that can be taken wrongly.
Haha that's not what I meant, but you never know.........
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Do you want one laptop every 6 years or 18 months?
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Haha that's not what I meant, but you never know.........
Let's see...
My last computer went as follows:
1. Toshiba laptop (266 Mhz Pentium II), lasted from Dec 1998 to Feb 2004. That's slightly more than 5 years
2. Dell Latitude D600 lasted from Feb 2004 to March 2007. Now it's my 6 years old son game PC, after a motherboard replacement. About 3 years of loyal use.
3. Dell XPS 1210 is my current laptop (though I want to buy a MBA), in charge from march 2007 to present. 2.5 years.
My imac is my current main computer since May 2008, previously I had a Dell Optiplex from 2004 to 2007 (3 years).
So I'd say my computers normally work OK for 3 years. After that, however, I normally turn them to my kids, some student or so.
My last computer went as follows:
1. Toshiba laptop (266 Mhz Pentium II), lasted from Dec 1998 to Feb 2004. That's slightly more than 5 years
2. Dell Latitude D600 lasted from Feb 2004 to March 2007. Now it's my 6 years old son game PC, after a motherboard replacement. About 3 years of loyal use.
3. Dell XPS 1210 is my current laptop (though I want to buy a MBA), in charge from march 2007 to present. 2.5 years.
My imac is my current main computer since May 2008, previously I had a Dell Optiplex from 2004 to 2007 (3 years).
So I'd say my computers normally work OK for 3 years. After that, however, I normally turn them to my kids, some student or so.
Same here. I used my iBook for about 4 years before upgrading to a MBP a little over 2 years ago. Main reason i upgraded was because the ibook was its hard drive was full and i didn't feel like replacing it.
while i would like to upgrade to the unibody MBP now that they offer matte screens again, it would purely be to have something new, as my current machine works perfectly and i expected to use it for at least 4-5 years.
now if the next update came with blu-ray or something major like that....
while i would like to upgrade to the unibody MBP now that they offer matte screens again, it would purely be to have something new, as my current machine works perfectly and i expected to use it for at least 4-5 years.
now if the next update came with blu-ray or something major like that....
You're pretty lucky with your Dells. I bought a Dell XPS laptop. After 12 months of nothing but catastrophic failures Dell replaced it with a new 17 XPS laptop. The replacement (a refurb) was even less reliable with 15 catastrophic failures in as many months (memory, video boards, LCS panels, fans, CPUs, etc). Dell replaced that with a (brand new since I refused a refurb) Precision M90 laptop. By that time I had given up and purchased a MBP 17" to replace it (my first Mac in about 10 years). I still have the M90, but only use it for Outlook and IM connected to a corporate VPN. If I try to do anything else the fans go wild. I have no doubt if I used it daily it would fail. My colleague has the same machine. He gets a new video board about every month.
I think upgrading to a new Mac model depends on your line of work and if the new features on the new model justifies buying it. Like if you're a video editor, a graphic designer or just a dedicated Mac user. Not all newer Macs released were actually better than the older ones. It's case to case in how long you would stick to your current Mac.
Before I take the plunge in buying a newly released model, I would wait for 3 to 5 months before deciding. I would find out first the general users' feedbacks on that model. There were new Mac models in the past that were "lemons" or duds. Back in 2005 Apple released the powerful PowerMacs with liquid cooling system and the top of the line at that time, was the 2.5Ghz Quad. But after 2 years, that liquid cooling system started to leak and those who bought those machines suffered. I've learned that the most expensive and fastest models does not always mean its the better machine.
In 2007, the new MacBook Pro laptops had defective LCD screens if I recall it right and after 6 months Apple released an upgrade. There was also the 2005 iMac G5 which had the left lower part turning blackish after years of usage. This would need the whole LCD replaced.
I've known a lot of companies who hung to there Macs for 3 years or more. They will only upgrade if the new features really makes a big difference.
Before I take the plunge in buying a newly released model, I would wait for 3 to 5 months before deciding. I would find out first the general users' feedbacks on that model. There were new Mac models in the past that were "lemons" or duds. Back in 2005 Apple released the powerful PowerMacs with liquid cooling system and the top of the line at that time, was the 2.5Ghz Quad. But after 2 years, that liquid cooling system started to leak and those who bought those machines suffered. I've learned that the most expensive and fastest models does not always mean its the better machine.
In 2007, the new MacBook Pro laptops had defective LCD screens if I recall it right and after 6 months Apple released an upgrade. There was also the 2005 iMac G5 which had the left lower part turning blackish after years of usage. This would need the whole LCD replaced.
I've known a lot of companies who hung to there Macs for 3 years or more. They will only upgrade if the new features really makes a big difference.
I've had me G3 PowerMac for about 11 years ... so that works out to around NZ$500 per year, which makes it great value. I've also had my car for 11 years too.
Personally, I use my computers until they quit working for the most part. Exceptions are when I need a feature that a new version has.
For example, my PB15 which is about 6 years old still works fine. However, a little over a year ago I purchased a MBP15 so that I could run Windows natively or via VMware Fusion/Parallels. This allowed me to get rid of a PC laptop and only need to carry one laptop with me instead of two.
I think that cost wise, the best place to be is use until they die, or sell and buy new every year. In between these points, you spend more for what you get.
For example, my PB15 which is about 6 years old still works fine. However, a little over a year ago I purchased a MBP15 so that I could run Windows natively or via VMware Fusion/Parallels. This allowed me to get rid of a PC laptop and only need to carry one laptop with me instead of two.
I think that cost wise, the best place to be is use until they die, or sell and buy new every year. In between these points, you spend more for what you get.
Re
I am currently using ACER laptop and it is good, but now I want to buy a new one and said in this thread I don't invest my money into a laptop that will be obsolete after 1 or 2 years. I want high speed performance, long lasting battery and all new features such as bluetooth headset compatibility, do you guys have suggestion for me. deeply appreciated. thanks
I am currently using ACER laptop and it is good, but now I want to buy a new one and said in this thread I don't invest my money into a laptop that will be obsolete after 1 or 2 years. I want high speed performance, long lasting battery and all new features such as bluetooth headset compatibility, do you guys have suggestion for me. deeply appreciated. thanks
As much as I'd love to say that I'd upgrade every 2 years, it's not practical. Unless you're a gamer, every 4-5 years should bring enough of a significant update to warrant an upgrade. However, I'm also of the opinion that older computers can easily be repurposed and used for other things until they finally die.
Right now, my laptop is clunking along, but it's still going. I've had to tape the battery in place as the latch broke. I've replaced a key on the keyboard. The protective shroud for the wireless card has been torn off, so there's an exposed piece of PCB sticking out of the side, and the laptop has to be permanently docked, as the insulator ring of the power port on the laptop has broken off. Yeah, it's not much to look at, but it will run iTunes, Firefox and Picasa.
Right now, my laptop is clunking along, but it's still going. I've had to tape the battery in place as the latch broke. I've replaced a key on the keyboard. The protective shroud for the wireless card has been torn off, so there's an exposed piece of PCB sticking out of the side, and the laptop has to be permanently docked, as the insulator ring of the power port on the laptop has broken off. Yeah, it's not much to look at, but it will run iTunes, Firefox and Picasa.
Exactly my thought. I have a Linux server running on a Celeron 733 MHz with 320 MB of RAM. It runs SSL Explorer and cron jobs to backup some of the NFS mounted partitions of my NAS box to an external USB drive. I am hoping it will have enough horsepower to also run ZoneMinder so I can have a multi-camera security software package running on other than my Mac desktop. I may have to upgrade it to 512 MB!
FrankenMac.... it liiiiiiives!
I don't think you can made such a broad generalization. I'm not a gamer, but I do update every 2 1/2 years, and it is practical for me to do so. It would be painful for me right now to use 4-5 year old equipment. I just did one of my 2.5 yr. upgrades and it has been beneficial.
I say replace your computer as often as you like...as long as you can afford it. (never finance a computer if you can help it)
Buy a new computer when you truly need it, period. How often you need it, and what you need, depends on your needs. Sorry, I don't mean to sound like The Sphinx from Mystery Men.
If you're doing basic consumer computer stuff like surfing, occasional online videos, word processing, email, etc., then a 12" powerbook with it's maximum ram and a decent HD will handle want you need it to do. A semi professional writer friend of mine who was contentedly tapping away on his 4 or 5 year old power mac was a major factor in initially choosing the platform besides the lack of malware for that os. My fiancee's uncle was recently using a g4 with CS2 at work to do graphics for my state's largest newspaper! I think a lot of mandatory upgrade mentality is carried over by recentish windows converts.
That's a big reason why so many netbooks have been sold; the truth is that a lot of people (I fought the urge to say 'most people') use their computers for basic tasks that even the atom processor can handle.
OTOH, if you're using your rig to make money doing computer intensive tasks to make money, it may make sense to buy a new system every year or so. In that case, you should calculate if the productivity boost from the new machine would be equal to, or preferably less than, the cost of buying or upgrading.
It may make more sense for a lot of people to cram the ram (once ram prices have fallen) and buy a newer faster hard drive for a two year old system than to buy a new machine. This can give a slightly older system a performance boost almost equivalent to a new car smell.
Let's just say that they release a new macbook pro with a new mobile intel quad tomorrow. Steve or Phil will of course step onto a stage in front of graphs and bar charts to show that their new systems are insanely great. That wouldn't mean that my existing system would operate any slower or do any less than what it does right now. Despite the new chips and snow leopard, it may take developers six months or more to write new programs that fully take advantage of the new capabilities, and I'd have to be willing to spend the money to buy the upgrades.
<bows, steps off of soapbox>
If you're doing basic consumer computer stuff like surfing, occasional online videos, word processing, email, etc., then a 12" powerbook with it's maximum ram and a decent HD will handle want you need it to do. A semi professional writer friend of mine who was contentedly tapping away on his 4 or 5 year old power mac was a major factor in initially choosing the platform besides the lack of malware for that os. My fiancee's uncle was recently using a g4 with CS2 at work to do graphics for my state's largest newspaper! I think a lot of mandatory upgrade mentality is carried over by recentish windows converts.
That's a big reason why so many netbooks have been sold; the truth is that a lot of people (I fought the urge to say 'most people') use their computers for basic tasks that even the atom processor can handle.
OTOH, if you're using your rig to make money doing computer intensive tasks to make money, it may make sense to buy a new system every year or so. In that case, you should calculate if the productivity boost from the new machine would be equal to, or preferably less than, the cost of buying or upgrading.
It may make more sense for a lot of people to cram the ram (once ram prices have fallen) and buy a newer faster hard drive for a two year old system than to buy a new machine. This can give a slightly older system a performance boost almost equivalent to a new car smell.
Let's just say that they release a new macbook pro with a new mobile intel quad tomorrow. Steve or Phil will of course step onto a stage in front of graphs and bar charts to show that their new systems are insanely great. That wouldn't mean that my existing system would operate any slower or do any less than what it does right now. Despite the new chips and snow leopard, it may take developers six months or more to write new programs that fully take advantage of the new capabilities, and I'd have to be willing to spend the money to buy the upgrades.
<bows, steps off of soapbox>
In my experience, I've usually used my computers for 2 1/2 to 3 years before retiring them from front-line service.
Now my usage tends to be a bit extreme, with my laptops running 24/7 and even when I'm not in front of the computer will usually have some process running (Render, Encode, etc). Add in the regular travelling, its understandable that by the 3rd year the system is usually on its last legs.
Once the Extended Warranty runs out I prefer to move to a new machine.
Having said that, I've usually re purposed my older machines for non mission critical work and they usually last another year or two before the repair costs outweigh the benefits of getting it fixed.
Now my usage tends to be a bit extreme, with my laptops running 24/7 and even when I'm not in front of the computer will usually have some process running (Render, Encode, etc). Add in the regular travelling, its understandable that by the 3rd year the system is usually on its last legs.
Once the Extended Warranty runs out I prefer to move to a new machine.
Having said that, I've usually re purposed my older machines for non mission critical work and they usually last another year or two before the repair costs outweigh the benefits of getting it fixed.
I find I only tend to buy new machines once they've advanced two generations. The next generation doesn't offer all that much of an increased performance, and most stuff is still compatible, but the second generation on is where you get a visible change in power and capability and software.
Example:
My first PC was something like a Pentium 90 or 133.
My second PC was an AMD Duron 800. Roughly two generations on, and very different.
Then I went to Mac. My first mac was a Powerbook G4 1.5ghz. Again, about 2 generations on from the Duron 800.
My next and current mac is a Macbook C2D 2.2ghz. Again, I skipped the first generation CD macbooks as they were still new and a bit buggy and didn't offer all that much over my Powerbook.
I'm very happy with my MacBook - it's almost 2 years old, and still going well. I've upgraded it 1GB -> 4GB RAM, and 120GB -> 320GB -> 500GB HD over the years.
It's only now that I'm starting to hit its limits, especially with using multiple VMs and HD video. I may sell it when it gets near to the end of its 3 year AppleCare life.
The current generation of Macbooks / MacBook Pro doesn't really appeal to me as they don't offer a lot more than my old macbook.
When quad core macbooks with cheap 8gb RAM come out, that's when I will move, probably in late 2010 / 2011, as that's a real step change and I need that extra ram and extra cores.
Example:
My first PC was something like a Pentium 90 or 133.
My second PC was an AMD Duron 800. Roughly two generations on, and very different.
Then I went to Mac. My first mac was a Powerbook G4 1.5ghz. Again, about 2 generations on from the Duron 800.
My next and current mac is a Macbook C2D 2.2ghz. Again, I skipped the first generation CD macbooks as they were still new and a bit buggy and didn't offer all that much over my Powerbook.
I'm very happy with my MacBook - it's almost 2 years old, and still going well. I've upgraded it 1GB -> 4GB RAM, and 120GB -> 320GB -> 500GB HD over the years.
It's only now that I'm starting to hit its limits, especially with using multiple VMs and HD video. I may sell it when it gets near to the end of its 3 year AppleCare life.
The current generation of Macbooks / MacBook Pro doesn't really appeal to me as they don't offer a lot more than my old macbook.
When quad core macbooks with cheap 8gb RAM come out, that's when I will move, probably in late 2010 / 2011, as that's a real step change and I need that extra ram and extra cores.
I wouldn't really be able to answer the OP's question.
I'm a student and I'm not sure if I'll have a real need for a laptop once I start working full-time.
And to be honest, I hardly take advantage of the equipment inside my laptop now. Give me an SSD and I've basically future-proofed my laptop for at least 5 years given the programs that I currently use (word, PS, Safari, quicktime, itunes).
I'm a student and I'm not sure if I'll have a real need for a laptop once I start working full-time.
And to be honest, I hardly take advantage of the equipment inside my laptop now. Give me an SSD and I've basically future-proofed my laptop for at least 5 years given the programs that I currently use (word, PS, Safari, quicktime, itunes).
I can't imagine keeping a laptop for 6 years. If I do, I'd still be using an iBook G3 900 MHz!
I always tell myself I'd keep my current laptop for 3 years (until the AppleCare goes out), but I always ended up upgrading in 1 to 2 years.
I always tell myself I'd keep my current laptop for 3 years (until the AppleCare goes out), but I always ended up upgrading in 1 to 2 years.
In my case, being an University professor, I generally upgrade my computers each 2-3 years, as soon as we have research funds. Old computers, which are more than good, are normally turned to students or technicians, sometimes installed in labs for some specific use (although, in that case, we normally prefer PC's because of compatibility with some proprietary software and hardware cards).
Here is what I say, when the computer starts to not work well anymore and there is nothing you can do to fix it (i.e. upgrade ram, have apple fix it) then get a new one. I really don't understand why people upgrade for no reason other than having the latest and greatest thing.
Same here. I try to get 4+ years out of my Apple laptops, but after year 4 they start to seem reeeeeeeaaaaaally slow.
Hmmm, my MacBook Pro is going to hit 4 years in April. I wonder what will change between now and then which will make it suddenly run reeeeeeeaaaaaally slow? Currently running Snow Leopard and it feels nice and fast at the moment.
The Light Peak connector on the front page of MR today would be a great bonus if changing machine in Autumn 2010.
The idea of putting old computers to other uses aka 're-purposing', is a nice one, BUT I need to get in the habit of relying on the investment in my former laptop to continue through, in part, to a new purchase.
The point of the original post here was that if you are selling to part-finance a new computer, why not do it every 18 months, for example, instead of 3 years, as you spend SIMILAR amounts of money in the upgrade regardless. For example, my MB cost £800, with AppleCare, in April 2008; in September 09 I can flog it for around £600. Give it another 18 months and I cannot see it fetching more than £400. I know that the depreciation eventually tails off or 'bottoms out' from that £200/18 month rate, but not for a good few years.
This post is not about having the 'latest and greatest thing' for the sake of it - it is a purely sensible logic. If I need to spend £400 in 18 months or £600 in 36 months to upgrade my 3/4.5 yr old laptop, something which I could do now for £200, why should I not take advantage of faster RAM/new HD/multi-touch trackpad/aluminium casing etc now and then 18 months down the road take advantage of any other upgrades that make the system better and nicer to use for another £200?
You end up spending that money anyway, whether you hold off for 4/5/6 years before selling (continues to depreciate all this time), whether you decide to 're-purpose' it instead of selling it (pay full price for a new one all out of your own pocket), or you pass it on to a loved one (ditto).
This isn't a 'sign of the times' issue, where we look at our society and say these days everyone wants the 'latest and greatest' - it is about getting the best for my money, and now I am firmly minded to follow the upgrade policy personally as having a multi-touch trackpad is not a necessary feature, but has turned out to be a very useful thing to have, therefore I am getting more for my money. That is but one example.
Pure, economic, logic.
I think many of the posters in this thread are missing the OP's point.
He's comparing the depreciation of his computer over about 18 months with the cost of buying a new one every 72 (6 years or so).
The suggestion is that if you can sell your laptop every 18 months with minimal depreciation, you can almost always have a current generation product, for the same price as buying a new one every 72 months.
I'm not sure this is exactly true, but macs do hold their resale value very well. It's definitely a topic worth discussing/considering.
He's comparing the depreciation of his computer over about 18 months with the cost of buying a new one every 72 (6 years or so).
The suggestion is that if you can sell your laptop every 18 months with minimal depreciation, you can almost always have a current generation product, for the same price as buying a new one every 72 months.
I'm not sure this is exactly true, but macs do hold their resale value very well. It's definitely a topic worth discussing/considering.