How I Got a Vintage Mac

Lonnie Lazar ()

How I Got a Vintage MacIndependent Mac repair shops all over the world are rejoicing this week, after Apple’s announcment the company will phase out repair support for certain G4 machines, xserve products and other “vintage” and “obsolete” gear.

After March 17th, Apple will no longer provide service parts or documentation for the products listed after the jump, and the items will not be accepted as Mail-In Repairs to AppleCare Repair Centers.

It’s mighty kind of Apple to support the Apple repair ecosystem this way, and yet gives incentive to the consumer to buy new gear at the same time.

Sheer brilliance.

Via AppleInsider, via MacMerc

Among products on the “vintage” list are:

iMac (Early 2001)
iMac (17-inch Flat Panel)
iMac (Flat Panel)
iMac (Flat Panel 2003)
iMac (Summer 2001)
eMac
Macintosh Server G4 (Digital Audio)
Macintosh Server G4 (QuickSilver)
Macintosh Server G4 (Quicksilver 2002)
Macintosh Server G4 (Mirrored Drive Doors)
PowerBook (FireWire)
PowerBook G4
PowerBook G4 (12-inch) – that’s me!!
PowerBook G4 (17-inch)

Obsolete gear includes:

Macintosh Server G4 (AGP Graphics)
Macintosh Server G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
PowerMac G4 (AGP Graphics)
PowerMac G4 (Gigabit Ethernet)
PowerMac G4 (PCI Graphics)
PowerMac G4 Cube
PowerBook (Firewire), and even the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh.

What’s the difference between “vintage” and “obsolete,” you ask?

DON'T MISS
More Macs Put Out to Pasture: Apple’s Updated “Vintage/Obsolete” List

Vintage products are those discontinued more than five and less than seven years ago. Apple has discontinued hardware service for vintage products except for products purchased in the state of California, United States, as required by statute. Owners of these products may obtain service and parts from Apple Service Providers within the state of California, United States.

Obsolete products are those that were discontinued more than seven years ago. Apple has discontinued all hardware service for obsolete products with no exceptions. Service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.

Apple’s official list of vintage and obsolete products is here.

11 comments »

About the author

Lonnie Lazar

Lonnie Lazar is a writer-musician-web designer-attorney. He writes about Apple for Cult of Mac and Mac|Life, and about VoIP and telecommunications for Voxilla. Follow Lonnie on Twitter @LonnieLazar, join the Cult of Mac on Facebook, and find Lonnie's photos on Flickr.

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Posted in Apple, Macintosh, News |

  • http://coreminimalist.blogspot.com Dann

    Hey! That includes my beautiful Quicksilver G4 as well!

  • Hyram H.

    Your jumplink to Apple Insider has three p’s in it, leading people off to a park-page.

    Oops :)

  • Kate

    Still love my 12″ Powerbook G4. I work at a tech center/repair place and I still get complements on it, no one can believe that it is a six-year-old computer that is tiny and can burn DVDs.

  • AdamC

    Get on with your life get a new Mac it will tie you over until the economy get back on its feet rather than something which you think will get the job done but will not.
    I am using a 15″ alu powerbook, after it a macbook because most of the softwares wouldn’t be supporting ppc Macs by then.

  • rick

    PowerBook G4s were replaced by the Macbook Pro in 2006, thats 3 years ?

  • http://www.info-mac.org Dan

    “and even the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh”

    Well yeah, since thats from 1997 and is from what we could call the “G2″ era.

  • Stephen Macklin

    I still love my obsolete G4 Cube.

  • Darcy McGee

    This isn’t apple “supporting the infrastructure” in any new way. They’ve been doing this for decades. It’s no different than car companies who over time stop making parts for older models, except that in that case a third party usually picks up the empty space left.

    As I understand it, rules for companies supporting products are different in California, so there’s often a longer support period in that state.

  • mike

    I love my G4 PowerBook & now that it’s ‘vintage’ it makes it even more special. But what does that make my 14″ G3 MacBook and my ‘Clamshell’ MacBook? They both still work amazing! I still get around 2 hours of battery life on my clamshell macbook. Thats what my roomate gets on his brand new toshiba.

  • TheDude

    Maybe my sarcasm detector is broken, but how exactly is this a good thing?

    I have two machines that are in service on that list. It is a shame that I won’t be able to get parts if they break.

  • Anonymous

    Tnx. Got 2 Quicksilvers 867Mo = 1Go going. You ever try Macbidouille for some real Hacking exploits!