iMac 27" Late 2013 - Does it hold up for 2022?

[kriptcs]

Hey everyone! So my dad has this old and barely alive laptop from Dell with an i7 2nd Gen. The maximum windows it ever accepted was 8 and ofc I downgraded that to 7 and it has a lot of issues that I will not name. Basically a pain.
He has an iphone 13 and I thought it would be fitting if I got him an iMac for the ecosystem benefits. But I am a windows person and always have been so I have no idea who this whole apple thing works.

Here are the specs of one that i am looking at:
Intel i5 Quad Core
8G Frame
500G hard drive (SSD)
Geforce GTX775M

macOS Catalina 10.15.7

His main tasks are browser stuff and working with certain make-shift apps. 

1. Would a system like that be adequate for the type of stuff that he's working with? I knew that apple products don't really work with anything that's not in the appstore
2. What kind of longevity could you get out of a system like this? He's the type to keep his system forever. 

3. Would it be able to connect to my dad's phone considering his is running the latest ios and the imac is running an older macOS?

Thank you in advance for the help!

[Levent]

Why not get something newer? I don't see a valid reason to buy a decade old hardware and ask about longevity and usability.

 

Apple is transitioning away from X86 to ARM and that will leave all non apple soc devices, out of MacOS support both officially and unofficially.

 

[kriptcs]

1 minute ago, Levent said:

Why not get something newer? I don't see a valid reason to buy a decade old hardware and ask about longevity and usability.

 

Apple is transitioning away from X86 to ARM and that will leave all non apple soc devices, out of MacOS support both officially and unofficially.

 

Well...lack of money mainly. So you're saying that all mac devices before 2022 will be pretty much screwed?

[Crunchy Dragon]

I'd recommend buying the highest end model you can find within your budget. Especially if your dad is the type to keep computers forever and run them into the ground. A Core i7 and 16GB of RAM can go a long way.

 

I have a 2010 27" iMac that I upgraded the CPU(i3-330 to i7-860), RAM(4GB to 8GB), and added an SSD in. It's not great, but it's usable for basic web browsing and some lighter applications.

 

Apple products do work with apps outside the appstore, it just depends on what you want to use and if it's available for your operating system. Keep in mind that recent versions of macOS(I think Mojave and onward, I could be wrong) do not have support for 32-bit applications. I download apps mostly from the internet, but I have a few on my MacBook that come from the appstore.

 

I'm not aware of anything that should prevent his iPhone 13 from connecting to a Mac running a somewhat modern Mac OSX/macOS version.

 

Another option could be a slightly older MacBook Pro, such as a 2015 15". Nearly any Intel MacBook is gonna be a steal, they've been plummeting in price on the used/refurbished market since the M1 released. If you go the MacBook route, I'd recommend looking for a Pro from 2013, 2014, or 2015 if you need all the ports, or 2019 if you don't mind the Touchbar and needing dongles/adapters.

 

Just now, kriptcs said:

Well...lack of money mainly. So you're saying that all mac devices before 2022 will be pretty much screwed?

Not for a while, but it's coming. Right now, I'd largely consider it as something to keep in mind moreso than an immediate problem to watch out for.

 

What's your budget?

[kriptcs]

1 minute ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I'd recommend buying the highest end model you can find within your budget. Especially if your dad is the type to keep computers forever and run them into the ground. A Core i7 and 16GB of RAM can go a long way.

 

I have a 2010 27" iMac that I upgraded the CPU(i3-330 to i7-860), RAM(4GB to 8GB), and added an SSD in. It's not great, but it's usable for basic web browsing and some lighter applications.

 

Apple products do work with apps outside the appstore, it just depends on what you want to use and if it's available for your operating system. Keep in mind that recent versions of macOS(I think Mojave and onward, I could be wrong) do not have support for 32-bit applications. I download apps mostly from the internet, but I have a few on my MacBook that come from the appstore.

 

I'm not aware of anything that should prevent his iPhone 13 from connecting to a Mac running a somewhat modern Mac OSX/macOS version.

 

Another option could be a slightly older MacBook Pro, such as a 2015 15". Nearly any Intel MacBook is gonna be a steal, they've been plummeting in price on the used/refurbished market since the M1 released. If you go the MacBook route, I'd recommend looking for a Pro from 2013, 2014, or 2015 if you need all the ports, or 2019 if you don't mind the Touchbar and needing dongles/adapters.

 

Not for a while, but it's coming. Right now, I'd largely consider it as something to keep in mind moreso than an immediate problem to watch out for.

 

What's your budget?

about 350$ actually. I am not against going for a traditional windows laptop if it gave me better performance and the certainty that all the weird apps he works with will function

[Crunchy Dragon]

4 minutes ago, kriptcs said:

about 350$ actually. I am not against going for a traditional windows laptop if it gave me better performance and the certainty that all the weird apps he works with will function

I've seen some of the higher end 2015 MacBook Pros going for around that price(before tax and shipping).

 

When in doubt, you can always make sure the weird apps are supported on macOS. Worst case scenario, you just have to find an alternative option.

[kriptcs]

3 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

I've seen some of the higher end 2015 MacBook Pros going for around that price(before tax and shipping).

 

When in doubt, you can always make sure the weird apps are supported on macOS. Worst case scenario, you just have to find an alternative option.

I actually seemed to find a MacbookPro 2017 on macOS Monterey 12.6 for about 300$. He doesn't mention any defects other than scratches. Could it be legit?

[Crunchy Dragon]

34 minutes ago, kriptcs said:

I actually seemed to find a MacbookPro 2017 on macOS Monterey 12.6 for about 300$. He doesn't mention any defects other than scratches. Could it be legit?

Depends on where you look, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was legit. I bought my 2019 16" MacBook Pro from a site called Backmarket. There are also other places such as OWC that I've used in the past. MacOfAllTrades tends to have some good prices, but I've not bought from them yet. Ebay is obviously also an option, just be wary(like everything else).

 

The 2016-2018 MacBooks all have the worst keyboard to ever exist, which is worth noting and why I omitted all of them in my previous comment, skipping from 2015 to 2019 models.

[kriptcs]

1 minute ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Depends on where you look, but I wouldn't be too surprised if it was legit. I bought my 2019 16" MacBook Pro from a site called Backmarket. There are also other places such as OWC that I've used in the past. MacOfAllTrades tends to have some good prices, but I've not bought from them yet. Ebay is obviously also an option, just be wary(like everything else).

 

The 2016-2018 MacBooks all have the worst keyboard to ever exist, which is worth noting and why I omitted all of them in my previous comment, skipping from 2015 to 2019 models.

Oooh I see, I didn't realize at first.
But my dad will probably plug his own keyboard in it.
Any other reason than the keyboard to skip 2015-2019?
 

[Crunchy Dragon]

2 minutes ago, kriptcs said:

Oooh I see, I didn't realize at first.
But my dad will probably plug his own keyboard in it.
Any other reason than the keyboard to skip 2015-2019?

Touchbar exists and is terrible from 2016-2018, but if he's plugging his own keyboard in anyway, it might be a non-issue.

 

Just make sure you get one with enough ports. Anker and a few other companies make a really neat adapter that takes two Thunderbolt 3 ports and gives you plenty of other useful ports(such as USB-A, HDMI, and full size SD): https://www.anker.com/products/a8371?variant=37438484938902

[kriptcs]

18 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

Touchbar exists and is terrible from 2016-2018, but if he's plugging his own keyboard in anyway, it might be a non-issue.

 

Just make sure you get one with enough ports. Anker and a few other companies make a really neat adapter that takes two Thunderbolt 3 ports and gives you plenty of other useful ports(such as USB-A, HDMI, and full size SD): https://www.anker.com/products/a8371?variant=37438484938902

The model I am looking at has no touchbar. 
But the 13" is a bit disappointing, I would have to plug in an external monitor because he'll be struggling with that size. Which is why I was interested in an iMac to begin with. Do you think I can get any good ones for the budget that I have?

[Crunchy Dragon]

33 minutes ago, kriptcs said:

The model I am looking at has no touchbar. 
But the 13" is a bit disappointing, I would have to plug in an external monitor because he'll be struggling with that size. Which is why I was interested in an iMac to begin with. Do you think I can get any good ones for the budget that I have?

There's this one from Backmarket. Price varies a little bit depending on condition, though: https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/p/macbook-pro-retina-154-inch-2015-core-i7-16gb-ssd-512-gb/d75822e1-0f01-4d2b-bb26-4bfa126caa76#l=12

 

A MacBook will likely give you the best performance for your money. Some of the iMacs I'm looking at cost up to and beyond $100 more than this 2015 MBP while having older CPUs and less RAM. If you're on a strict budget, I'd go MacBook.

 

If you can save some money and increase your budget, then maybe I'd start considering an iMac but you'll likely run into the same issue again with MacBooks being the most cost-effective choice.

[kriptcs]

7 minutes ago, Crunchy Dragon said:

There's this one from Backmarket. Price varies a little bit depending on condition, though: https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/p/macbook-pro-retina-154-inch-2015-core-i7-16gb-ssd-512-gb/d75822e1-0f01-4d2b-bb26-4bfa126caa76#l=12

 

A MacBook will likely give you the best performance for your money. Some of the iMacs I'm looking at cost up to and beyond $100 more than this 2015 MBP while having older CPUs and less RAM. If you're on a strict budget, I'd go MacBook.

 

If you can save some money and increase your budget, then maybe I'd start considering an iMac but you'll likely run into the same issue again with MacBooks being the most cost-effective choice.

Okay. I will look into it, thanks a lot!

[Darkseth]

17 hours ago, kriptcs said:

1. Would a system like that be adequate for the type of stuff that he's working with? I knew that apple products don't really work with anything that's not in the appstore
2. What kind of longevity could you get out of a system like this? He's the type to keep his system forever. 

3. Would it be able to connect to my dad's phone considering his is running the latest ios and the imac is running an older macOS?

Thank you in advance for the help!

1. Not true. You need the App Store on a Mac just as much as you need the Windows Store on a Windows Computer. You are 100% free to install every piece of Software written for a Mac, that you find anywhere on the Internet. In Fact, some things can be obtained only this way.
It's just, the App Store isn't bad, and it's convenient for many things.
Or you could use homebrew, which is like installing Applications through the Terminal on Linux.

 

Hardware might be slightly faster or even worse. Depending on which i5 model it is. iMac 2013 can have 4th Gen Intel i5 with Dual Core only. Not something you want to use today tbh.

 

2. It's already over. MacOS 11 Big Sur came out 2 years ago, fall 2020, and it already did NOT support the iMac 2013 anymore. oldest regular iMac supported was 2014+.

Last year, MacOS 12 Monterey, and since 2 months we're at MacOS 13 Ventura.

Apple disowns those old Intel machines quickly, but they still work. And you can always put on Windows 10 or just Linux.

In my Opinion: This is a Computer, that is already due for an upgrade.

 

If the iMac 24" M1 is too expensive, consider a refurbished/second hand Mac Mini M1 chip + plug in any monitor.

Should be able to find some for <500 dollar? I hope you paid less for that old iMac.

 

If longevity is even remotely any kind of important, the M1 Apple Silicon models are the oldest you should consider. NO exceptions.

 

Well, you can use that old iMac for a while, so your Dad can find out if he can even get used to macOS. Consider that iMac as a Test run.

 

3. It should work, depending what exactly you want to use. Airdrop, iCloud etc should be no issue. Some newer Features might not be supported, as some modern features already only work with M1 Chip.

16 hours ago, kriptcs said:

Oooh I see, I didn't realize at first.
But my dad will probably plug his own keyboard in it.
Any other reason than the keyboard to skip 2015-2019?

2015 (with glowing apple logo) is fine.

2016 and 2017, avoid it. They still use Dual Cores in 13", and aside from Butterfly Keyboard, that thin design also had lower Cooling power -> hot and loud.

2018, 2019 and early 2020 were Quad Cores (Intel 8th Gen and 10th Gen in 2020), they are decent today.

 

Problem is: The newer models should still be so expensive second hand, that you can just get a M1 Macbook Air, which was the by Far biggest leap Apple has done since their transition from Power PC to Intel 15 years ago. Maybe even bigger.

 

So always compare prices, when looking at older Macs.
Look how cheap the cheapest Macbook Air M1 can get, and see this as a base.
ONLY consider older Intel Macbooks, if they are much cheaper than this. Also, 100-150 dollar more for the M1 is absolutely worth it, even 200 dollar would be worth it. It's much faster, quiet, cool, and will be supported for much longer.

 

It's really damn difficult to buy older Macbooks right now.

[kriptcs]

2 hours ago, Darkseth said:

1. Not true. You need the App Store on a Mac just as much as you need the Windows Store on a Windows Computer. You are 100% free to install every piece of Software written for a Mac, that you find anywhere on the Internet. In Fact, some things can be obtained only this way.
It's just, the App Store isn't bad, and it's convenient for many things.
Or you could use homebrew, which is like installing Applications through the Terminal on Linux.

 

Hardware might be slightly faster or even worse. Depending on which i5 model it is. iMac 2013 can have 4th Gen Intel i5 with Dual Core only. Not something you want to use today tbh.

 

2. It's already over. MacOS 11 Big Sur came out 2 years ago, fall 2020, and it already did NOT support the iMac 2013 anymore. oldest regular iMac supported was 2014+.

Last year, MacOS 12 Monterey, and since 2 months we're at MacOS 13 Ventura.

Apple disowns those old Intel machines quickly, but they still work. And you can always put on Windows 10 or just Linux.

In my Opinion: This is a Computer, that is already due for an upgrade.

 

If the iMac 24" M1 is too expensive, consider a refurbished/second hand Mac Mini M1 chip + plug in any monitor.

Should be able to find some for <500 dollar? I hope you paid less for that old iMac.

 

If longevity is even remotely any kind of important, the M1 Apple Silicon models are the oldest you should consider. NO exceptions.

 

Well, you can use that old iMac for a while, so your Dad can find out if he can even get used to macOS. Consider that iMac as a Test run.

 

3. It should work, depending what exactly you want to use. Airdrop, iCloud etc should be no issue. Some newer Features might not be supported, as some modern features already only work with M1 Chip.

2015 (with glowing apple logo) is fine.

2016 and 2017, avoid it. They still use Dual Cores in 13", and aside from Butterfly Keyboard, that thin design also had lower Cooling power -> hot and loud.

2018, 2019 and early 2020 were Quad Cores (Intel 8th Gen and 10th Gen in 2020), they are decent today.

 

Problem is: The newer models should still be so expensive second hand, that you can just get a M1 Macbook Air, which was the by Far biggest leap Apple has done since their transition from Power PC to Intel 15 years ago. Maybe even bigger.

 

So always compare prices, when looking at older Macs.
Look how cheap the cheapest Macbook Air M1 can get, and see this as a base.
ONLY consider older Intel Macbooks, if they are much cheaper than this. Also, 100-150 dollar more for the M1 is absolutely worth it, even 200 dollar would be worth it. It's much faster, quiet, cool, and will be supported for much longer.

 

It's really damn difficult to buy older Macbooks right now.

I get you on that but the cheapest Macbook Air M1 that I can find is 730$...that is double what my initial budget is and I simply cannot afford that right now. And since I see how big a mess apple laptops and computers are I might just switch to windows laptops. I found 2020 laptops with 10th gen Intel CPUs for 300$ so there's just no point

[EL02]

On 12/10/2022 at 11:51 PM, kriptcs said:

about 350$ actually. I am not against going for a traditional windows laptop if it gave me better performance and the certainty that all the weird apps he works with will function

get a used laptop with a ryzen 5 4500u or something similar

[kriptcs]

7 minutes ago, EL02 said:

get a used laptop with a ryzen 5 4500u or something similar

I found a huawei laptop with a 7 3700U

[EL02]

7 minutes ago, kriptcs said:

I found a huawei laptop with a 7 3700U

eh, afaik 4th gen ryzen is way better than 3rd gen. Plenty used listings on ebay

[kriptcs]

6 minutes ago, EL02 said:

eh, afaik 4th gen ryzen is way better than 3rd gen. Plenty used listings on ebay

I mean yeah. I am just trying to find the best laptop I can find for this money. I am also not from the US so I cannot use ebay really. Sorry for giving the false perception by talking in usd

[NemesisPrime_691]

10 hours ago, kriptcs said:

I get you on that but the cheapest Macbook Air M1 that I can find is 730$...that is double what my initial budget is and I simply cannot afford that right now. And since I see how big a mess apple laptops and computers are I might just switch to windows laptops. I found 2020 laptops with 10th gen Intel CPUs for 300$ so there's just no point

Hey! Just want to point out that you mentioned your dad using weird applications on his laptop, right? If those are Windows based apps, I would recommend asking him if their Mac counterparts are even available. In case they are, then you should be fine with switching to Mac, else you might be limited to Windows machines.

[kriptcs]

7 hours ago, NemesisPrime_691 said:

Hey! Just want to point out that you mentioned your dad using weird applications on his laptop, right? If those are Windows based apps, I would recommend asking him if their Mac counterparts are even available. In case they are, then you should be fine with switching to Mac, else you might be limited to Windows machines.

For sure. I think I am going with a windows machine in the end since it's what he's used to, I can get a lot of performance for my money and also assurance that things will work as usual