I don't understand why these articles think that people will just keep buying, like in the past decade the lifespan of devices has become bigger and bigger. I'm typing this post on a 2013 Macbook and I'm sure a lot of other users are using older laptops than that, that run perfectly fine. Like does the media just expect people to be buying new stuff again and again?
I don't know if I'm just missing the point or something...
Sooner or later you will have to buy a new device due to planned obsolescence, i.e. when (security) updates are no longer released. But then you can of course install a free operating system instead.
I was purposefully leaving Macs out. My 2006 era Core Duo Mac Mini stopped being supported in 2008 (?). I was able to install Windows 7 on it, give it to my mom and it will still be supported until 2020 by Microsoft...
You do bring up a very valid point but I think that is true with anything that consumers buy like cars, or common household products when things just start to break or newer iterations of those products come out with better features.
But why throw something away which is not physically broken? I currently use a Mac Mini from 2009 with Debian and I have no complaints... well, except that software keeps getting slower.
2012 Macbook Pro here. Works like I just bought it. 5G is apparently the reason next year for your phone upgrade. I'm not sure how anyone will notice the difference, not to mention plans being throttled to death to begin with.
Macs have always been durable. Nothing has changed in that regard. If anything they've become less repairable and user-upgradable, shortening replacement cycles.
I don't know if I'm just missing the point or something...