Longevity of your computer, digital camera, etc.

[shootingstar]

My desktop computer is only 5 years ago. it's a Windows based. However I might have to replace it next year. And I've already paid for fix, complete software reload, etc. No, I don't need a personal laptop computer at this time in my life.

My previous home desktop computers lasted approx. 8-12 yrs. In totoal owned and used nearly daily, 3 home desktop computers over the past 20 yrs.

My pocket digital cameras...I just bought a new one to replace one that I've only had and used (heavily) for the past 2 yrs.


I have resigned myself that I have to build in cost of replacing technology every few yrs. when I retire (won't be for a few years). So I have to budget for this...

Sigh.

And I don't even own/use a iPhone. How old is your personal /home technology/digital devices?

[Pax]

My old Dell laptop made it eight years, then I switched to a Mac but only got 4.5 years out of that one. Now, since I don't really use any "work" features, I stick to chromebooks, at under $300 I don't care if they don't last forever. I was pretty ticked when my Mac went bad... at $1400 it cost me around $310 a year to own it, that seems extreme to me.

When my old HP camera died after almost 10 years I just switched to whatever camera is on my phone-of-the-moment.

[smilingcat]

have an old Asus net book eeePC. I've loaded with puppyLinux a varient of Ubuntu with very small footprint. It's about 12 years old. Have to rebuild the battery pack as it stopped holding charge about 7 years ago. It's very low on my priority.

have Toshiba laptop after my father died 5?years ago. He had it for about 3 years. Screen is crystal clear sharp but the touch pad and WiFi are dead. Not sure if I want to add external mouse and USB based WiFi. Besides its XP and sure I could reload it with another Linux. but another laptop?

have dell b120 laptop it's about 8? years old. It used to have Mandriva distro of Linux but Mandriva is no longer so switched over to Ubuntu Linux. I need to reload the software. I've upgraded the HDD inside from 40G to 120G. Everything in it is working.

my desktop is 5 years old and runs win 7.

My desktop supercomputer is 4 years old and runs CAELinux. It does not go on the internet!! supercomputer?? It has a thing called disk array, 96G of fastest of DDR3 main memory, boot drive is 120G. thinking of switching over to 240G SSD. It runs a thing called CUDA. I think it has over 1000 numerical processors inside so it runs over billion calculations per second. I need to go and look it up.

WiFi network died after 4 years so took it apart and replaced a bad component and its working. Got very lucky with the bad part. One of few components that can be replaced.

And we've had things that went bad in a year or two and just had to throw it away.

But most thing should last 5 years or more. The other thing to keep in mind is that something mundane as 240G SSD (solid state drives) have over 1000 billion transistors. Just think about it what's the chance of something going bad? 1000 billion parts!! Can you even comprehend such a big number? It boggles my mind.

[emily_in_nc]

My "big laptop" (HP DV6T) is 6.5 years old. It still runs okay but battery is dead, so I have to leave it plugged in if I want to use it. It served me very well, but now I just keep it under the bed at my mom's house in NC for when we pass through there and use it for backups.

Last October I bought a little Asus Transformerbook T100. It's a hybrid tablet/notebook and the perfect size for trave6l. It has very little disk space, though, so I had to put most of my older photos on a memory card, and I have to be careful with space, deleting stuff frequently, not downloading a bunch of junk. I love this little computer, though, since I don't have a Smartphone. It serves as an e-reader as well as my main computer now.

In the past my various desktops and laptops lasted around 6 years or so before they got so slow and unwieldy I decided to buy new. And always at that time, the technology had gotten so much better, my new system was both cheaper and WAY more powerful/faster/more storage than the previous, so I never minded changing.

Cameras, I had my last digital for a loooooong time, maybe 7-8 years, but I finally ended its life by dropping it hard on concrete. So I bought a new one last year, and it is already showing signs of wear. Doubt I'll get 7 years out of it. Once again, they have gotten cheap. I was happy to get a new one as I love the 12x optical zoom. That used to sound impossibly expensive, but now it's certainly not anywhere near top of the line.

Planned obsolescence is alive and well in tech gear. I never feel that I have to have the latest and greatest, though. I'm too frugal!

[Crankin]

My first computer, about 1999, (that was all mine) was a Mac clone that lasted about 4 years. Then I got an I Mac desktop. It was fine, but I got a laptop in 2008 or so, after 5-6 years. Gave the desktop to my son, who watches movies on it. I got a MacBook Air in 2011, I guess after 3 years. It's fine.

[Helene2013]

My laptop is a Asus N53. Very nice features, etc...but I don't use it as much as I used to. Bought it mainly to do my trip videos and work on pictures. Am not doing any of it anymore. But I love this laptop as it is big and my keyboard is great (hate typing on tablets). I do use it for work stuff sometimes so it has to have the full windows software (which we got from work for 10$). Who can ask for better. I just purchased Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013 for 11$ only (again through work), but have not installed it yet. Still am on Pro 2010 and it works just fine. Got it about 6 years ago and still working well. Had a few drops on the floor...and still ticking.

I have a Notes 10.1 Tablet that I use mostly in bed or while camping. I use it to surf quickly the web (not as much as on my laptop) read Next issues (now called Texture) magazines, books or play "mental" games on it. I hate typing on it. I've had it for 3 year this coming xmas and still working very well.

I have my old ipod 4 ... working like a charm after almost 10 years. Use it for my training in the basement now.
I have my hubby's iphone 4S and it works daily for music ang games in the bus. Not using it much for phone (I have a prepaid card in it and I carry it for emergencies only. It's 4 years old and no plan to change it. Does the job I need it for.

We do have a iphone 6 which is our main phone. It works overtime and still doing good after a year. No plan to change it either.

At work, for my lunch time, I have a Samsung 7'' tablet. Good for getting wi-fi at food court, listening to music (like Songza) during lunch or just play a little mind game. Have it for a good 5 years and still working great.

Oh..hubby has his iPad air since last Xmas. We had bought the year before the iPad 4 3G and we gave it to a friend as a gift. She still uses it and hubby loves his iPad Air.

We do have 2 other laptops that are older and not using them much.

So many computer-related toys I realize typing this...but we all use them for different things and they are all working great. No plan to change any of those anytime soon. But hey! We love technology so we never know if we'll fall for the latest toy coming out.

Ah... I do have a Nikon D50 camera as I used to take a lot of pictures. I was crazy about photography and working out with photoshop...in my younger days. The camera now sits in the bag in the basement and has not been out for 2 years (except for our last trip which we took pictures only twice with it).

I was also a maniac of producing my own little videos (of my pets of course) and I have this nice Sony HD cam....in the same bag in the same basement. No longer using it. A good 4-5 years and not used lately. What a waste of money! deuh.

We are just too lazy now and take pictures/videos with the tablets or phones now. Quality is far from what I can get from my Nikon or Sony...but it is the price to pay to not want to carry bigger equipment around my neck.