My Water-Damaged Mac and the Speed of Technological Evolution

The other day, my three-year-old MacBook Pro suffered a spectacular death by water damage.

There was nothing I could do, so I made an appointment at the Apple Store in Omotesando and brought it in.

The verdict was simple.

“It’s completely water-damaged. Repairing it would cost over ¥200,000.”

At that point, replacing it was the obvious choice.

As we talked, one of the Apple specialists said,

“For the way you use your computer, the new MacBook Neo will be more than enough.”

I was honestly shocked.

A MacBook Pro that had cost me nearly ¥250,000 just three years ago was now comparable to Apple’s entry-level model.

Technology moves incredibly fast.

My daily workflow isn’t particularly demanding.

I write blog posts, answer emails, use AI, and perhaps the most intensive task I do is spending a couple of hours on Zoom.

For that kind of work, the MacBook Neo was more than sufficient.

After hearing the explanation, I decided to buy it.

Then came the inevitable question.

“Would you like AppleCare?”

It would cost about ¥21,000 for three years.

Instead of answering immediately, I asked the staff member,

“If technology keeps advancing at this pace, and today’s MacBook Pro will be equivalent to an entry-level MacBook in three years, wouldn’t it make more sense to simply replace it every three years?”

He smiled.

“Yes, I think that’s a reasonable approach.”

We both laughed, agreed, and I walked out of the Apple Store without AppleCare.

The next day, however, Apple raised the prices of Macs and iPads in Japan.

The timing couldn’t have been closer.

Whether I actually saved money or was simply lucky, I don’t know.

What I do know is that the computer I use every single day is now the latest model, and that alone makes me happy.

Still, what struck me most wasn’t the purchase itself.

It was how quickly technology evolves.

Three years ago, I owned one of Apple’s flagship laptops.

Today, its performance is roughly on par with an entry-level machine.

So what will the world look like three years from now?

How far will AI have advanced?

Will laptops even exist in the same form they do today?

I honestly have no idea.

And perhaps that’s exactly what makes the future so exciting.