Question
What Does it Mean if your Mac is Obsolete?
When you buy an Apple product, or any device, you are making an investment. The hope is that the device will be worth the hard-earned money you spend on it, and that it will last a long time. Nobody wants to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a Mac for it to only last them a year or two.
That's why it's important to take care of your Apple products, get insurance for your Apple products, and know how long your Apple products are eligible for service, even when they are no longer covered by warranties or insurance.
In this quick guide, I answer the confusing question: What does it mean if your Mac is obsolete?
An obsolete Mac is a mac that can no longer receive service (A.K.A repairs) because ARSs (Apple Retail Stores) and AASPs (Apple Authorized Service Providers) generally no longer keep the parts in stock anymore.
According to Apple, an Apple product becomes obsolete 7 years after Apple stops selling them. Essentially, this means that the product in question cannot be repaired after that 7 years has passed, at least not by an ARS or AASP.
However, there are rare instances where some service providers, usually those that aren't considered authorized, may carry the parts and be able to fulfill repairs. It is incredibly difficult to find service providers that can fulfill repairs for an obsolete device and still carry the part, however, so don't count on being able to find someone who will still service your product.
For some Apple users, this can be really discouraging. However, remember that all devices have a threshold, and that carrying all the parts for all the many devices made would be incredibly challenging. Not to mention, once a device is out of date, and that technology is out of date, upgrading may be your best option in order to keep up with the accelerated advancement of technology.
Alternatively, having an obsolete Mac doesn't necessarily mean you need to upgrade. It just means that you will have difficulty repairing your Mac once it is obsolete.