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How long do you stick with your main computer?

How long do you stick with your main computer?

  • Just until the next model comes out.

    Votes: 6 2.6%

  • One year.

    Votes: 21 9.3%

  • Two to three years.

    Votes: 95 41.9%

  • Four to five years.

    Votes: 72 31.7%

  • Until it dies.

    Votes: 33 14.5%
  • Total voters
    227
I've been on a 2-3 year cycle personally. Though my family is more on the 5-7 year cycle. I'm normally the one putting everying together from old computers for everyone else to use.
 
I start wanting a new mac after a couple of revisions.

But as im not made of money I have to wait about 3 years till I actually buy a new one.
 
my last computer lasted me about three years and another month. this was the first computer i've had that belonged to me and was not a family computer. i hope to keep my imac for at least the same amount, if not longer. for my next computer, i'll probably step up and get a mac pro. of course that's still a looong way off :p
 
Got my PM 5500 'black mac' in 1997 - an awesome upgrade to my weedy Amiga 600 then. It had a TV card! I could record video! I upgraded it to a whopping 64mb of memory! I had loadsa fun with that machine- back then when buying a Mac was a 'brave' choice. It died sometime in 2003, buried in a landfill site somewhere in Colchester.

Got my eMac some time in 2005, and i cant seem to justify replacing it within the next year. Does everything I want to nicely. The only reason i could think is that I want a dual screen display like i did at work. That train of thought was scuppered when i found out that was possible on the eMac. (has anyone tried this?)
 
Usually 4-5 years - which is why i max out each one i buy to extend the life (and usually upgrade RAM and HD along the way).
 
i'm at 2 1/2 years right now with this 1.2Ghz ibook G4. It is my first computer that has belonged specifically to me. I am planning on supplementing it with a 17" MBP for when i go to college this fall. the ibook will be my take to class computer.
 
when I used Dell it was every few months bc i could get them real cheap then turn around and sell them and make a profit. Now with my apple machines, I've had an ibook and a powerbook and i got rid of those after about 6 months. With the machines I have now I plan on keeping them for a long long time. Although, I've thought about selling everything except the MBP so who knows!
 
When I use to be a hardcore computer gamer it was every 2 years or something that was released I had to have it. Now that I'm no longer a PC gamer that time is 4-5 years.
 
About 2-3 years.

I just bought a Mac Pro yesterday, I'm setting it up now.

I can keep a computer longer if I can upgrade the CPU, HD, etc.

My PowerBook is 2 years old but I'm keeping it for now, still works perfectly, just not enough horsepower for my needs.

If I can keep upgrading my Mac Pro I hope to get at least 4 years out of it.
 
for me its a year maybe less i just cant keep anything for too long because i always want the newer/better one, like my sony vaio i bought it then 8 months later i bought my macbook. I love ebay:D
 
I keep a computer 'till it dies. Which mine never seem to do. I agree with a previous poster's suggestion of a "desktop/laptop/desktop/laptop" cycle; The answer to the wrenching question, "what will the old one be used for?" is always either "for portability" or "as a server/media center/data storage".

Time between main computers has been decreasing for me, but it's always been between 3 and 4 years (not on purpose):

12/94: (desktop) hand-me-down vintage early 80s PC [now furniture]
10/98: (desktop) generic beige tower monstrosity [now music server]
06/02: (laptop) HP [screen dead, now used w/monitor for XP stuff when needed]
08/05: (desktop) Mac mini [main computer]

I guess by that schedule, soon...

10/08 -- (laptop) MacBook Pro?
 
One year for me. I bought my iBook g4 just before (like 12 days) the Macbook was released, OOPS!!! So as soon as those black iMacs come out I'll say good bye to my ibook. :)
 
geese said:
That train of thought was scuppered when i found out that was possible on the eMac. (has anyone tried this?)
Click to expand...

I used it on my eMac for 2 and a half years until I sold it and it worked good.

I like to get a new main machine every three years, my current is a 12" powerbook, which I will keep until it dies or there is another 12" apple laptop, but it will probably be replaced as a main machine when I go to college in two years.
 
3 years and a bit for notebooks.. I intend to get a MBP sometimes after Leopard is released, before Christmas. As for desktops.. I dunno yet - I just got an iMac G5 (my first ever desktop computer) about a year and half ago and I intend to use it for a few more years, or until when I need something better. : 3
 
my main machine changes about every 2-3 years. i also usually end up selling the old computer as it gives me an excuse to upgrade every 2-3 years.
 
My main machine is a PowerMac G4 1.25 and it's going to stay with me for a while longer - so you can do the math. ;)

Voted for the four to five years option since usually something happens in that timeframe that makes me upgrade my main machine.
 
maccam said:
One year for me. I bought my iBook g4 just before (like 12 days) the Macbook was released, OOPS!!! So as soon as those black iMacs come out I'll say good bye to my ibook. :)
Click to expand...

My little brother was also bought one of those machines by my dad, shortly before the Macbook came out, but I think it's worth remembering that the last revision of a product will have way higher reliability than the first revision of another. The iBook - Macbook changeover certainly seems to have panned out that way.
 
I tend to keep my computers until they quit working.

My main desktop is 5 years old and my main laptop is 3 plus years old.

leekohler said:
No MacBook for me until one of two things happens- either a dedicated video card or a matte screen. Both would be great though. :)
Click to expand...
That would be great to see a matte screen and dedicated video card for the MacBooks.

...also a nice ultralight MBP would be nice as well.
 
sushi said:
I tend to keep my computers until they quit working.
Click to expand...

I ditto this. I still have a 400 mhz G4 PM that I use regularly. It's seven years old and still going strong (even running Tiger quite well!). It stays till it dies.
 
Its been eight beautiful years, our anniversary is this up coming september, but lately she's die'in, been slowing down and her speakers just aren't what they used to be. :eek: ;)
I think I may get a hot new mbp this August.
 
We are basically trying to rid our entire household of PC's and we're two thirds of the way there.

iMac - Core Duo: March 2006 - Replaced a Compaq
MacBook - Core 2 Duo: May 2007 - Replaced an HP

Next and Final Purchase:
MacBook/MacBook Pro - Santa Rosa - To replace a Dell Dimension

We've made a bunch of recent purchases, but these machines should last us three or four years.
 
I've been using my current PowerBook for 26 months, and i'm looking to upgrade around this time next year.

It's a 1.67 G4, with 1GB RAM and 80GB 5400 harddrive. I am a video art graduate/video editor/video artist, and it has handled everything i've ever thrown at it, no problems whatsoever.

Lot's of Final Cut Pro, DVD authoring, Photoshop, Ableton Live, Gaming (Warcraft, C+C: Generals, Call of Duty)

I have 4 year breakdown and accidental coverage with Dixons UK, so i'm hoping something packs in around this time next year, wink wink.

I do plan on getting a Mac Pro as my first brand new Mac Desktop, which will retire this trusty PowerBook to mobile surfing, mailing and media around the same time next year. Hoping to make the Mac Pro last 4 years.

Rich.
 
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