Does a MacBook Pro slow down after OS updates much like an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad?

Question

I have A 4th generation iPod touch that I've had for almost two years, I also have an iPhone 4s and an iPad 2. When I bought the iPod touch it ran very quick and no sluggishness now with a few iOS updates over the months it's pretty slow and sluggish.  So far both my iPhone 4s and my iPad 2 are running very good. What I've heard from friends who have iPhone's 3GS or an iPad 1 is that they're both sluggish after the iOS updates over the months and years. My question is, not owning a MacBook, does this computer slow down the same way the ios devices do after months and years of OS updates?  My experience with my netbook is that it's become much more stable then when i first bought it with no sluggishness what so ever over the months of updates through Microsoft updates. Thanks.
Tommy Vercetti

Answer 1

Any computer can be slower when running a more demanding system than it was designed for.  In my general experience, though, a Mac will continue running just fine on systems two major versions after what it shipped with.  (For example, a machine that shipped with Leopard (10.5) will probably be able to run Lion (10.7) just fine, provided there's enough RAM and the hard drive isn't too full.)  The only time I've had major issues with sluggishness was with an old PowerBook that shipped with Mac OS 9 and that I updated eventually to Mac OS X 10.3...  a total of four versions later!  I probably would have been better off leaving it at 10.2, but wanted some feature in 10.3 (I forget what at this point).  And it's still in a cabinet in my office, in perfect working order.
Regarding iOS, my first-generation iPod Touch, updated to the latest system it can support, still works just fine.  Of course, it feels more sluggish when I do something with it because I've gotten used to expecting more from my iPhone 4 and iPad 2.
So, no, a Mac should not get sluggish over time, as long as you don't try to push it beyond it's capabilities.  The only Mac I have ever felt it necessary to replace before about 5-6 years of age was the one I dropped on the floor.
Edit: Also, your comparison with Windows downloading updates is not quite the same thing as what I've said above.  Upgrading a Mac from 10.6 to 10.7 is like upgrading a Windows machine from Windows Vista to Windows 7.  The free incremental updates (10.7.1, 10.7.2, etc), which are more similar to automatic Windows updates, definitely should not cause sluggishness.