People go on about how much more expensive Apple kit is, and sometimes refer to it as the Apple Tax.
Well, I am sitting here, having decided to go back to using a laptop, using my 2010 MacBook Air.
Yes, a thirteen year old computer that is still working reliably and able to do all that I want it to do. OK, I am having to get a little hacky to get around the fact that it won’t run the latest software, but it hasn’t taken much effort to get me where I want to be.
The Obvious? 
Yes, all my Macs have lasted really well, and are typically going strong at least a decade after I bought them. I know that some other makes can and do survive that long, but with Apple, I expect it. When I bought may latest laptop, the price was painful, but then I worked out what the total cost-per-day had been for the (also originally expensive) one it was replacing…
At a certain point I tend to get rid of them when they get too far behind the supported versions of MacOS, but if I wanted to run Linux on the desktop, they could keep going quite a bit longer!
I pine for the loss of the 27in iMac… my favourite model for many generations… but I have to admit that the Mac Mini or Studio would probably be a longer-lasting format for me, because I’d eventually put Linux on it and use it as a home server when I no longer wanted it as my desktop.
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Yeah my iMac is ten years old and so I might end up getting a new laptop eventually to keep up with the software, but probably not for a while. And to be honest it will probably be a standared configuration MacBook Air and they are around the £1,000 mark as they have been for years and years.
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I’m at a point where I need to consider my Apple tech and whether they need replacing.
I have an iMac that I love. However it’s now not being updated but I can still do the majority of tasks on it albeit I noticed it being a little slow to boot up. Similarly I have a MacBook laptop slightly newer and that also doesn’t accept updates.
After stopping work, my use of tech has completely changed. Where I used to sit in front of the desktop for hours on end, now I find I don’t want to be in my study in front of it. I feel as if I’m wasting my day. My Apple iPhone is my main tool of choice.
I do a lot of video editing but I’ve come to accept that if I want to go further with it (more creative), I really do need to upgrade however then I think that there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a basic fundamental use that doesn’t mean spending more money for a new computer or software.
Ultimately my choice nowadays has been stripped down to bare basics. How does my lifestyle and preferred use of my time align to the tools I need to use that doesn’t involve me spending hours shackled to the desktop.
The iPhone wins out. I’d prefer to update that and then the laptop comes second but purchasing decisions can be delayed as long as possible.
I can see one day that I may never use a laptop or a desktop ever. (I think you wrote something about this many years ago).
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I too am much less inclined to jump on the latest tech. All of my devices are getting long in the tooth but they all still work. I’ve been loving having the iPad as my main device but resurrecting this laptop has made me realise that having a full keyboard that just fits nicely on my lap makes me much more likley to write – and that may be a good thing…
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