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

[RedTomato]

Thanks for putting it back on track

One negative about buying a new Apple laptop every 18 months is that Apple are quite stingy about their RAM / HD.

If you're someone like me who always needs max HD space and max RAM - then, if you're lucky, you can transfer over the old HD / RAM, but if interface formats change, as they tend to do every three years or so you need to add in the costs of

- paying Apple's prices for upgraded HD / RAM
- paying market prices for third party RAM / HD

and counterbalance that against the increased price you'll get for your old laptop with enhanced specs.

For example: I have 4 GB RAM in my MacBook, which is DDR2 and I can't take that over to Apple's new DDR3 laptops.

Complex.

 

[mrgeek]

If I am really rich

I am not rich or can afford the expensive laptops. I always replace mine very long time in years or if it does not support my needs then I will sell it in short time.

 

[dbwie]

I used a Titanium Powerbook for 6.5 years before I bought a unibody MacBook. The decision was based on the fact that my Powerbook could not work well with some of the latest software I needed for my graduate studies, and it was choking on YouTube and other web videos. However, I keep the PowerBook around because it has some software that I occasionally use, and don't have the ability to upgrade for the latest Intel version (e.g. SPSS). I also have an "in-family" buyer for my TiBook when I'm ready to sell it.

Edit: before the TiBook, I used a Powerbook 180c from approx. 1994-1999, and had an iMac DV for 3 years, which I resold for 60% of its retail value to a relative. I sold the iMac early because I really needed a portable.

 

[dwd3885]

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.

Right, this was the original topic. It's great in theory (buy and sell computer to buy a new one 18 months down the line) but you have to deal with selling and eBay is most likely the option. eBay is great, but you will always have those fees associated with paypal and eBay and you think you're getting $1200 for a laptop and you end up getting $1135 after fees and shipping and then you think you are buying a new one for $1449, but it's really $1510 after tax, that is a $300 difference after 18 months.

If you sell that same computer in 3 years instead of 18 months, you would still get a new one for $1449 + tax = 1510. So in order for it to work in your system, the computer would have to depreciate another $300 and you'd only sell it after 3 years for $900. I guess that is reasonable. It just seems like it's a hassle to buy and sell all the time (even though I do this all the time!)

 

[dwd3885]

I am not rich or can afford the expensive laptops. I always replace mine very long time in years or if it does not support my needs then I will sell it in short time.

But the point is you can sell the $1099 computer you bought to supplement that cost of a newer laptop, meaning you do not have to be rich.

 

[RaceTripper]

...but you have to deal with selling and eBay is most likely the option. eBay is great, but you will always have those fees associated with paypal and eBay and you think you're getting $1200 for a laptop and you end up getting $1135...

Sold my MBP on Craigslist for $1200 cash in less than 24 hrs. No fees, no shipping. Easy-peasy. I never use eBay to sell anything.

 

[dwd3885]

Sold my MBP on Craigslist for $1200 cash in less than 24 hrs. No fees, no shipping. Easy-peasy. I never use eBay to sell anything.

That's great. But the majority of time I just find scams and it's much more of a hassle if you don't live in urban areas.

 

[cluthz]

This have indeed slowed down a bit a lately, thus you don't need to upgrade that often.

Low end MBP two years ago was 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, currently what I'm using, and with new battery I bought this summer it will last me until the next big upgrade. (USB 3.0, new gfx, Blu-ray or whatever Apple has in it sleeves)

One thing is sure, I won't replace mine until something better than GeForce 9600 is available. (Im not saying that GF9600 is a bad card, It's just not much of an upgrade from what I'm currently using)

 

[mrgeek]

But the point is you can sell the $1099 computer you bought to supplement that cost of a newer laptop, meaning you do not have to be rich.

It depends how much value will the computer be in the next 18 months or years.

 

[gotzero]

I generally keep mine around for about 12 months, but I do not get nearly as high of a return as you calculate. I end up getting at least one case (~$50) an extra charger (~$80) and an extra battery when possible (~$100) and often end up including those items for sale with the machine since they do not work between models (with the exception of the chargers which I keep changing out because they keep getting smaller).

 

[sfroom]

I bought the top of the line iMac in Sept. 2006. It was a 2.16 Ghz, 250GB HD, 7600 GT (BTO, worth every penny though, as it outperformed EVERY iMac until April 2008 - the 8800 GS). If I recall correctly, it cost $1999 + $82 for the video card upgrade. $2181 + tax = 2351.53. I then put 4GB of ram in for about $100.

I sold it almost exactly 18 months later, in April 2008, for $1820. Which is almost exactly 25% depreciation.

It actually turned out to be a decent deal for me. With the money, I purchased a refurb MBP (2.4Ghz, 200GB HD, 8600 GT 256 MB), which I upgraded to 4GB of ram for $60. The total cost was $1449 + Tax = $1637.37, plus ram $1705.17.

I would have turned a profit, except I decided to build a gaming rig in the few months I was macless. Trying to sell a PC is like pulling teeth, they don't resell anywhere near as easily as macs.

*All prices are in Canadian dollars.

 

[jdechko]

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.

You're correct. I did make a sweeping generalization of computer users, taking into account only gamers, who are constantly upgrading their rigs. But see clyde2801's post a few below my last one.

If you're making a living off of your machine, then you should keep it for as long as it reasonably performs your task. A capital investment means less money in your pocket in the short-term, but if it helps you finish tasks faster, you would probably come out ahead.

As it stands, though, the average computer user doesn't need to upgrade every 6-24 months unless he or she is an obsessive, compulsive gadget freak. Anywhere from 4-5 years is probably sufficient, and sometimes even beyond that.

As I said, my laptop has seen some use: this Christmas, it will be 8 years old, but it definitely needs replacing.