Ours are on their way out.
My desktop (supposedly the new one, with plenty of space and memory) has hung - tragically - completely immobile, three times in the last ten days. Each time has resulted in frantic backing-up (particularly as I am finally giving myself time and space to edit my book - how maddening if I were to lose that!) At the grand old age of three I would have thought it would cope with my blogging dabblings and basic word processing, but something has started to tickle the system towards closure.
My husband's laptop is five years old and is working more and more slowly. For about 6 months to a year we have been considering getting a new one but all the money has gone into the house renovations instead. It crawls through the open programs and creaks at the seams.
Then - even older - there is my laptop which the children use. I noticed the other day that it can go from 100% battery to 5%, red and - oh! - off within about 40 minutes. Whilst this is not yet death, it is fairly terminal. Replacing the battery is the obvious answer, but is that worth it, given the age? It is already through its second battery and upgraded memory. Should the children have a better (or even the best?) computer to do their homework on? Or will they just attack it so hard and be so careless that they ought to have the one that might die any moment?
What, in this day and age, is a reasonable life for a computer? Does it make any difference if it is a laptop or desktop? Do computers have 'dog years' like, well, dogs do? If so, how long is a 'computer year'?
The thought of replacing all three should send shivers down the spine of my banker (although he's probably too busy enjoying his champagne and caviar from the bonus that my mortgage payments have funded). So in the meantime: back-up, back-up, back-up is my mantra.
And my reason for disappearing right now!
3 comments:
I think 1 year of our time is about 30 years for a computer (unfortunately).
30 YEARS!!
I fear you may be right.
Then again, that means I am nursing some very old ladies through towards their 200th birthday - can that be a record?!
I got so sick of cranky old PCs that I bought a mac a while ago and this weekend bought a Mac laptop as well.
I know, I know, it is hugely expensive, but then I spend all day on the computer; it is easily the most important bit of kit that I use, and I do so every day.
My old art tutor would have approved - don't compromise he used to say, whatever it takes, whatever you need to make your art - get it! (He made brilliant paintings but was always broke!)
How long for a PC - to answer directly - 3 years, maybe 4 at a push.
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