Sometimes keeping up with all the latest gadgets can be overwhelming. When you keep seeing new products pop up, and hear rumors about even better and cooler ones just down the road, sometimes you can get stuck in a bit of a cycle. You're always waiting to upgrade your computer or phone, but then keep thinking you should just wait a little longer for something better. How do you know when you've taken things too far, and you really need to get something new? Apple makes it easy for you, letting you know when its products finally become obsolete.

The company is adding some new entries to its list, notably several G4 models. G4 desktops were on sale from 1999 through 2004, and the PowerBook G4 line lasted to 2006. While the desktop line is definitely underpowered for most uses today, some relatively high-end laptops were produced. PowerBook G4s were available running up to 1.67 GHz, placing them at around the performance level of today's netbooks. While you could hardly call a machine like that high-end anymore, it seems a bit harsh to label it as obsolete.

Technically the "obsolete" tag is used by Apple to designate machines it no longer will supply spare parts for in order to repair them out-of-warranty. Apple also calls some machines "vintage", which essentially means the same thing, only differing due to California mandates to support certain older machines; for everyone else, they're interchangeable terms. If you've still got a working G4, treat it gently, because the next time it breaks it's probably going to be for good.

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