Category: Computer Hardware

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Intel Mac Support Ending: Time to Plan Your Upgrade

If you’re still using a Mac with an Intel processor, it’s time to start planning your next move. Apple has officially announced that macOS 26 Tahoe – releasing this fall – will be the final version of macOS to support Intel-based Macs. After 2025, your Intel Mac won’t receive new features, and security updates will stop by 2028.

The Timeline

  • Fall 2025: macOS 26 Tahoe releases – the last macOS for Intel Macs
  • 2026 and beyond: No new macOS versions for Intel hardware
  • Through 2028: Security updates continue
  • After 2028: No support at all

Which Macs Are Affected?

All Intel Macs from 2020 and earlier will lose support. If you bought your Mac before November 2020, you’re likely affected.

How to Check Your Processor

  1. Click the Apple logo → “About This Mac”
  2. Look for:
    • “Chip Apple M1/M2/M3/M4” = You’re safe
    • “Processor Intel Core” = You’re affected

What This Means

Your Intel Mac won’t stop working immediately, but you’ll gradually face:

  • No new macOS features after 2025
  • Apps stopping support for older systems
  • Security vulnerabilities after 2028
  • Compatibility issues with new software

Your Options

Upgrade to Apple Silicon: New MacBook Airs starts around $850. The speed difference is dramatic – M-series chips deliver significantly faster performance than Intel Macs, often 2-3x faster for everyday tasks, plus much better battery life on laptops.

Keep Your Intel Mac: Fine for basic tasks, but understand the growing limitations over time.

Plan Your Timeline: You have until end of 2025 for the transition, with security updates continuing through 2028.

Bottom Line

You have time to plan, but don’t wait too long. If your Intel Mac is critical for work, start budgeting for an upgrade now. For casual use, you can take a more relaxed approach, but remember that by 2026, you’ll want to have made the switch.

Need help planning your Mac upgrade? As a DC-area technology consultant, I help clients navigate these transitions every day.

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TRMNL Non-obtrusive Status Display

I’m getting back into making short videos—something I haven’t done in a while—and the TRMNL e-ink display caught my attention as a fun tech gadget.

What TRMNL Does

TRMNL is a 7.5-inch e-ink display designed to show you information without the distraction. There’s no touchscreen or interface to get lost in—just a clean display that pulls bitmap images from their servers every 5 minutes to an hour.

This isn’t meant for real-time updates. You won’t use it as a clock or for urgent notifications. Instead, it’s perfect for the kind of information that’s useful but not urgent: weather, calendar events, web stats, and other ambient data.

The Experience

Setup happens through their website where you can add plugins for weather, calendars, and dozens of other services. The open-source ecosystem means techies can build custom plugins, but it works great out of the box for everyone else.

The hardware feels solid with good build quality. The battery lasts 1-3 months since e-ink only uses power when the display changes. You can wall mount it with command strips or use the included stand.

Why It Works

At $140, TRMNL avoids the subscription trap that plagues other smart displays. The plugins are free forever, and the company makes money through device sales rather than monthly fees. There’s also an option for a slightly larger battery for $10 extra.

The development community appears active and committed for the long haul—a refreshing change from products that get discontinued after a year or two.

The Real Appeal

TRMNL succeeds because it knows what it isn’t. It’s not trying to grab your attention or pull you into endless scrolling. In a world of notification chaos, having a device that simply informs without intruding feels almost radical.

If you’re interested, you can use promo code “techdc” for $15 off. I’ll get $5 if you use that code.

You can check out TRMNL at usetrmnl.com

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Give Your Old Mac Modern Software With OpenCore Legacy Patcher

That 2013 MacBook Pro sitting in your closet isn’t broken—it’s just been abandoned by Apple. While the hardware remains perfectly functional, outdated macOS versions make it increasingly difficult to browse the web securely or run current applications.

The Compatibility Problem

Apple typically supports Macs with new macOS versions for 7-8 years. After that, you’re stuck with increasingly outdated software that can’t run modern browsers properly, lacks security updates, and struggles with today’s websites—not because your hardware is slow, but because the software is obsolete.

Enter OpenCore Legacy Patcher

OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OCLP) is a free, open-source tool that extends macOS compatibility to unsupported hardware. Developed by Dortania, it uses sophisticated boot management to allow installation of current macOS versions on Macs as old as 2007.

The key benefit isn’t speed—it’s functionality. Your 2013 MacBook Pro can run macOS Sequoia with:

  • Modern browsers that actually work with current websites
  • Current security updates and encryption standards
  • Compatible applications that require newer macOS
  • Modern features like Sidecar, AirPlay to Mac, and Universal Control

How It Works

Unlike simple patchers that modify system files, OpenCore Legacy Patcher operates at the boot level. It maintains System Integrity Protection (SIP) and security features while providing compatibility patches in memory during startup. Your system files remain untouched and secure.

Supported Hardware

OpenCore Legacy Patcher supports a wide range of Intel-based Macs:

  • MacBook Pro: 2008-2017 models
  • MacBook Air: 2008-2017 models
  • iMac: 2007-2019 models
  • Mac Pro: 2008-2019 models
  • Mac mini: 2009-2018 models

Even pre-2012 models with legacy graphics can run current macOS, though with some feature limitations.

The Real-World Difference

Moving from Catalina to Sequoia won’t make your hardware faster, but it will make your computing experience dramatically more functional. Websites that break or crawl on outdated browsers will work properly. Security warnings disappear. Apps that require newer macOS become installable.

It’s not about performance—it’s about compatibility and security in 2025.

Getting Started

If you are technically adept, the process takes a couple of hours.

  1. Download OpenCore Legacy Patcher from GitHub
  2. Create a macOS installer using the built-in tool
  3. Install OpenCore to your USB drive
  4. Boot and install the new macOS version
  5. Apply post-install patches for full hardware support

Worth the Effort?

If you can afford a new Mac, that’s the way for you to go. Modern Macs with the M series of chips are a great value.

But if you enjoy tinkering, and have a Mac with decent specs (8GB+ RAM, SSD storage), absolutely. You’ll extend your Mac’s useful life by 5+ years with current software support, modern browser compatibility, and ongoing security updates.

Your old Mac won’t become faster, but it will become usable again.

OpenCore Legacy Patcher is available free at https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/. Always backup your data before system modifications.

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Apple Vision Pro

I first used virtual reality goggles in 1994, when Sega set up a demo in Boulder, Colorado. It was very rudimentary. I virtually ran around for 20 minutes while vector-drawn teradactyls tried to attack me from above. I was disoriented, but fascinated. Apple has made a huge leap with the launch of the Vision Pro today. But I remain unconvinced that this is something most people will want to regularly use.

After using the Vision Pro for a week, I’m super impressed by the technology. It really feels like an amazing new interface. For Apple users, it’s both completely new and intuitive. Being able to place apps all around you is fun. Seeing immersive 3d videos and games is captivating.

But I don’t think many people will want to spend a lot of time with a headset on. The downsides are obviously weight and comfort. Even when that is improved, you’re still not in the real world. And the real world is great. There’s zero video jitter. You can make eye contact with people around you. There’s nothing smushed against your face.

I’ve ready many reviews saying that the Vision Pro is great, but that it’s really a preview of what’s coming in a few years. Just wait, they say, and the kinks will be ironed out. There will be more apps and we’ll find out how people really want to use this. I hope this is true. But I wonder if people are ever going to want to wear something on their head and live inside this for more than an hour at a time.

Like an immersive ride at Walt Disney World, it’s a lot of fun. I suggest signing up for a free demo at the Apple stores. These last about 20 minutes, and it really is a blast. But also like a Disney ride, you wouldn’t want it to last hours.

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Using Apple Configurator for Printers

Apple devices typically use a service called Bonjour to look for AirPrint printers. Printers can be anywhere on your network and the service typically works to find out where (what IP address the printer is using). But if this doesn’t work for you, there can be a more reliable to connect to printers.

To set a particular printer to be accessed by an IP address, first you need to make that printer have a static IP (so that the IP address doesn’t change). This can be done through the printer itself or your router.

Then you need to make a profile using Apple Configurator (available through the Mac App Store). Make a new profile and name it something like “Printers.” Then add the printer(s) to the profile and put in the IP address(es). This profile can then be loaded on any Apple device (Mac OS or iOS).

By the way, this also helps if you want to print remotely while logged in through a VPN. Many VPN’s don’t play nicely with Bonjour, while using this direct approach works.