“Apple stopped supporting PowerPC based Mac PC's via no more software updates about 3 years after going to Intel. If Apple switches from Intel to ARM based processors will this beautiful new Mac mini be obsolete in 3 years?”
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This is my 3rd Mac Mini. My first was a PowerPC version from early 2006. I ran into the obsolescence issue with the switch to Intel chips but was able to continue to use the machine and its legacy software until 2017, although I did not have it connected to the internet after 2011. Obsolescence can be a gradual thing, but it catches up to all of us.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Mac OS 10.5 Leopard released on Oct 26, 2007 was the last software release for PowerPC Mac products. On June 8 2009 Apple released Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard that no longer supported PowerPC but did include a software emulator called "Rosetta" that allowed PowerPC apps to run in emulation ie at a much slower speed and performance. On July 1, 2011 Apple released )S 10.7 Lion that no longer supported Rosetta emulation. In answer to your question Apple only supported PowerPC Macs for about 4 years after Apple switched to Intel. Apple then supported PowerPC via software emulation called Rosetta for an additional 2 years. I believe William is sadly mistaken on his reply.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Unfortunately no. The chip design won't allow you to use your previous software.
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.PowerPC based Macs were discontinued in 2005. Support for them continued into 2015. Apple is reportedly aiming to convert from Intel to ARM sometime between 2020 and 2022. If Apple offers the same support for Intel they offered for PowerPC your Mac Mini wouldn't be obsolete until 2030 or 2032, which is a hilariously long time away to be worrying about for a mid-range computer.
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