I was getting ready to purchase a refurbished 2019 iMac with an Intel chip and I heard that Apple is not supporting this anymore because they went to a different ship and therefore I wouldn't be able to upgrade the computer when necessary is this true?
iPhone 14 Plus, iOS 17
Yes and no.
Yes, Apple have transitioned all their Macs to the new Apple Silicon M-series processors. Apple is done with Intel CPUs in their hardware.
No, Apple will no longer support the Intel Macs beyond the normal life cycle. That is to say, the 2019 Intel Macs are still serviceable, but like any Mac once the Mac model ages-out to vintage or obsolete status then support will stop.
Yes, the 2019 iMac can currently be OS upgraded to Sequoia, but we don't know if the next major version of macOS will be compatible with the Intel models.
Yes and no.
Yes, Apple have transitioned all their Macs to the new Apple Silicon M-series processors. Apple is done with Intel CPUs in their hardware.
No, Apple will no longer support the Intel Macs beyond the normal life cycle. That is to say, the 2019 Intel Macs are still serviceable, but like any Mac once the Mac model ages-out to vintage or obsolete status then support will stop.
Yes, the 2019 iMac can currently be OS upgraded to Sequoia, but we don't know if the next major version of macOS will be compatible with the Intel models.
What you are thinking of buying is not really an refurbished Mac unless you are buying it directly from Apple (they don't sell 2019 refurb's any longer) or from a very reputable site such as Macsales.com.
To answer your question, Apple still supports the 2019 iMacs even though they use the Intel architecture however for how long is still up in the air. If you cannot afford to buy a new Mac (I would STRONGLY suggest looking at new 2024 Mac mini M4's as they are bargain powerhouses) then buy from a reputable site such as Macsales.com.
As a general rule it is NOT wise to buy a used Mac from:
Why, very simple most of these machines are not really refurbished professionally by installing high quality parts, many of these "refurbished" Macs use cheap parts and they have little or no warranty, many are NOT prepared correctly (read What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac ) and sometimes you are simply inheriting someone else's problem.
In short, I would recommend against considering that Mac.
BobK1957 wrote:
I was getting ready to purchase a refurbished 2019 iMac with an Intel chip and I heard that Apple is not supporting this anymore because they went to a different ship and therefore I wouldn't be able to upgrade the computer when necessary is this true?
Yes, it is true that Apple went to a different chip. Apple switched from Intel processors to Apple Silicon (ARM) ones beginning in 2020, and no longer has any Intel-based machines in their new lineup.
Apple is still supporting the 2019 iMac. They discontinued the 27" ones in August 2020 and the 21.5" ones in April 2021. Once a Mac has been discontinued for five years, its hardware support status changes from "Supported" to "Vintage", and in many parts of the world, that means you cannot get repair parts or repair service for it from Apple, any more. The 27" 2019 iMacs will be Vintage very soon.
Both 2019 iMacs can run the current version of macOS – Sequoia. They just barely made the cut – thus I would not count on them being eligible to run Sequoia's successor.
There are some macOS features that are exclusive to Apple Silicon, including
As others have already recommended the Mac Mini M4 is a real bargain. I just got one with an LG 32" 4k monitor for $1417 whereas a similarly configured 24" iMac would have cost me $2065 - $648 more than the Mini. A 27" 4K monitor would save you even more.
BobK1957 wrote:
I was getting ready to purchase a refurbished 2019 iMac with an Intel chip and I heard that Apple is not supporting this anymore because they went to a different ship and therefore I wouldn't be able to upgrade the computer when necessary is this true?
Apple started the transition to Apple silicon in 2020, and has more recently completed the transition away from Intel x86-64 processors.
iMac x86-64 is lacking various new features that are specific to Apple silicon.
iMac 2019 is the oldest supported iMac on the current macOS 15 “Sequoia” version.
I would expect macOS support for the remaining Intel x86-64 processors to end before the Apple silicon processors start to be deprecated, though Apple has not made statements here.
Apple has been on a yearly release cycle for new macOS versions.
Roughly five to seven years of hardware and software support is typical.
I would not purchase a Mac Intel x86-64 at this time. Not unless you’re planning to also directly boot Microsoft Windows, and can’t run the Windows Arm guest for some reason. I’d look at the Mac mini as mentioned above, or the iMac 24”.
Beware private sales and the possibility of Activation Lock, too. Lost or stolen devices are unfortunately available, and will not be useful to the buyer. Expensive bricks. If the seller can disappear, consider the purchase very speculative.
I would recommend looking at the Mac Mini M4, for a very nice configuration you can get one for $999 (16gb RAM and 1TB SSD) add a display (budget about 300) and for about 1,300 you have a nice computer. Also, did you know Apple offers 12 month no interest financing or about $85 month?
In short you may be able to buy new but just don’t realize it.
Thank you so much for educating me on this. I’m not real savvy and I can’t afford a new computer and I think I’m gonna hold off till purchase a newer model in 2019
Not sure what iMac you are looking at but get one that has an SSD and not a Fusion drive.
tbirdvet wrote:
Not sure what iMac you are looking at but get one that has an SSD and not a Fusion drive.
And absolutely not a hard disk drive.
+1
2019 iMac operating software updates
