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How often do you buy a new computer?

  • 1-2 years (Moores law is the law)

    Votes: 4 8.5%
  • >2-4

    Votes: 15 31.9%
  • >4-6

    Votes: 17 36.2%
  • >6-8

    Votes: 8 17.0%
  • >8-10

    Votes: 2 4.3%
  • 10+ (The commodor 64 rocks!)

    Votes: 1 2.1%
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How often do you get a new computer

7K views 74 replies 43 participants last post by  Joe 
#1 ·
Personally, I try to hold on to mine as long as possible (about 6-8 years). Just as long as I can do day to day things without crashes or watching paint dry.
 
#27 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad888 View Post

I get a new laptop every 2 years or so and I upgrade my desktop continually, so whether I replace it or not it's always got new stuff in it. The replaced parts are used to upgrade my older computers, which aren't necessarily retired. The older ones serve purposes ranging from media storage to experimenting with questionable 3rd party software to see what kinds of surprises it comes with before putting it on my primary computers.
Having lived with a computer guy for many years, I read your post and see the "office" in my house, the computer parts shop and graveyard.
 
#28 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bright Bird View Post

We use our old computers as backup, servers to host games, and loaners to family or friends who find themselves in need of a computer.
Thanks for bringing that up! A natural follow up question...

So what do you do with your old computers?

In the past, I've brought them to the recycling center. But now that my son is older, I'm going to give my old ones to him for schoolwork.
 
#29 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beancounter View Post

So what do you do with your old computers?
I've always given my old computers to family or friends who could not afford to buy one for themselves or their children. Even my most outdated computers have been able to do word-processing, internet-surfing and Office stuff with ease. I myself have kept an old computer on hand to load Linux on and experiment with... for instance Slackware has quite minimal requirements. I haven't actually garbaged a computer yet, but then as I mentioned above I hold onto my machines until they absolutely cannot perform what I ask of them.
 
#30 ·
I'm a spoiled former tech nerd (I'm not as bad as I used to be), and a bit hypocritical I guess lol. I see my computers, especially my laptop, as tools, and I like to have top notch tools at all times. If I'm overseas filling some short term contract and I have to do something on my computer and I am short on time, not having a slow PoS is worth the price of replacing it fairly regularly. Nonetheless, I stand by my claim that if I had the option I would send the entire world back to the stone age if I could
 
#31 ·
Whenever mine dies, and when I can afford one. Usually about every 3 years.
 
#33 ·
i also try to keep it as long as possible, but i am a clumsy person. i got a new one this summer after my old one was all infected with viruses and physically falling apart. and i already dropped the new one once. so we'll see how long it lasts
 
#34 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by nomad888 View Post

I'm a spoiled former tech nerd (I'm not as bad as I used to be) ... not having a slow PoS is worth the price of replacing it fairly regularly.
If you really were one, then you should know that slow computers don't exist and that it's the software that's fast or slow. It's quite easy to make new machines crawl like a snail, but it's hard to make old machines fly.
 
#37 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thorham View Post

If you really were one, then you should know that slow computers don't exist and that it's the software that's fast or slow. It's quite easy to make new machines crawl like a snail, but it's hard to make old machines fly.
Forgive my poor vocabulary choice
, didn't realize my response to a lighthearted thread was being judged
. Allow me to clarify. Yes, I realize computers don't get slow. They just keep doing what they do until they either break or are too outdated to keep up with constant software development. I like it when my software doesn't run slowly and I enjoy messing with new computer stuff (i.e. tech nerd, though this term can obviously have many meanings. I am, for example, not a Unix god by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I know much about computer programming beyond the very basics, but I am very good at messing with and customizing electronics).
 
#39 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thorham View Post

Then perhaps it's a good idea to not call old computers slow POS, because you're calling peoples belongings POS, and I absolutely detest that.
I apologize. It wasn't my intent to insult, I just talk like that sometimes. I will make an effort not to in the future.
 
#42 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by LedBoots View Post

I didn't know that insulting someone's stuff is offensive. ?
We just didn't have the right smileys attached to our posts. The difference between statement, insult, and smartass remark is hard to differentiate without liberal use of e-empathy inducing
's
 
#44 ·
I bought my first laptop in 2005, I think, and then it burned out in 2007 or 2008 (don't remember exactly). Then I bought another laptop to replace the first with. That one is still well-functioning, but ever since I bought my netbook in 2010, I don't use it too often. My netbook is faster, less noisy, and I just love its size and weight. I use the old laptop for backup and occationally watching DVD's when I feel like snuggling up in my bed with a movie (usually I watch movies on the tv in our livingroom).
 
#45 ·
I probably get new computers about every six years, but I don't have a clock or counter on my computer to monitor its age, and don't make decisions to buy based on the "age" of my previous computer. Nor do I prepare a memorandum of the reasons I had for getting a new computer, so I don't remember exactly why I bought a computer at a particular time.

I bought a computer in 2000, running WinME. I liked it and still do, but the hard drive crashed. I got the HD replaced and even a second HD put in, but basically WinME got outmoded, and it became increasingly stupid to try to upgrade the old machine.

I bought a new computer in 2006, which coincided with Tennessee's "sales tax holiday" before the school year began. This ran XP.

I got another computer in 2007 because XP computers were being phased out, and I had heard horror stories about Vista. So I bought one of the last XP computers Dell was selling in order to have a "spare." A good idea since my 2006 computer crashed in 2010.

Finally, I bought a laptop in September 2011 because Office Depot was running a sale, and I wanted to get a laptop with WiFi. I'm pretty happy with it.
 
#46 ·
Can't answer. I'll buy a new processor. Or I'll buy a new hard drive. Or a new video card, or new video display device. Then I may get a new system board. Sometimes I get a new op sys. Even a new case, into which I put some old parts and some new parts. Hard to say how often I've gotten a complete restoration.
 
#49 ·
I've had PCs all my life and in the last for the last decade or so have gone through laptops about every 3 years. Before that, I ways got hand-me-down re-sales from my dad through his work. They seemed to last a while actually. I think I had the same one from 14 to 18? It was, IIRC, a Toshiba Satellite.

The next laptop I had was a POS Dell whose monitor, literally, fell off with only regular use (and I never drop my tech or force them to suffer abuses). After that, in 05-06, I bought an HP. The hard-drive just died after 2 years. I sent it into HP for repair and came to the conclusion that the organization is run by Carmen SanDiego given how I had to call India, Mexico, NJ, and India again to get my laptop repaired.

After that, I bought a re-furbed Dell which worked well enough until recently. Its become super sluggish and some of the keys are broken (thanks to the SO).

I'm planning on buying a MacBook Air on Thurs, which, by the way, leads me to a concern. I haven't used a CD-ROM drive since 2004 as I have no need but the Apple rep said that I'd need one to get MS Office, which I need for work. :/
 
#50 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoBravo View Post

I'm planning on buying a MacBook Air on Thurs, which, by the way, leads me to a concern. I haven't used a CD-ROM drive since 2004 as I have no need but the Apple rep said that I'd need one to get MS Office, which I need for work. :/
I'm not understanding what it is that concerns you about using a CD-ROM drive.

BTW, last time I checked, it cost $5 more to get a DVD drive instead of a CD-ROM, so get a DVD drive, since it will do everything a CD drive will do and more.

BTW, also, you can probably get an external DVD drive that connects thru USB, so this should be easily replaceable if necessary.
 
#51 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe View Post

I'm not understanding what it is that concerns you about using a CD-ROM drive.

BTW, last time I checked, it cost $5 more to get a DVD drive instead of a CD-ROM, so get a DVD drive, since it will do everything a CD drive will do and more.

BTW, also, you can probably get an external DVD drive that connects thru USB, so this should be easily replaceable if necessary.
Sorry, I was unclear. I don't want to have to buy an external drive just to use it once to load MS Office. It was a thought that occurred to me as I typed my previous post. Maybe I can download it. (I've always had Office pre-loaded so have never had to deal with this.)
 
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