I recently traded in an M1 PowerBook for a new M6 MacMini. The M1 PB had become inadequate for my photography workflow for reasons not relevant here. Having shifted to a desktop paradigm in my professional life, I was curious to see if my old and trusty early 2013 MacBook Pro (intel core i7) could still play nice with the world, thirteen years after purchase.
A quick summary of specs: its running MacOS Catalina (10.15) for “kitchen centric” activities like browsing (e-commerce), personal (web-based) email, and entertainment (podcasts, TV etc). I’m using Firefox v. 159 for browsing and web email, and have installed a number of Firefox extensions for security and privacy (Malware Browser Guard, Privacy Badger etc). Also have installed Intego’s anti-virus and malware suite X9. I’m not a gamer (other than solitaire and mahjong). I’ll be using Firefox for password management and only in web sites that contain no sensitive financial information. For example, under no circumstances would I use this old Mac to visit financial web sites. So far so good, apparently.
I would be grateful for any feedback on the use of this old Mac in 2026 and beyond.
The problem with using an old operating system to connect to the Internet is that the software won’t keep up with changes in how web servers do security. For example, TLS versions 1.0 and 1.1 have been phased out, and now TLS 1.2 and 1.3 are required. If the old OS doesn’t support the new TLS, you’re out of luck.
(The opposite situation can also occur: I have old software that I can’t install anymore because the licensing server only supports TLS 1.0 and 1.1, but now macOS won’t use that version to connect.)
Similarly, you need to have valid root Certificate Authority (CA) certificates in the certificate store. As the certificates expire, they need to be re-issued. Apple already has stopped updating the certificate store for Ventura, which means you can hit sites that no longer work. You have to hunt down the required certificates and install them yourself.
Firefox has its own certificate store, so as long as you can get Firefox updates, that may be OK.
I’m a fan of ‘right tool for the job’ and tend to be kind of miserly. So I still use Macs and devices as long as they work and do what I need them to do.
As the more technically inclined have written it could be a bit dodgy taking that Mac online. Maybe nothing happens, maybe not. Use caution.
Another consideration with a laptop of that vintage is its functionality and hardware. That is, one of my MBPros that had been primary for years slowly became secondary. When I started a plan to take it out of service I noticed the lower case was bowed out, sometimes an indication of a battery problem. As this is not an easy user replacement, I made all the backups I could and set it aside. Tried to use it as a trade in but was only offered to recycle it by Apple.
One heavily used MBPro had a display failure so we couldn’t log in to it or do anything for a while.
So for laptops I’d make sure to check the battery health, change it if its charge is not holding. If it’s seen a lot of use/travel/rough handling have a plan in case the display quits (ie know what kind of external display it will work with, have right cables/adapters on hand etc).
As long as its still working, there are plenty of tasks it can do.
One more quick thing that came to mind: running a “vintage” computer is similar to owning a classic car. Driving, say, a 1959 Cadillac on a daily commute or to transport other people is different from keeping the car garaged most of the time and only driving it on race tracks and private land.
@TBTdn
If you notice case bulges in any device containing a lithium-ion battery, you should find a repair shop, Apple or non-Apple, and have the device opened up and inspected as soon as possible. Li-ion batteries, as you might already know, are essentially little firebombs. Swelling is a sign of what can be an extremely dangerous situation with a Li-ion battery. At a minimum, you should get it out of the interior of your house and—as an example—put it into a plastic bag that is then buried in a bucket of sand in a garden shed.
I would not allow a machine running Catalina to access the internet. It is not getting any security updates Even with the latest version of Firefox and associated plugins it just isn’t safe.
Using it for simple browsing on sites that do not require a login is slightly more acceptable but it still leaves ypu vulnerable to malware, etc…so while it might appear to be useful connecting it to the internet is foolish.
I use a MacBook Pro (Early 2015) daily for light tasks, and it still works great. I’m not personally comfortable running an OS that no longer gets security updates tho, so I’ve installed Linux on it. That’s not for everyone, but it suits me as an old UNIX-head.
A few years ago I replaced the battery, which really made the machine feel new again. Fortunately batteries are readily available from vendors like Other World Computing, and the price is IMHO quite reasonable.
The other hardware change I made recently was to pick up a Netgear Wifi 7 adapter, to go along with some network upgrades. It’s a minor annoyance to have a USB dongle hanging around, but overall I’m happy with the upgrade.
As others have said, keep software without security updates away from the Internet.
But since you are using the latest Firefox, I wouldn’t be concerned about web browsing with it.
But avoid using other Internet-connected apps if they don’t have updates. This means you must avoid Safari.
Maybe also avoid Apple’s productivity apps (Pages/Numbers/Keynote) if you can’t install the latest updates. Or at least avoid using them to open documents that you didn’t create.
I used an older Mac (A 2011 MacBook Air), running macOS 10.12 (Sierra) for a very long time, until I could no longer get a secure web browser for it. Then I retired and replaced it (it’s been wiped, but is still sitting in a box waiting to be recycled).
I considered running Linux on it, to keep it useful, but I’ve already got other Linux PCs, so I didn’t see much of a point, aside from the challenge of getting it to work.
Thanks for that. A follow up though, is it dangerous if the battery is more or less empty? the MBPro was shut down and disconnected from electricity maybe 2 months ago, doesn’t feel warm to the touch or anything.
As I have good backups though I should probably plug it in and erase it before sending in for recycle. Need to research the steps for that so i can do it quickly.
No need to have it inspected, as it’s being taken out of service.
Thank you Halfsmoke (and everyone else) for amazing insights and feedback. I’m definitely not someone who would install Linux, not my idea of fun. There are no signs of battery malfunction, but that’s something to keep an eye out for! In sum, let’s see if I can follow these guidelines: no e-commerce, no e-mail, no Apple ID, nothing but news websites on Firefox, music streaming on Spotify (also via Firefox), and podcasts. Will just feed my news habit. I’ll treat this as if its a loaner from my public library.
I don’t think charge state matters because the swelling is caused by a chemical reaction and the fire danger is caused by a mechanical problem, not electrical.
ETA
It seems like you enjoy tinkering, so here’s some info from a website you might already be familiar with: