mac. Most of us fall somewhere in-between. I think there are four major factors that determine where you are there. One, of course, is budget. Macs cost the same no matter which situation you're in. For some people buying a new Mac really isn't that big of an expense. But for others it's a major expense. Another thing to consider is what you use your Mac for. Some people are just home users. They actually don't use it for work at all. They use it just for browsing the web, communicating with people, maybe playing some games and things like that. On the other hand some people use it for work so they are actually making their living from using their Mac. A lot of us are in-between. Sometimes using it for work and sometimes using it for home. 
If you do use your Mac for work you may want to consider the return you get on your investment. For instance, if getting a newer, better, faster Mac is actually going to allow you to earn more money then it could easily be worth it to buy a new Mac. But if it doesn't really matter if you've got an older Mac or a newer Mac then it is not that big of a factor. Like for instance you're a writer and writing with a word processor is not going to make that much of a difference if your Mac is five years old or brand new.
Another thing to consider is how much you push your Mac. Whether you're a home user or whether you use it for work if say you're using it to edit video and maybe when you bought it you were editing 720 video and now you're editing 4K video and using lots more effects then it may be time for a new Mac. But on the other hand if you're just using it for web browsing and email and word processing then you may not be pushing it much at all. So using your current Mac really isn't a problem. 
So before you decide to buy ask yourself these three questions: 
First is your current Mac meeting your needs. If you can do everything you want just fine on your current Mac and you don't feel that a new Mac is going to help in any way then that pretty much points to you sticking with your current Mac for awhile. 
Second is would a new Mac actually allow you to do things better. For instance, could you do things faster to save yourself time, be more efficient. Don't just think of things like the processor or the age of the Mac. Think of things like are the new keyboards maybe better for typing. Is the new screen better for you seeing what's there or maybe larger. Maybe when you bought your old Mac you bought too small of a drive and you're struggling with that so it's not necessarily getting a Mac that's newer now with a newer processor, but this time you would get one with a larger drive. There's lots to consider. But think of how things would be different if you got a new Mac.
Third is do you have the money right now to buy a new Mac. For some people this isn't a problem but for others this is a major consideration and you should really think of this as one of the main reasons to either buy or not buy a new Mac. If the answer is that you don't quite have the money now maybe plan for the future so that when you do actually need a new Mac and can't wait any longer you've got the money set aside. 
Now, for course, the other major factor is what does Apple have coming soon? You don't want to buy a new Mac and find out that Apple has come out with a new model just a few days later. So, you want to pay attention to what Apple has out now, the rumors that are out, and also the history of the model you're looking into. There are several places you can go to get this information. First, get the Mactracker App. It's a free app in the Mac App Store. Once you have it you can actually research all of the current and past Mac Models. So let's say you're interested in getting a MacBook Air. You can look at MacBook Air models. You can scroll through the list and see about how often Apple comes out with new models. You can also see the differences between those models. 
Another place to go it Wikipedia. For any Mac model there's going to be a detailed page in Wikipedia about that model. You'll find the history as well as lots of charts and timelines. You could see how often a new model comes out and what the different capabilities of those models are. Finally you want to go to MacRumors.com. Click on Buyer's Guide here and then go down to the model that you want. So in this case we're going to go to Macs and we're going to look at MacBook Air. You can see it says Don't Buy there. Now keep in mind that MacRumors is definitely a site for Mac enthusiasts. So it's going to give advice that's not necessarily practical but it is advice if you're really into Macs and you want to make sure that you have the latest model. If I go in here you can see that the MacBook Air hasn't been updated in 566 days. So they think a new one is due pretty soon and they are probably right! So if you don't need a new MacBook Air right now and you can afford to wait another few weeks or months then it is probably worth waiting for. 
On the other hand if you're looking for a model, let's say a Mac Studio, you could see that was released only 83 days ago. It's unlikely there's going to be a new version of this one anytime soon. So it's a good time to buy. 
Now it's not always the end of the world to buy a Mac and then find out a new version of that model gets released just a few months later. Some people actually prefer it that way. Getting a tried and true model that's been out for awhile and doesn't seem to have any major hardware defects as opposed to being one of the first people to get a new model. Also, Apple supports models based on the number of years old they are. So if you buy something that was new and for sale and a few months later there's a new Mac model that comes out there's really not going to be that much of a difference. It's not like Apple is going to drop support next year for that new Mac you just bought. It's still going to be five to seven years down the road that all software, updates, and everything is going to be supported. 
I would say the main reason to wait for a new model to come out if it's been rumored that there's one coming is if you're an Apple enthusiast. So it's very important to you to have the latest and greatest even if you can't have the every year knowing that maybe every fifth year you're the one with the latest and greatest model. There's nothing wrong with that. There's people that are enthusiasts for all sorts of things like phones, cars, clothing that want to have the latest and greatest, at least some of the time. So waiting a couple months to get that new MacBook Air as opposed to the existing model could be worth it to you.
Another reason to getting the latest model that just came out isn't best for everybody is a lot of people like to buy certified refurbished Apple products. I'm talking about ones directly from Apple not refurbished and for sale somewhere else. If you want a refurbished Mac you're not going to be able to find the brand new model that just came out here. It takes a few months for new models to make their way to the refurbished site. So, if you're looking for that discount you get with a refurbished product then buying the existing model, instead of waiting for the new one, is the way to go.  
Another reason not to wait is if there is a big life change coming up, like for instance you're starting school. There maybe rumors that there's a new Mac model coming out maybe soon after school begins but you're probably going to want to get your new Mac before school starts. Get it all setup and not have any interruption in the middle of a semester or when you upgrade your Mac. Another thing you should know about is Apple has a No Questions Asked return policy for fourteen days. So in the very unlikely event that you buy a new Mac and Apple releases a new product right after it, within those two weeks, you could actually return your Mac and get the new one. So if you know Apple is doing a new product announcement next week and you think it is unlikely they would introduce a new iMac or MacBook Pro or whatever it is you're interested in but you think you'd wait just to be safe. Well, you could always buy now and if the rumors were wrong and they do release a new product then you could return it and get the new one. 
So, in summary, I always recommend that you buy a new Mac when you need it. Not based on rumors and not based on when you feel a new model might come out. But if you're not in a rush it might be worth it to check to make sure Apple isn't about to come out with a new version of that Mac soon. If they are then you might want to wait.
Hope you found this useful. Thanks for watching.

Comments: 18 Responses to “When Is the Right Time To Buy a New Mac?”

Chris in CT

8 months ago

Gary, How important is it to have the latest operating system?
It is rumored that my iPhone 6s and 2015 MacBook Air will not be able to run the next generation of iOS and macOS. Although both devices are slowing down and running out of storage, they still meet my needs. What are your thoughts?

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

Chris: That completely depends on your needs and wants. Eventually you'll need something in the new version of each OS (or simply "want" it). But if you aren't using them for work and would rather stay with the old, then you can certainly do that.

Lisa in FL

8 months ago

I thought when you could not update any longer to the current version then you wouldn’t get security updates. That is a concern

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

Lisa: Apple typically provides security updates for 1-2 years more than system updates. So you can go a little longer if you have no other reason to update. Past that, if security is a concern for you, then yes, you'd want to update.

Paul Gardner

8 months ago

I’m 88 and a Patreon contributor. My Mac is mid-2011 running High Sierra. When the hard drive failed, I had a 1T SSD installed. Everything works perfectly. I am a typical casual user, not even a gamer. My only concern is the inability to update the OS. Based on my type of use, do you think I need to purchase a new Mac?

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

Paul: If your current Mac does everything you need and you have no complaints, then you are fine sticking with it. Security is my only concern, but if you don't install anything new or outside of the Mac App Store, then it isn't too much of a worry.

Alan Youngblood

8 months ago

I am a fan of buying what could be called "new old stock" Buying a brand new Mac that is a year or two old. I do a lot of video and just bought a new 2020 machine that was loaded up with RAM and a Large SSD. I paid less then a new 2022 mac and the performance is better. Its new so the same warranty applies. Yes, I realize I may be shortening my service life a year or two because Apple will stop supporting it sooner then a 2022 model but the 2014 Imac I moved from was running the current OS.

John Robinson

8 months ago

I have a second Mac:
17,1 iMac, Mojave, 2TB SSD:
I don’t plan on going past Mojave on this Mac for Steam gaming. Since Apple will stop updating Mojave, should I carry something like Symantec? Or will that still leave the processor vulnerable?

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

John: Not sure what you mean by "leave the processor vulnerable" -- are you simply afraid of getting malware? I would just be very careful of what you install on that machine. Are you planning to keep everything you do stuck in Mojave-era just for some discontinued Steam games (I assume they are discontinued if they are 32-bit still in 2022). If security is important to you, maybe keep this old Mac for just those old games, and a new Mac for everything else.

Tim Woolmer

8 months ago

One other thing to keep in mind is compatibility with other devices.
I have a mid 2010 iMac which I replaced the graphics card and added a 2TB SSD. It works fine and does everything I want.
However, Reminders do not transfer to the old Mac . Even though they are iCloud reminders. True I can log on to iCloud in safari and use reminders that way but it lacks some of the features.
Likewise with sharing numbers spread sheets.

Robert Mitton

8 months ago

Gary, when people ask about keeping their Mac protected after the Apple Security Updates stop for their OS, why are you not offering up great software ideas that can protect them regardless of whether they get Apple's downloads? Using something like Objective-See's "KnockKnock" and "BlockBlock" could help immensely. https://objective-see.org

I'm using both of these with my Mac running Mojave.

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

Robert: Good question! Basically it comes down to that I have very little confidence in any of that software. I think it is a better strategy to learn how to protect yourself by not downloading things from sites you shouldn't trust than to have false confidence that some third-party app is going to protect you. Plus, I have seen so many times anti-malware software misbehaving and causing problems on its own, like slowing things down, false positive panicking, and websites not functioning.

Dave Norris

8 months ago

Maybe this is off topic, but I would also suggest that a person think about their needs (as you suggest) and evaluate an iPad as a replacement for a Mac, when it’s time to consider an upgrade. I think of two points with this decision: Positive-portability and apps; Negative-possible workflow change.

Alan Youngblood

8 months ago

Dave. I totally agree. There are so many people that would be better served with an iPad. When your computer use consists of web browsing, social media and email, an iPad is easier, less expensive and more portable. Apple has done a poor job pointing that out.
But, I know, people don't want to change. The different form factor is scary - even if they don't know anything about a the old form factor.

Carlos Ramos

8 months ago

I have an iMac late 2013 running OS Catalina 10.15.7. Most of my work is word processing (for publishing) with Pages; Numbers spreadsheets (home use); and sometimes Keynote (for school). My Mac has been going horribly slow at times, it seems like it is keeping my local files also in iCloud (although I don't see them there) and every time I open a file there is a lapse of time before opening. Sometimes I think there is a conflict between my Pages version and my OS version. Thanks for your comment

Hubert

8 months ago

Hi Gary. From another angle: I, retired, have a MacBook Pro 15" mid 2015 with 16GB mem and a 256SSD. Don't want to spend money on iCloud but SSD os getting too small. Migrated a heap of files to external drive as a solution. However, eventually will not be practical anymore. Do I buy a new MAc or do I get a larger SSD and upgrade the memory. Thans for your advice.

Hubert

8 months ago

PS: Forgot to mention that I am running Monterey.

Gary Rosenzweig

8 months ago

Hubert: This is very subjective and it is up to you, but I would never throw money at a 7-year-old machine that won't even be able to run Ventura in the fall. I'd put the money toward a new machine instead. And make sure you get a large enough hard drive.

When Is the Right Time To Buy a New Mac?

Comments: 18 Responses to “When Is the Right Time To Buy a New Mac?”

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