Why do Apple stop supporting older devices?

Hobbyist hackers have been hard at work on this problem. They have developed hacks that can work around most of the issues in getting more modern MacOS to run on older hardware.

But for older Macs with only older Intel integrated graphics like many older 13-in MacBook Pro models, they GAVE UP. Hackers were able to get newer Mac OS to operate, that was not the issue.

They said that the older Graphics chips in these older Macs were so slow as to be completely unusable for anything, including web surfing and picking up your email.

Because of their antiquated (by today's standards) graphics, these older computers are too slow. Expectations of the basic functions the computer can perform, and how quickly it can perform them, have forced these older computers to the sidelines as far as updating to later versions of MacOS.

But these computers are not dead -- they can still perform the functions they could when you first took them out of the box, and in most cases, have been able to support many versions of software upgrades, and add additional functions.

Apple has decided that these computers are not up to the task of running current macOS, and have simply left them behind for NEW updates. Hackers agree -- they are simply not capable enough. They are NOT abandoned, Apple has just stopped pressing additional capabilities into your hand for free.

If you want the latest features, that will requires a new(er) computer.

jonniejoe wrote:

My MacBookPro is nearly 10 years old and runs as good as they day I bought it - testament to the quality of Apple products - However! Apple have stopped allowing me access to the most recent macOS. This would be OK, but it means other software that only supports the newer IOS won't run.

Can you let me know what the parts of the hardware are not compatible with the latest macOS and a mid2012 macbook pro?

? Yes

It never pays to get too far behind in the software and/or hardware...it only makes it more difficult trying to move forward...

surely you have heard of Moore's law (?)— you can extrapolate your 2012 + 10 years = 2022

Moore's law is a term used to refer to the observation made by Gordon Moore in 1965 that the number of

transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years...

you can read more: https://www.synopsys.com/glossary/what-is-moores-law.html

See vintage and obsolete:

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired ...

jonniejoe wrote:

My MacBookPro is nearly 10 years old and runs as good as they day I bought it - testament to the quality of Apple products - However! Apple have stopped allowing me access to the most recent macOS. This would be OK, but it means

Not only the most recent..

Mid 2012 you are at the end of the line with macOS 10.15.7 Catalina latest update was March 14, 2022

Which you do not clarify..

The older macOS installer backups on this server:

How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support

verify you are using the Safari browser to download/initiate the macOS links.

jonniejoe wrote:

Thanks @John Galt - that is my point... There are computers in the list with the same CPU and other spec to the mid 2012, so what specifically is it that is not compatible with Monterey?

I don't see any compatible computers on the list with the same speed, instruction set, hardware architecture, components, ... as your 2012 computer.

jonniejoe wrote:

Thanks @John Galt - that is my point... There are computers in the list with the same CPU and other spec to the mid 2012, so what specifically is it that is not compatible with Monterey?

That has no bearing upon the answer. The specific component limitations are as I wrote. They include nearly every major component.

Your Mac remains 100% capable of doing everything it was designed to do when it was built. Apple will continue to support older models for several years. Your mid-2012 model remains fully supported.

... but it means other software that only supports the newer IOS won't run.

Is there any specific product that your Mac cannot run? I'm not aware of anything in particular, but it's up to each developer to decide upon the duration of support for their products. There is little incentive to develop software for outdated operating systems.

jonniejoe wrote:

I thought that quite a lot of the MBP's on the list were also running intel i5 / i7 chips. Arguably the newer ones would have been faster. Anyways I think Grant has mentioned below that it is primarily the graphics card that is not good enough / so I guess that is my answer.

Keep in mind each later version of an i5/i7 CPU may contain new hardware instructions & optimizations which can speed up processing of certain tasks tremendously such as encryption or streaming video codecs, etc. Also later model computers include faster bus speeds, memory, and SSDs all of which play a part as well. CPU speeds really have not increased in many years, it is all the other little things which have changed the most.

If the latest supported version of macOS is not sufficient anymore, then you could install Linux Mint on the Mac which is a non-Apple OS which can allow you to use the current versions of the latest popular web browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Vivaldi, and others). Linux is not for everyone as it does require you to learn a new OS, but it is a great way to extend the useful life of older computers. Until a couple of years ago I was still using a 32 bit Intel Core Duo CPU for web browsing until the third party browsers stopped supporting 32bit systems using Linux. It really all depends on what you want to do with an older computer. If you decide to try Linux Mint, then make sure first create a bootable macOS USB installer so you have a way of reinstalling macOS since Internet Recovery Mode does not always work.

Why do Apple stop supporting older devices?

It isn't just Apple.

Every company/manufacturer does it. For instance, older printers are no longer supported because the mfr needs to make money to stay in business; they can't just sell ink and make money. So they stop supporting an older model and offer new ones.

It's called doing business and marketing and is what drives the American economy.

All makers of all devices of any ilk eventually stop supporting old models. If they didn't, they'd not be able to afford to produce newer models we could afford to buy. Progress marches on: typewriters, 45 RPM records, Biplanes, 8 Track Players and so forth and so on.

I'd hate to think I was stuck for the rest of my life with an Asus Netbook and Windows XP. Same for that 1978 Apple ][ sitting upstairs in the box it came in.

CPU, GPU, T2, number and placement of microphones, Bluetooth...

macOS Monterey is compatible with these computers - Apple Support