Old Laptops Are More Trouble Than They're Worth
That's right, you NEED a new laptop.
We all love shiny new computers, which is never more true than when it comes to laptops. Unlike with desktop machines, a laptop is a complete package that typically evolves as a whole.
With a laptop, you're not going to upgrade the display or keyboard, and you can forget about upgrading the internals. All those reasons aside, there's now research that suggests that keeping a laptop beyond three years is usually more trouble than its worth.
Companies still working with tightened belts may be pressured to stave off the replacement cycle, but that could end up costing more, according to tech analyst Jack Gold.
Computerworld reports that Gold has come up with a cost model that estimates the cost of maintaining a laptop for two years beyond the initial three is $960 – which may end up costing more than just purchasing a new one at the end of year three.
As the laptop ages, it is more prone to failures of worn items such as the hard drive, keyboard and battery. The relatively slower old machine may also not be as productive as a newer model, also costing the company some money.
So there you have it – yet another reason to have shiny new things more often!
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Laptops can live to be older than 3? Now THAT's news
gee my old dell is seven years old and still going!
i wouldn't be able to keep a PC (nbe it desktop or laptop) for more than a year without getting bored with it.
i upgrade my desktop in same way at least once a month, and ive already owned two laptops this year...
My old Dell will be 9yrs old next. No problems.
Tell me about it, especially those with 'tattoos' on them, preventing you from easily updating hardware or installing a new Windows installation, I had to repair a friend's Packard Bell a few months back and couldn't reinstall Windows because the tattoo was damaged so had to pay £49.95 for recovery discs and then it wasn't a simple process. When I had finally got it working again it wouldn't boot with the battery in.
Manufacturers need to make laptops easier to upgrade and clean re-install. Packard Bell didn't even supply any Windows or recovery disc(s).
5 Year old dell inspiron going strong bar battery.
No cost to maintain it here, if and when it dies it will have served me and its current owners (my parents) well.
What UTTER crap. So tell me how on earth does it cost $900+? to keep a laptop running, New 500Gig Laptop drive $100 new processor say $300 TOPS so thats 400 dollars that should give you another 3 years! ha my dell latitude is a PIII 700 256meg ram 10 gig hard drive and its 10 years old, still going strong.
i just bought a 3 year old laptop for £150, a samsung np-q35 12.1" with a core 2 duo 1.8ghz cpu. It will most likely be cheaper for me, a similar specced new laptop costs £600.
I've just been given a 7 year old laptop with a broken power socket. I fixed it, put Ubuntu 8.04 on it (with a few games for my little boy to play) and it runs nicely. Seems a shame to chuck it when it can be put to some use. Everything works well - except the battery
That lasts about 5 minutes once unplugged. Gutted.
I suppose it depends on it's intended use. It certainly won't cost me anything to maintain. I'll just keep letting everyone read stories like this and then giving me their old hardware. I then keep the best bits for myself and make useable PC's for people who don't have them. This morning I was offered a P4 PC for free. I love free shit!
I use my computer as long as it will last. Most old PCs will easily do the things that most people need to do but they are told by sales representatives that only a new PC will work for them.
Ukgooey I definitely agree with you, I'll take all the free P4s that someone will give me. Replace the battery and fix the power sockets (or whatever is wrong) and Linux will run on the oldest of hardware. P4s really shouldn't be considered "old" in terms if usefulness.
I agree. My HP NC8000 is about 5 years old, and still does what I need from a laptop. I've pretty much replaced it with a Samsung NC20 now, but that was only because I wanted something lighter than the NC8000. The NC8000 would still be good enough, I prefer it to the StinkPad work makes me use.
All it's cost me is a new battery about 2 years ago, the original 40Gb drive is still going.
Alan.
I use to have Dell 8200 laptop.
It came with 1.4Ghz processor and 512Mb Ram, GeForce4Go 32mb and one slow 4200 rpm disk and floppy drive and CD-Rom, no Wi-Fi.
Four years later and some purchases on eBay I was able to upgraded it bit by bit. My last configuration on the same laptop was:
2Ghz processor, Nvidia Quadro Go 700 Gl 64mb, 1.5Gb Ram, 2x 40GB 7200 rpm Disks (one instead of old floppy drive) and CD-RW + Wi-Fi.
I turned that Laptop from Inspiron 8200 into Precision M50 laptop
Thanks Dell for their configuration options on laptops! I was able to upgrade almost everything! And it was not very expensive parts upgrade.
I can imagine that it will be whole different story if technician wages were added to the cost..