Apple no longer providing security updates for Ventura OS

I own a MacBook Pro 2017 model that is currently up to date with macOS Ventura 13.7.8.

That computer was obsolete 5 years ago.

By what norm was a 2017 MBP considered obsolete in 2020?

See: Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support for info on Vintage and Obsolete products.

etresoft wrote:

As for Ventura support, Apple stopped that 2 years ago.

Since Ventura 13.7.8 was released in August 2025, that seems to be incorrect.

It's interesting, the non-Retina 21.5" 2017 iMac won't turn obsolete until Oct 2028. The 2017 4K & 5K will turn obsolete Mar 2026.

Yes, I know. Hence my post. :)

It wouldn't have been considered obsolete in 2020. However, as a rule, Apple supports the three current versions of macOS, which would be Tahoe, Sequoia and Sonoma. So to be clear, Ventura would have lost support with the release of Tahoe, this year.

rvdw98 wrote:

By what norm was a 2017 MBP considered obsolete in 2020?

When a company announces a complete new architecture like "Apple Silicon", branded with the literal name of the company, as they did in 2020, it's safe to assume the old architecture is obsolete. Of course, Apple will continue to "support" those older Intel computers, after a fashion.

But most people read way, way too much into the word "support". They assume it implies some sort of "guarantee" and it most definitely does not. When a product is "supported", it means the vendor isn't going to go out of their way to turn it into a doorstop or laugh at you when you bring it in for service.

It's safe and perfectly acceptable to continue using an "obsolete" computer for as long as you want. If you're happy with it, then why get rid of it? But it's important not to fall victim to internet misinformation. The computer isn't going to disintegrate if you don't apply the latest operating system update. It's definitely not going to be "insecure" in any sense of the word. Security updates are harmless, so there's no reason not to apply them. But that doesn't you have to apply all OS updates. And even if you didn't apply security updates, it doesn't mean you're going to get hacked or anything.

But computers are hardware devices. They're full of microscopic electrical connections that degrade over time with all the heating and cooling. Those old Intel computer get real, real hot. Eventually that computer is going to die. Most businesses replace computers every 3 years. Typically they make Mac users wait longer than that though. After 5 years, you should definitely start looking at new ones. After 10 years, you're strictly on borrowed time.

That article states "products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago". In 2020, a 2017 MBP would have been 3 years old.