How Long Will My Macbook Pro Last?

I honestly don't know why people think macbooks are "fast." Loading webpages is no faster on a mac (actually in some instances its patently slower), Graphics performance is not superior, applications and OS functions are no more reliable or peppy, the machine itself is no faster to service (actually its way harder / slower), and the operating system still slows down to the point its noticeably slower after a few years use. I recently had to troubleshoot a client who cant even open video during google meet calls without lag.

I've got a desktop that I built in 2008 that I only replaced in 2020 because I wanted to play newer games. That 2020 desktop is still going strong. My laptop was produced in 2016. I bought it for about $80 to replace my previous 2016-vintage laptop when its display started to fail. The last computer that I replaced due to performance in everyday tasks was a 2009 netbook.

In the 90s, it was easy to build/buy a machine that would be thoroughly limiting in its capabilities 2-3 years later. Now? I've got a 9-year-old laptop, 5-year-old desktop, and a 2-year-old workstation-class work laptop, and there's very little practical difference in power between them. The newer computer just has some conveniences like USB-C ports+charging.