<p>It would most likely ‘last’ 7 years in the sense that it will still be operational if you don’t beat it up too much. However, 7 years from now, it probably won’t be able to fulfill even simple duties like browsing the internet.</p>
<p>I’d say a reasonable life for a mac laptop would be around 3 or 4 years, that’s how much time I got out of my Macbook before I upgraded to a shiny new macbook pro a few weeks ago :). Higher end models will probably last you even longer, so go for the best you can afford in terms of power. I’d recommend the high end 15" MBP as its pretty powerful without being too bulky to carry around for most people.</p>