How long between computers?

[Arien]

I just got a new laptop to replace my clunky, broken 3 year old laptop. I am hoping this one lasts longer.

So how long do your computers usually last?

[Antinor01]

I'm on my third computer in about 10 years. The current one is a year or so old. So something like 4-5 years on average.

[essell]

Hard to say coz I replace componants as they need it. I've not bought a whole new system for about eight years.

Average life of a componant is about eighteen months, so that'd average out to a new system at the same speed.

[silenus]

My current home computer is 5 years old, and about to get a new monitor. We're not power-users or game-players, so there is little need to upgrade quite adequate hardware.

[fishbicycle]

I've had three computers since 1999. This one is over two years old. My wife used our 1998 Sony VAIO until last year. I buy barebones sytems and transfer the components over. I've only had two hard drives and a motherboard fail.

[cochrane]

I've been on the same laptop since 2003. It's perfectly adequate for me, I'm running Windows XP and see no need to upgrade just because Vista is out. I may upgrade the RAM from 512 to 1024 MB, but otherwise, I'll keep this computer until it craps out.

[msmith537]

I've been running the same Compaq Presario desktop since 2002. I've added an additional hard drive, maxed out memory (2 GB) and added a graphics card. For the most part I have no reason to upgrade other than playing games. And I'm not such a game player that I want to spend that kind of money right now.

[anamnesis]

Like essell, I'm in a perpetual state of upgrades on an approximate 18-24 month cycle. With very few exceptions when I was a kid, I've never had an off-the-shelf OEM desktop computer, and have opted to assemble my own since I was about 14 (that would be about 1994). I have only had three towers to serve as the chassis for all my systems through the years, basically swapping out the motherboard, processor and memory with every new chipset or substantial leap in processing power, which tends to occur every 18 months. Video card upgrades take place about every two years or so. But then, I'm a bit of an enthusiast as well as a gamer, and while I'm certainly not on the cutting edge, I don't like to be at the tail end of the technology curve either. Usually somewhere in the mid range. I don't ever spend more than $1,000 for a solid upgrade, but I get a hell of a lot of bang for my buck by only getting what I need. Case in point: I am not stupid enough to spend $700 on quad-core processor just for the sake of having it when very little software can actually take advantage of it. I also have yet to invest in another video card to create an SLI setup because even though the price of the DirectX9 cards is coming down to the point where it's reasonable to do so, the next generation of expensive DirectX10 cards with incredible new features will soon be more affordable, thereby invalidating any investment in a dated pair of DirectX9 cards ... but that's just how the cookie crumbles with this stuff. Generally though, I think off-the-shelf systems have a useable lifespan of around three years, four maximum, and they are much harder to upgrade. In the end, you'll end up spending more and getting less for your dollar buying off-the-shelf.

Laptops are a different story since you can't build, modify, or easily upgrade them beyond simple (and often marginally useful) memory upgrades. Some folks will do processor swaps on laptops, but I think the damn things run hot enough with the processors and heat sinks they already come equipped with. I've had several laptops though, and my first was a Compaq Presario that did pretty well for about five years, excluding a power supply/battery issue and eventually hard drive failure. I sold off several older laptops to raise funds for a higher-end Dell XPS and I think it will last me a very long time given its superior build quality. It plays the latest high end 3D games without struggling, just as fast as a good desktop system can do, but that's really just one reason I got it. It chews through virtually anything I throw at it where most laptops struggle to chug along. The Compaq was middle-of-the-heap even when it was new, but this Dell is top spec and combined with its rock-solidness compared to most notebooks, I like to think it'll last me considerably longer than 5 or 6 years. I just decided to go all-in and get the best I could rather than get something that would need replacing or upgrading within five years.

[Chronos]

I just realized a couple of weeks ago that the computer I'm typing this on is almost five years old, and was a bit surprised. It feels a lot newer than my old PC did at 5 years.

I did get another computer a couple of years ago, but that was for home, to replace the afore-said PC which finally died (after about ten years). I'm not one to discard a perfectly functional (or even imperfectly functional) computer just because it's old. I wouldn't be surprised if both of my current computers hit 15 years.

[SkeptiJess]

In fact, I just bought a new one this past weekend, when the hard drive on my old one (bought 12/02) crashed. The computer before that one we bought in... 12/98. And the one before that was our first computer, bought in 1993, I believe. So every 4 - 5 years, it looks like.

[ErinPuff]

My laptop is approaching 3 years old, and I'd like it to survive at least another year (until I graduate from college). Then I'll probably get a new one if I can afford it.

[What Exit?]

My wife's laptop lasted 4 years. My collection of PCs were all built by me and get periodic major upgrades, so exact age of most of them is difficult.

I still have a Windows 98 PC running for the kids to beat up on. That one is largely the same as it was in 2000.

My PC which is have heat problems with some games, is roughly 4 years old, but has had several upgrades, especially drives, video and memory. Only the Processor, Board and Case are 4 years old at this point.

The Media PC has been massively upgraded over the last 6 years and probably only has the Floppy, case and ethernet card left.

My guest PC, I just did a major upgrade to and is really a new PC with recycled drives.

Jim

[lowbrass]

I just bought a computer last month. My old one came with Windows 98, so I'm thinking it was at least 8 years old. I did have to install a new hard drive, a CD writer, and a NIC along the way.

[Voyager]

My laptop is now 3 years old, and should last for another year at least. Before that my Win 98 desktop was about 6 years old. It still runs, but the USB ports are flaky and my USB wireless receiver is not working so well. I set it up for my FIL to use last Christmas, because his music composing software is on it, and we can plug organ keyboard into the game port. Still, it was about a year beyond its useful life when I switched.

[Belrix]

If I consider just the motherboard and CPU as the computer, I've had maybe 6 computers in about 17 years:

386SX-16 (IBM/PS2)
486DX-33 (Gateway)
Pentium ? (Quantum)
Pentium 733 (Homebuilt)
AMD-2100 (Homebuilt (divorced it, not driven by performance issues))
AMD-X2-4600 (Homebuilt just this spring)

There's been memory additions, hard drive replacements, etc. in between that but that's the basic path since I consider the computer's core to be the CPU/memory/MB combination. That's about 3 to 3 1/2 years per computer. About average in my experience.

[kanicbird]

My last laptop I got in 99, it lasted till 2006, dying because of a a video cable broke at the hinge and that piece is $100. Over the years the CPU was upgraded to about 2x the speed, memory went from 64mb to 320mb, harddrive went from 4 to perhaps 20gb. It went from Win 98 to XP up to XP sp2, which was too much, then I reinstalled 98, then got 98SE running so I could go wifi. If it wasn't for that part I would still be using it.

[iamthewalrus(:3=]

Now that I use laptops, I average between 2 and 3 years between computers. I buy Apples and get the 3-year warranty, then usually upgrade/sell the old one when there are a few months left on the warranty (it's much easier to sell a laptop with warranty than one without). I've been pleasantly surprised by how well they tend to hold their value. My annual hardware budget is about $300, including the warranty, and I get a nice new laptop every few years, with a new OS and all the associated stuff.

I'll probably keep this one longer, though. I've had it a year now, and I have no need for anything newer.

[Shawn1767]

The graphite iMac DV SE 500 Mhz I bought in 2000 I am still using. I plan to get a new one this summer.

[JThunder]

Laptops: Roughly 3.5 years
Desktop computers: Roughly 4.5 years -- probably longer nowadays.

My current laptop is 3.25 years old. I'd like to replace it, but I don't want to deal with Windows Vista hassles -- at least, not until the first service pack, at the earliest. (I'd rather wait until SP2, but that wouldn't be realistic.)

[Queen Bruin]

About 2 years between systems. I've replaced the power supply on this machine twice, the last time as recently as last week and upgraded RAM and video last year.

I'm very conscious of the fact that I'll need a new system to run Spore *sigh*.

I'm getting my own laptop this summer though. Husband's HP is going on 3 and still goes strong, but we'll likely not be commuting together next term so it complicates sharing. I think I am going to get a MacBook.

[GuanoLad]

This is the same axe I've had all my life. It's only needed three new blades and five new handles!

[Mangetout]

My current home PC is about six years old - I was lucky enough to buy it when processor speeds had just taken a fairly big surge forward (after which progress slowed down a bit - Moore's Law be damned!). I've upgraded the hard drive and installed more memory, more USB sockets, a better soundcard and a built-in card reader, but it's still the same mobo and processor. A couple of times over the last few years it's seemed to slow down and I contemplated upgrading, but wiping and reinstalling Windows gave it a new lease of life that madereplacement unnecessary. It also runs Ubuntu Linux - and faster than anything else - so I don't think I'll be replacing it until it actually dies, and then I'll build it myself and perhaps not bother with Windows at all (unless I can still get XP - I'm not planning to move to Vista).

[Nava]

2-3 years, but on two occasions the change has been prompted by moving, not by there being anything wrong with the 'puter. The tower my mother has now was Lilbro's before, and mine before his - I gave it to him when I got assigned to Philadelphia. I built it in 2000 and we got it a RAM upgrade a while back, when I saw that the particular kind of sticks were going off the market. It should hold for another couple years if nothing spectacular happens.

The laptop I got in Philly (2003) traveled with me all over the Americas (well, OK, to 5 countries), came to Spain, visited half a dozen countries and was finally handed over to Lilbro last year. The video card decided to fritz out a few days later :o but still, he was able to replace it for about half the cost of what a laptop with not-so-different characteristics would have cost new at that point. I got it ridiculously cheap because it had two rebates and a smallish HD, but still more than enough for our needs.

The one I have right now, I got it April of 2006 in the same store where I bought most of the parts for that old tower. Since I was expecting to be in Spain for only two weeks, I preordered it "with everything" (except, again, it's got a relatively small HD) and picked it up from the store; turns out I changed jobs and stayed in Spain for several months so I could have gotten it cheaper, but oh well... it should last quite a while. May be getting it a video card upgrade one of these days, though. I only started seeing laptops with its RAM, CPU speed and in its price range on stores after last Christmas, so still a good buy.

My wallet feels holey every time I go into an electronics store, but a bit less when I see comparable laptops for a lot more than I paid :D

[Sublight]

I'm on my third computer in 11 years. The current is four year old and I'm planning to get a new one sometime this year. At the moment I'm in a 'my current system still works and the longer I wait for the next one the more I can get for my money' mindset.

My home machine is still newer than my work machine, which was old when I started here five years ago.

[AHunter3]

I just got a new laptop to replace my clunky, broken 3 year old laptop. I am hoping this one lasts longer.

So how long do your computers usually last?
Computer the First: Macintosh SE, purchased used in 1991. Primary (and only) computer until upstaged in 1996 by my second computer. By then it had an Applied Engineering 40 MHz '030 board in it, which fried out one day in 1997, at which point I sold the computer. 5 years (4 as primary computer)

Computer the Second: PowerMac 7100, purchased new in 1996. Primary computer until 1999 when upstaged by my fourth. This computer was still doing active duty in November 2006 (to do after-hours work I would Timbuktu into it; that shop was still a FileMaker 6 shop and I could run FileMaker 6 just fine under MacOS 8.6). 10 years (but only 3 as primary computer). I still own it but it's unlikely that I'll use it for much any more.

Computer the Third. Performa 6116 (a PowerMac 6100 variant). Was never my primary computer, was purchased used on eBay (I think?) to replace the SE as a workplace computer in 1997. In 1999, when I got my fourth computer, a laptop, I no longer needed separate work and home computers and gave this one to my parents, to replace their IIci, where it has been their primary computer ever since (but only for the next week or so, I'm helping them set up a Mini Core Duo this very week). So I had it for 2 years, never as my main box, my folks will have used it 8 years as their main computer.

Computer the Fourth. PowerBook G3 "WallStreet", purchased new in 1999. A long reign as primary computer came to an end in 2006 when I bought my fifth, and it still does intermittent active duty and is in good condition. 7 years as main axe, 8 overall.

Computer the Fifth. With big shoes to fill, the last of the big 17" G4 PowerBooks purchased new in 2007. One year and counting.

[An Gadaí]

My computer was bought in 1999 and upgraded with another (second hand) hard drive last year. My brother bought one in 1996 that although not in regular use still stores some data and old portfolio work of his and works fine.

[tomndebb]

First puter lasted from August '97 to July '02.

Current puter, with (over the years) one replaced power unit, upgrades to memory and hard drives, and a recent capacitor repair on the motherboard, appears to be going another year, at least.

They have each been assembled from components rather than bought off-the-shelf. (I have done upgrades, but I did not initially build either of them.)

[mhendo]

1. January 1995- July 2000: 486/DX2 66Mhz with 8Mb of RAM, running Windows 95, purchased from independent computer store for what seemed like a lot of money. Got me through my undergrad degree. It was never hooked up to the internet; i only wrote papers and played some very low-level games on it.

2. November 2000 - June 2004: Pentium 3 733Mhz with 128Mb of RAM, running Windows ME. Bought it at a geek store here in Baltimore.

3. June 2004 - Present: Pentium 4 3.0GHz with 1Gb RAM, running WinXP Home (and now dual-booted with Ubuntu Dapper Drake). Purchased from Dell.

I'd love a brand new, faster computer, but for about 98% of the stuff i do, this machine is easily powerful enough. I'm thinking of building my own when i do get around to upgrading.

[DrDeth]

Just got this new Fujitsu, last one was a generic clone, lasted almost 5 years.

[Belrix]

I'm very conscious of the fact that I'll need a new system to run Spore *sigh*.

Spore was a goal of the new machine I built this spring. Dang game isn't coming out until at least 2Q08 says the company now. Better be worth it...

[Sleel]

I've had three computers in 13 years (not counting my wife's XP machine that she brought with her when she moved in). First one was an Apple Quadra 610 that I got in 1994. I actually had a delay in getting it because they changed the line slightly by making it easy to upgrade to the new PowerPC chips later on. I made use of that upgrade path after three or four years, and bumped the memory up to 16 MB. I had it for a total of 7, almost 8 years, and sold it to my girlfriend's landlord when I bought my second computer. I really hung onto it until the bitter end. It was getting to the point where I couldn't run much of anything new on it by the time I sold it. The landlord didn't do much beyond word processing, so for all I know she still uses it.

My next computer was the new G3 PowerBook with firewire. Damn good computer. I recently upgraded the memory to 512 MB (it was running on 320 MB for years, since about 2001) and the HD from 6 to 20 GB using parts cannibalized from a buddy's old iBook. It was my main computer for over 4 years, and the only upgrades I did during that time were to stick in another 256 MB of memory and an Airport wireless LAN card.

I actually still use it. It's my region free DVD player, download server, alternate OS experimental machine, and backup computer. When my power supply for my newer computer shorted out, I used it for about a week and a half and was surprised that it actually is still quite usable. I even have the latest version of OS X running on it and it feels pretty good.

I bought my present computer, one of the 1.5 GHz G4 PowerBooks, in 2004. I've only upgraded the memory so far, to 1.5 GB. I don't do anything really intensive and considering that my G3 is still quite usable, this will probably have a similar life cycle. I drool a bit over the new MacBooks, but I think I'll hold off on buying anything new for a year or two still.

My wife's XP computer I don't count as "mine" even though I researched the parts, got a shop to put it together to spec, and tinker with it every once in a while. I tried to hit the sweet spot between price and performance, so that won't really need much for quite a while. I might throw another graphics card in there if I want to do any gaming later on that needs the extra power, but for what it's used for right now, it kicks enough ass already.

[Balthisar]

Wow… let's see.

TRS-80 MC-10 - 1982 or so.
Commodore C=128 1985 through 1989 or so.
Macintosh SE 1990 through 1991.
Commodore Amiga 1991 through 1994.
Macintosh Colour Classic (yeah, "Colour") from 1994 to 1996.
Macintosh Performa 636CD from 1996 to 1998.
Power Mac 6400 from 1998 to 1999, including G3 upgrade card.
Acer generic laptop 1997 to 1998.
Acer generic laptop (replaced the first crappy one) from 1998 to 2000.
Apple PowerBook G3 Lombard from 1999 to 2004.
Apple iMac DV SE Graphite from 1999 to 2002.
HP generic tower provided by employer to all employees from 2001 to 2003.
Power Mac G4 QuickSilver from 2002 to 2007.
Whitebox, homebuilt Windows box from 2003 through 2006, including new mobo after failure.
Apple PowerBook G4 Al from 2004 to 2005 (I killed this poor thing).
Whitebox, homebuilt MythTV backend / NAS box from 2005 through present
iMac Intel 17" from 2006 through present
iMac Intel 24" from 2006 through present

Wow… I'd never counted all those before. That's 18 computers in 25 years, and I plan on keeping what I have now as long as Leopard does everything on my machines as it'll do on current machines.

I think that as far as desktop systems go, though, I keep them longer than average. The Quicksilver was five years old, and it still met every need except for running VM's at full speed. The last PowerBook I'd still have if not for the bloody killer picture frame I knocked onto its LCD.

[Bearflag70]

Still using Dell Desktop from 1999 with upgrades to memory, processing, CD/ROM, and Windows XP in or about 2003 and 2004.

Would a new machine be much different if I got one today?

[Hari Seldon]

1. 1982: Original IBM PC (no hard drive). Originally came with one floppy (160KB) and 16KB memory. Upgraded immediately to 64 K and eventually 640 k memory.
2. 1986: AT clone, 20MB hard drive, 2MB memory
3. 1989: Toshiba laptop, 50MB hard drive, 2MB memory
4. 1992:Toshiba laptop, 100MB hard drive, 4MB memory
5. 1995: Toshiba laptop, 500MB hard drive, 16MB memory
6. 2001: Toshiba laptop, 1GB hard drive, 128MB memory
7. 2005: Toshiba laptop, 40GB hard drive, 512MB memory

I still use the last two regularly (different locations) and occasionally crank up the 1995 machine, mostly to look for missing files (that I mostly can't find there, but once in a while...).

So 7 computers in 25 years or about 3 1/2 years per. I have not been happy about the current machine and I will probably not buy another Toshiba (they have replaced three mother boards and a fan and when it fails again I will give up).

[glee]

5-7 years

It may help that children don't get to use them :eek: (I'm single).
Also most of them have been Dell machines.

[Boyo Jim]

8 computers in 21 years. That is, if you count by motherboard replacement. There were always pieces of the old system hooked into a new board or box.

If you count entire replacement systems from scratch including monitor, then 1 in 21 years. I don't believe I have ever simply bought a whole new package and junked the last. My current monitor has been a part of my last 3 computers.

[vivalostwages]

I have the same Gateway I've had since December 1999. No troubles, so no replacements............yet.

[DudleyGarrett]

1984 - TI-99/4a
1987 - IBM Turbo XT Clone - 640KB RAM, 65MB RLL HDD
1994 - AST Pentium 90 - 8MB RAM, 1GB IDE HDD
1999 - Dell Dimension XPS R -- Pentium 2, 400Mhz, 128MB RAM, 6GB HDD
2002 - Dell Precision Workstation 530 - Dual Xeon 1.7GHz, 1.5GB RAM, 18GB SCSI HDD
2002 - Dell Latitude CPX-J, Pentium 3 650MHz, 128MB RAM, 10GB HDD
2006 - Homebuilt - Intel Pentium 4 E6600, 2GB RAM, 1TB SATA hard drive (2x500GB)
2007 - MacBook Pro 17" - 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD

7 in 23 years. About every three years.

[RickJay]

Getting a new one on Tuesday. It'll replace (well, shift to my sister-in-law) a used one acquired in 2004. That replaced one bought in 2001, and before that I don't recall recall but I think "every three years" is a fairly good guess.