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Five things you shouldn't buy from Apple
The Apple Store - both virtual and physical - is an Aladdin's cave of technological wonders that can pound even the most bounteous of wallets. But there are certain products that Apple offers for sale that you should give a wide berth to.
Mac Pro
What was once Apple's high-end workstation has become a joke. Introduced back in December of 2013, it hasn't seen a refresh since then, and that, combined with a starting price tag of $2,999 makes it one of Apple's worst products.
Yes, it's a powerful tool, and if you absolutely need one - perhaps to replace an existing unit - then you're going to have to spend the money, but you're overpaying for what is now old and outdated silicon.
MacBook Air
The 2010 MacBook Air was quite possibly Apple's best laptop ever, but since then we've seen Apple ignore the MacBook Air in favor of the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Now the MacBook Air is once again a forgotten piece of Apple hardware, not having seen an upgrade since March 2015. And the "Air" suffix now doesn't mean anything, given that it's not the lightest or thinnest MacBook anymore.
iPods (all of them)
If you ever owned an iPod chances are that you now have an iPhone or iPad, making the iPod virtually obsolete.
The iPod touch, Nano, and Shuffle all saw a refresh back in July 2015, but for the iPod Nano and iPad Shuffle this was no more than a color update, with the underlying hardware not having been upgraded since September 2012 and September 2010 respectively.
Mac Mini
While the iMac hasn't seen a refresh since October 2015, the Mac Mini has been forgotten since October 2014.
What was once a neat Mac that you could hold in the palm of your hand and easily move about has become an expensive monument to outdated hardware.
Apple Lightning cables
I've tried to make peace with Apple's Lightning cables, I really have, but every time I give one a chance, it lets me down after about a year, with the insulation fraying at the connector end, uncovering the delicate wires beneath.
If the Lightning cable that came with your iPhone or iPad has come to the end of its life - and unless you've been handling it with kid gloves or have it stored in a display case, then it probably has - then I suggest you buy a decent third-party alternative. AmazonBasics cables seem to last well, as do those from Monoprice.