I get this question from my family all the time. Usually it comes right after someone has shelled out for a new laptop and they're sitting in my kitchen, looking at the receipt, wondering if they just made a mistake. "How long is this thing going to last me, Elizabeth?"

The short answer, according to Engadget's breakdown, is that a new MacBook should last you a good long while, as long as two things stay true. Your computing needs don't change drastically, and you treat the machine with basic respect.

I have feelings about this because I remember when a laptop lasting three years felt like a miracle. My first MacBook, a white polycarbonate model from 2006, had a battery that swelled up like a balloon and a trackpad that clicked in only one corner. I loved that computer but it was not built for the long haul. Things are different now.

Today's MacBooks are genuinely impressive machines, and the current processors have a lot to do with that. Marcus wrote a deep-dive on the architecture that's worth reading if you care about the technical side. What I can tell you from personal experience is the batteries last longer than anything I've seen in decades of following this stuff. There is no reason a MacBook Air or Pro purchased today shouldn't still be chugging along years from now, as long as your needs stay roughly the same.

If you're Marcus, and you're compiling code or rendering complex 3D models, your definition of a laptop's useful life is going to be shorter. The work outgrows the hardware. But if you're like my granddaughter Jess, who needs a laptop for writing, browsing, streaming, and the occasional photo edit, that machine should last until she decides she wants something new. Not because the old one gave up.

And here is where I put on my aunt hat. How you treat the machine matters as much as the hardware inside it. A good case matters. Not eating soup directly over the keyboard matters, let me tell you. If you happen to have a MagSafe-equipped model, those magnetic charging cables that break off cleanly instead of yanking your laptop off the table are a genuine lifesaver. But not every MacBook has that feature so check before you assume.

Technology should work for you. It should solve actual problems and last while doing it. A MacBook is an investment, and if you're making that investment, you should expect years of reliable service, not months. If yours isn't delivering that, something went wrong and we should talk about it.