With great hardware, great build quality, and continued software support, Macs can last for years without fail. The problem is that Intel-based Macs have been slowly losing steam since Apple switched to Apple Silicon. Even if Intel-based Macs aren’t completely obsolete, things are changing.
Apple has done a really good job of moving Macs away from Intel CPUs
In 2020, when Apple introduced the M1 chip to power the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro, the SoC outperformed Intel's chip designs.
These Macs are much faster, yet offer the kind of battery life typically found only in iPads, to the point where Apple removed the cooling fan from the MacBook Air because it wasn’t needed. By comparison, the current Intel-powered 16-inch MacBook Pro runs so hot it can’t really be used on your lap, and the fan is so loud it can’t be used for music production or podcasting.
Mozilla, the current owner of Pocket, recently announced that it would be discontinuing the Mac version and encouraging users to install the iOS version. This is good for Mac owners with Apple Silicon, as they run iPad and iPhone apps just fine. More importantly, it signals that Mozilla has ended all support for Intel Macs.
It’s not just third-party software. Even the upcoming version of macOS, Sonoma, will drop support for a range of Intel models. Specifically, if you have any Mac made before 2018, or anything without the Apple T2 chip in it, you won’t be able to run the new operating system.
Software limitations will be something Intel Mac users will have to face
Essentially, it all comes down to software. As Apple moves away from Intel in Macs, it will become harder to use them due to software issues. As Apple adds features that require its M-series chips, they won’t run on Intel-based models. Meanwhile, third-party software developers won’t want to create two versions of their apps, so the Intel version will be phased out. Even if they still work, new software and updates may not support them.
If you buy a Mac with an Intel CPU, you're taking the risk. Meanwhile, if you're thinking about buying a Mac, it's best to stay away from the Intel version unless you have a very good reason.
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