Apple names the latest older Macs to head for the graveyard - official

Jonny Evans
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October 21, 2009
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Apple has updated its list of Mac and other products it considers vintage and/or obsolete. The company will cease providing any product support or spare parts for these models from next month.

The list pretty much underlines that the PowerPC Mac is extinct, leaving few PowerPC models in the frame. Apple includes products discontinued over five but less than seven years ago as ‘Vintage’. Thanks to Hardmac for the info.

The following Macs and other products, may they rest in peace (or get cannibalised for spare parts via eBay)
 

  •         iBook G4 (early 2004)
  •         iBook G4 (14" early 2004)
  •         eMac (USB 2.0)
  •         Apple Cinema Display ADC
  •         Apple Studio Display 15" ADC
  •         Apple Studio Display 17" LCD
  •         Apple Studio Display 17" ADC
  •         Power Mac G4 (QuickSilver 2002)
  •         Macintosh Server G4 (QuickSilver 2002)
  •         PowerBook G4 (DVI)
  •         iBook (14.1 LCD 16 VRAM
  •         iBook (16 VRAM)
  •         Base Station Airport (Dual Ethernet)
     

Comments (18)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 10:17am

hmm... still using some of this stuff... I guess that I keep my computers too long

- gws

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 10:58am

I expect the G5 line will still be supported for a few more years to come, but that only iMac's and Power Mac's now - the Mac Mini, iBook and Power book never got the G5 chip because of cooling issues.

The problem will be getting software to work on these machines, most developers are still using universal binaries, but some smaller developers are already releasing intel only software, maybe to save time and money?

PowerMac's are largely used by the design industry, and will probably fall into two camps. Those that upgrade regally and those who don't. Those that do probably have or will be upgrading soon. Those that haven't might be the sort of companies that stick with the same software for years (I still know a company using the first PowerMac G4 with OS9, Photoshop 6.0 and Freehand 5.5, it does what they want, so they don't care).

My point is, if developers start thinking like me, PowerPC users are going to have a tough time finding new software, some won't care, but a lot will. I still have a iMac G5, and it works well!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 4:15pm

PowerMac G5 appears to be on the Vintage list. No iMac G5 though.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1752

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 11:14am

My Quicksilver G4 from 2002 is still kicking the last time it was turned on last month. Haven't had to replace a single thing in its lifetime.

Kev Orng (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 11:29am

Mine too! I've upgraded the RAM, but otherwise, it's all original.

I was hoping to get it up on eBay before it made the obsolete list. Oh well. I can still set it up for my nephew.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 11:46am

It's still going strong and never had any issues.

DaPuertorican (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 11:50am

OH GOD!! Mine is on the list!! Guess I'll have to start thinking how to save for a new one, and use this one as a big expensive MP3 player!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 1:09pm

Just because a machine shows up on a list like this doesn't suddenly make the machine worthless. Leopard is a very capable OS. Even Tiger is useful for many things. These machines may not run the latest software but still can be very useful in dedicated roles.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 1:11pm

Just because a machine shows up on a list like this doesn't suddenly make the machine worthless. Leopard is a very capable OS. Even Tiger is useful for many things. These machines may not run the latest software but still can be very useful in dedicated roles.

Gazoobee (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 2:21pm

I just gave away my quicksilver G4 to a friend. It runs Leopard and it's faster than many newer macs in daily use. it has upgrade memory and had a new hard disk over the years but otherwise original equipment.

I'd like to see a Dell or any other PC from 7 or 8 years ago that does even half as well (or is even useable for that matter).

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 6:06pm

Sry, but it is def. not "faster than many newer macs in daily use." I have one of those things, and I can't even get it to play YouTube vids properly over WiFi. It's got a 933 MHz processor and 1 GB RAM, which should be plenty, but it simply doesn't work without playing only every twentieth frame.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 6:32pm

Not to be a pr**k, but I've got two Dells in my office that are from 2000 and 2001.
both are p3's running XP-SP3 and autocad with 512 ram and 32&64 meg video cards.

They both run autocad 2005 and 2006 quite well and have paid for themselves thousands of times over in the high quality construction drawings they still produce.

Now If only I could still use my 2.5 year old, $450. fw400 mini dv cam with my year old unibody MBP. That would be the true meaning of longevity.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 2:28pm

sigh, I bought my Powerbook G4 1.67/2GB ddr/100GB/15.4 as top of the line in May 05. While it still runs perfectly, its sad to think that apple has vintagized it after only 4.5 years

Desa (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 3:56pm

Powerbooks G4 are not on the list - you are still supported.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 6:03pm

Uh oh, what am I going to do with my PowerMac G4 Quicksilver 2002 and 17" ADC monitor now? To teh eBay!

ulfoaf | October 21, 2009 - 8:21pm

These machines are hardly worthless. My G3 iMac shows its age, but it is still going. It's the master browser on my network since it never shuts down.

5 years is several generations of computers, so you can't really complain. No computer is going to hold up to standards after that amount of time, even if you bought top of the line.

Steve Lign (not verified) | October 21, 2009 - 11:24pm

This Imac has beautiful design, i like this!

:)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | October 22, 2009 - 8:34am

When in the market for a netbook late last year, my search led me to a time-capsule mint 12" G4 PowerBook 1.5ghz for $400. With a SuperDrive, maxed RAM (1.25 GB), and the addition of Leopard, iLife '09, iWork '09, Adobe CS4, and a new battery, this remarkably speedy little machine has spent the last year as a great mobile business companion taking notes in meetings, live email/calendar editing, remote website updating using iWeb '09 and iDisk, and tethering for studio photography work. The only things it simply can not do is video editing and video streaming, even 640x480. Once in a while standard resolution video streaming works if the internet connection is very fast.

Not only is it more powerful than the netbooks I was looking at, but using it has given me the opportunity to keep on the classic mac portables in regular use.