Frustation and products going obsolete for no good reason.

Ma4wrie wrote:

Thanks! It’s just too slow for my usage. I was very happy with the way my Apple Watch and MacBook were working. Just sad it seems to all happen at once.

You might have a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS_version_history which shows that older applications that are 32-bit stopped working with all MacOS versions after Mojave. Not your fault, but it is what it is.

For context, I sympathize with your interest in obtaining the most and longest possible use from your Apple devices. I have a little "museum" of sorts with older Macs that include a 2010 MacBook Air, a 2013 MacBook Air, and a 2015 iMac (which I am currently typing on, I like its large screen so I continue to use it). These Macs are all still working. The 2010 MacBook Air even still has its original SSD and battery, which are both working well.

We also have more modern Macs, including the newer Silicon Macs that can run up through the latest MacOS, which is Tahoe.

I believe that if you replace that MacBook Pro battery, your 2017 laptop may still work well for a while. Hard to predict as anytime one passes the 5-year mark, things can wear out. Even if not used much, batteries wear out anyway and some circuit boards may slowly degrade from corrosion, etc. My 2015 iMac is on Monterey, which is one level older MacOS than your Ventura, and I can still use it for most things: I can't update its version of Office 365 anymore, but the subscription still works fine with an older version of Word, etc. It can't run TurboTax so I do taxes on another more modern Mac; there are a few web sites that won't work properly anymore with Safari but they do still work with Firefox and Chrome. You should be able to do better than me here because your Mac is newer and runs a less old MacOS.

As with older automobiles (we have a 2003 car and the "new" one is a 2011 model), with older computing devices one must be diligent about keeping things as up to date as one can. This means fix hardware (e.g.your laptop battery) when it fails and keep the OS as up to date as possible. This may mean having to replace some apps (or give up on some) but that's how it works, modern computing devices advance very quickly and older ones often can't keep up with the latest capabilities.

So I think you will be fine with the 2017 laptop after you replace its battery. The iPhone XR dates from 2018 and is frankly very underpowered for recent applications, I would suggest it is time to replace it but it should still work ok for phone calls, texting, and some browsing, and any available apps that still work on it.

You should investigate whatever issue is occurring with your watch to see if it makes sense to have it repaired.

Devices like these, which have dense integrated circuits built into very compressed spaces, can be expected to last 5 years or so before issues MAY start to occur, so one always has to decide is the cost of the repair a better approach than replacing the device. As with an older automobile or any other appliance. Sometimes the device may last a lot longer (my 2010 MacBook Air) or maybe not as long.

Re: “now I've been trying to reinstall apps and Apple Store is basically telling me I cannot even though I had them prior to factory resetting my MacBook.”

At a guess, current versions of those apps require something later than Ventura. You could try going to the Purchased section of the App Store and seeing if you can re-download versions compatible with your Mac from there.

When your MacBook Pro 2017 shipped from the factory it came with macOS 10.12 Sierra. That OS ran apps and other software that was written with 32-bit code. Use of that 32-bit software died on the Mac when macOS 10.15 Catalina was released in 2019 and ushered in the 64-bit code requirement.

It sounds to me as though you never upgraded your OS to anything beyond macOS 10.14 Mojave, if you even did that. So when you've now (finally) upgraded it to the latest OS, macOS 13 Ventura, you've installed an OS that is incapable of running the old 32-bit apps that you never updated.

Yes, you paid good money for your hardware, but you didn't maintain it.

You can spend good money on a new car, but if you don't change the oil it won't take you very far.

Your Mac is vintage, near obsolete, but as others have posted it is still fairly capable of being used productively. Had you been keeping the OS and your apps updated over time as is commonly suggested, you would not be in the position of having to "update all devices all at once".

Re: "What is wrong with having options for the consumer who doesn't need all the bells and whistles?"

You have the option to keep using that 2017 MacBook Pro for as long as it is useful. However, Ventura is the last major version of macOS that it will ever get.

That machine originally ran macOS 10.12.5 (Sierra), so it received six major macOS upgrades. While Ventura is no longer one of the "most recent three", it is enough to run current versions of

• All major third-party Web browsers
• LibreOffice
• The Affinity Suite (free with registration if you don't need the AI features)

As far as Apple's trade-in offers for old machines, you don't have to take them. I once asked the trade-in site about my old iMac and was told that Apple would not pay anything, but would recycle it for free. That iMac was in working condition (unlike your MacBook, which apparently needs a new battery) – and I got several years of service out of it after declining the recycling offer.

Ma4wrie wrote:

Hi all, so I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" in 2017. I have had it for years...

ref vintage and obsolete:

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

ref: Apple Reuse and Recycling Program

You can submit your feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple

re: < Apple Watch Series 6 (August 2021) >

See: Apple Watch Service and Repair

Re: “I purchased an iPhone XR around the same time and now I already have to change that device”

The iPhone XR is an old phone, but it can run iOS 18, which is still good enough for most apps. I also believe that Apple offers battery replacement service for it. (That would make sense if battery health was below 80 percent, but there was nothing else wrong with the phone,)

Ma4wrie wrote:

Do you see why this is completely ridiculous. I should not have to update all devices all at once.

No. Technology changes over time. You have old products that no longer support newer technology. Time for a new computer.

Ma4wrie wrote:

Thanks! My iPhone battery is actually fine. It’s just running too slow for how I use my device.

For example sometimes the camera just doesn’t want to open or tries and I get a black screen for a few minutes and so the moment has past and I just put it back in my pocket. But I’ll consider this if ever it comes to it.

Put your iPhone in diagnostics mode - identify potential hardware and software issues

How to put your iPhone in diagnostics mode - Apple Support

<< For example sometimes the camera just doesn’t want to open or tries and I get a black screen for a few minutes >>

that can also happen if too much stuff is already running on your iPhone, so that not enough memory is available. This article describes how to close apps:

Close an app on your iPhone or iPod touch - Apple Support

Or that its memory is jammed full of old pictures. Importing to your Mac and deleting them off your phone could make more space available.

this article describes some way to check available memory:

How to check the storage on your iPhone and iPad - Apple Support

re: < iPhone XR >

ref: iPhone Repair and Service - Apple Support