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Do you want one laptop every 6 years or 18 months?

O

omarjk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 20, 2008
149
0
London, UK
I have been considering the economics of hanging on to laptops for longer than one or two years, for my White MB is 18 months old, and with new updates aplenty in that period, always depreciating in price.

If I sell the MB and buy the 13" MBP the difference to pay would be around £250.

The £250 loss in 18 mths equates to spending £1000 every 6 years on a laptop. That is so very reasonable that everyone should be doing it and nobody hanging on to laptops for much longer:

- in those 6 years I will have had 4 laptops not just one;
- I will be keeping up to date with technologies such as built-in SD card slot and whatever else changes inside, outside and on the side of Apple machines;
- the excitement of 4 laptops in 6 years in far greater than one ageing tank; and;
- the self-satisfaction is immense!

So much so that I'm posting a new thread with this comment to invite thoughts.


EDIT: to acknowledge that many are already doing and I wasn't the first human to think of it.
 
My idealogic is that if something does what it has to do, there's no reason to get new one. I'm planning to keep my iMac for at least 2 years but I hope I can live with it for longer time
 
The problem in my family is that someone is always willing to accept hand-me-downs, so whether I get 18 months or 6 years out of a computer I have to pay the entire cost of a new one, so I might as well get at least 3-4 years out of it!
 
jzuena said:
The problem in my family is that someone is always willing to accept hand-me-downs, so whether I get 18 months or 6 years out of a computer I have to pay the entire cost of a new one, so I might as well get at least 3-4 years out of it!
Click to expand...

Haha, that's exactly what is happening to me too. My brother or sister will take my laptop at 'mates rates'. So much for all my 'I'm going to sell each 18 mths' bravado - now it has cost me dear.
 
I switched to Macs specifically to avoid having to replace my machine every year. With PCs I was destroying them after 12 months so they had no resale value and each machine would cost me between £800 and £1500 depending on the spec and when I bought it. With my first Mac (iBook G4) I got 3 years of productive daily use out of the machine and then passed it on to my wife to use and it is now working as my iTunes server. That machine is coming up to 6 years old now which is pretty good value as it only cost £1000 new in October 2003. That is just £167 a year or £333 if you count the productive years. My current machine (MacBook Pro) cost just shy of £2000 in 2006 and is now 3 years old, running Snow Leopard and going like a champ. The cost works out at £667 a year so far and each extra year will drop that down. I'm aiming for another two years of full time use before I pass it on.

While I applaud the fact that a Macbook at 18 months old holds its value so well, I prefer to get the maximum life out of mine. While the current crop of MacBook Pros are nice improvements there still isn't anything really dramatic over mine.
 
I think about every 4 years is a good time to get a new computer. Giving consideration to when apple will release their next big MacBook/Pro revision.
 
GreatDrok said:
I switched to Macs specifically to avoid having to replace my machine every year. With PCs I was destroying them after 12 months so they had no resale value and each machine would cost me between £800 and £1500 depending on the spec and when I bought it. With my first Mac (iBook G4) I got 3 years of productive daily use out of the machine and then passed it on to my wife to use and it is now working as my iTunes server. That machine is coming up to 6 years old now which is pretty good value as it only cost £1000 new in October 2003. That is just £167 a year or £333 if you count the productive years. My current machine (MacBook Pro) cost just shy of £2000 in 2006 and is now 3 years old, running Snow Leopard and going like a champ. The cost works out at £667 a year so far and each extra year will drop that down. I'm aiming for another two years of full time use before I pass it on.

While I applaud the fact that a Macbook at 18 months old holds its value so well, I prefer to get the maximum life out of mine. While the current crop of MacBook Pros are nice improvements there still isn't anything really dramatic over mine.
Click to expand...

All good points, plus selling is a hassle. Getting acquainted with a new machine does take a while as well, and being as it is that my new MBP is sitting next to me while I type this on the White MB I may well have already jumped in to the pool head first and hit a rock. We shall see!
 
I try to go for 5 or 6 years, but that's just me. If a computer meets all my needs when I buy it, it's likely to meet them 6 years later, because I generally don't ever change what I do with my computer in that time period.
 
GreatDrok said:
I switched to Macs specifically to avoid having to replace my machine every year. With PCs I was destroying them after 12 months so they had no resale value and each machine would cost me between £800 and £1500 depending on the spec and when I bought it. With my first Mac (iBook G4) I got 3 years of productive daily use out of the machine and then passed it on to my wife to use and it is now working as my iTunes server. That machine is coming up to 6 years old now which is pretty good value as it only cost £1000 new in October 2003. That is just £167 a year or £333 if you count the productive years. My current machine (MacBook Pro) cost just shy of £2000 in 2006 and is now 3 years old, running Snow Leopard and going like a champ. The cost works out at £667 a year so far and each extra year will drop that down. I'm aiming for another two years of full time use before I pass it on.

While I applaud the fact that a Macbook at 18 months old holds its value so well, I prefer to get the maximum life out of mine. While the current crop of MacBook Pros are nice improvements there still isn't anything really dramatic over mine.
Click to expand...

iTunes server is still productive :D

I think with any item that depreciates (cars, computers, etc.) you end up best in the long run maximizing lifetime for each item, at least until the point where maintenance costs start to accelerate.
 
I agree that for some upgrading makes sense. The issue is how often & when to upgrade and sell old equipment.

Lets take the macbook pro as a case study. When the first macbook pro with C2D and Leopard was released it had an 8600 gt as the gpu. Since then what has changed most significantly is not the cpu or gpu, but the case, the battery tech, and the additional ability of upgrading the hard drive. Current MBP's are not much different in terms of the cpu and gpu. The next major release of the macbook pro will probably include a new cpu. When that release occurs you can argue that the MBP is completely different from the original C2D macbook pro's. Lets say someone had one of those original C2D macbook pro's, and they want to keep up. When should they upgrade?

It's not easy to answer, one has to account for the resale value, length of applecare warranty, etc. In my opinion, unless you really need one of the intermediate upgrades, the best time to upgrade is when a new cpu architecture comes out. Someone that does not need the latest cpu will be able to buy the old model for a decent price, and the upgrader will only need to pay the difference. Lets estimate about 50% of the price can be recovered. So you can upgrade every 2 or so years and have newer tech for about the same cost as skipping a cpu cycle.
 
For people who are actually disciplined enough to sell that makes the most sense. I end up giving my old ones away, so I keep them for around 3 years.
 
I'v had my macbook since 2007 (more than 2 years). I just replaced the HD with a 320 GB HD. It works even better than it ever did before! I seriously doubt I'll have to replace anything else on this computer for a long time.

But I only use my Macbook for surfing the web, writing stories, and doing website management. . . so nothing too intense.

I like the way apple computers are more easily upgraded, but I hate how they've decreased the software packaging with the computers.

When OS 7 came out, our computer came with hundreds of applications, games, and business oriented things. It came with Claris Works (a paint, graphic, spreadsheet, and paint program) along with tons of other stuff.

When the OS 9 computer came out, it had Apple Works and no games.

When OS X.1 came out, the computer could run both os 9 and X. . . but didn't come with Apple Works. It did come with a few programs..

But now? There computers are so basic.
 
farkasam said:
while i understand the logic behind the OP's question, i humbly suggest that it may sound a bit prattish no?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that it sounds 'prattish'; perhaps the question is rather unnecessary and not really focussed towards the bigger picture and ideas (does God exist, will good always prevail over evil, etc). 'Change is as good as a holiday' the saying goes, although come to think of it that saying has always sounded pretty prattish. Enough from me on that.


relativist said:
I agree that for some upgrading makes sense. The issue is how often & when to upgrade and sell old equipment.

It's not easy to answer, one has to account for the resale value, length of applecare warranty, etc. In my opinion, unless you really need one of the intermediate upgrades, the best time to upgrade is when a new cpu architecture comes out. Someone that does not need the latest cpu will be able to buy the old model for a decent price, and the upgrader will only need to pay the difference. Lets estimate about 50% of the price can be recovered. So you can upgrade every 2 or so years and have newer tech for about the same cost as skipping a cpu cycle.
Click to expand...

See, relativist that's just it: if there is AppleCare on the system, it can be a really useful tool tool that benefits buyer and seller, as seller is willing to pay more in exchange for feeling more secure and confident in his second-hand system. So if I sell my MB now, I will make sure the buyer has trust, by showing him just how well I have cared for the machine and how well it has served me, and he'll know I haven't cut corners on it because I've had free support.

I am also new to Apple, considering I've only really used a MB. So despite being very satisfied with all it has dished up, I have always quite wished to try the MBP, to see if it's worth the hype. To make my personal point of view on it. Hence, today I had the idea that doing this every once in a while wouldn't be such a bad idea.

ditzy said:
For people who are actually disciplined enough to sell that makes the most sense. I end up giving my old ones away, so I keep them for around 3 years.
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Ahh ditzy, you are a generous man, and it is also a nice feeling to help others out too I am guessing?


ArtRock.com said:
When OS X.1 came out, the computer could run both os 9 and X. . . but didn't come with Apple Works. It did come with a few programs..

But now? There computers are so basic.
Click to expand...

I did many MR searches in my early days of OS X ownership that found kindred souls pleading the same basic things, 'where is paint', 'how do i type documents', but I would rather something streamlined, than the load of sh*te that came with my Packard Bell in 1996. It was a horrible time for computing!
 
Cassie said:
I try to go for 5 or 6 years, but that's just me. If a computer meets all my needs when I buy it, it's likely to meet them 6 years later, because I generally don't ever change what I do with my computer in that time period.
Click to expand...

You used your computer for the same things when you were 10 as you do now that you're 16?
 
I use my MBP for work as well as for personal use. I go for the top end of the line. My strategy is to get a new one about every 2 1/2 years. At that point I still have 6 months left on AppleCare and it's easier to sell than without. I just got my new uMBP 15 for which I spent about $3K (after subtracting educ. discount, iPod rebate, and adding in 8 GB RAM). However, I sold my previous 17" MBP 2.33 for $1200. It has AppleCare until next May and that made it easy to sell (to first responder on Craigslist). With the tax deduction I take on my new one, my net cost for it is probably about $1500, give or take. I essentially pay about $50/month for something I use all day for work. I consider that a pretty good deal.
 
Definitely Racetripper, that's the kind of mentality I am thinking of. I like your system a lot.

RaceTripper said:
I use my MBP for work as well as for personal use. I go for the top end of the line. My strategy is to get a new one about every 2 1/2 years. At that point I still have 6 months left on AppleCare and it's easier to sell than without. I just got my new uMBP 15 for which I spent about $3K (after subtracting educ. discount, iPod rebate, and adding in 8 GB RAM). However, I sold my previous 17" MBP 2.33 for $1200. It has AppleCare until next May and that made it easy to sell (to first responder on Craigslist). With the tax deduction I take on my new one, my net cost for it is probably about $1500, give or take. I essentially pay about $50/month for something I use all day for work. I consider that a pretty good deal.
Click to expand...
 
I used to get top of the line machines but they all get outdated just as quickly as the lower end machines as tech evolves so quickly...

I have 4 older winXP machines in the house along with my two newer mac's and they all work for the purposes they are spread around the house for...

I'd sell them (the winXP machines) but the $50 - $100 they'd fetch in the market just isn't worth the trouble to even bother selling them... usually I give them to charity (2 win98 machines) or when I have friends with young children who could benefit from a beginning computer... (winXP machine I gave away)...
 
I have PC laptops and get buy new machines when the extended warranty runs out, usually 4 years.
 
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