How old is your primary computer?

[MN-Investor]

• How old is your primary computer?
  
• Is is a desktop, or a laptop?
  
• What is its operating system?
  
• Are you a light user or a power user?
  
• How often do you replace your computer?
  

I'm asking this because my primary computer, a desktop running Windows XP Pro, is "celebrating" its 7th birthday this month. I'll probably replace it during 2011.

I'm torn between getting a desktop or a laptop. I do have a year old netbook, but that's mostly for surfing the internet while watching TV at night. I like my desktop with 24" monitor for spreadsheets (I'm a former accountant).

[8 Bit WWBG]

My most used computer is an HP tablet convertible laptop, purchased in about April 2008. It runs Vista. I don't do much besides surf the web and watch some hulu on it these days. I don't need to do any power tasks anymore.

Should the need arise, I have a powerful desktop that is running XP and is in great shape. It has a 24" monitor too.

My next computing device will probably be an android tablet.

[Tiny]

I've got an old Dell tower PC, it's running Windows XP... the internal battery died about a year ago... I think I bought it in 2000 or 2001. i've also got a ginormous old monitor on it. It's been too slow for most internet surfing (downloading video or torrents or music) for some time now. I'm suppose to get a new laptop (and wireless internet) and a docking station with a huge flat screen... but I just can't seem to get around to doing it. Old's cool... that's me... old school.

[spartan7886]

3 years old
Desktop
Windows Vista Professional
I'm ex-IT, so I probably qualify as a power user, but that only comes out when something breaks. Mostly I just use it to surf the internet.
I replaced my laptop after 3 years and DH just replaced his after 6. This desktop will last me a long time, since I built it and have no qualms about replacing it piece by piece.

One option if you can't decide between a desktop and a laptop is to have a docking station with a big monitor and keyboard. If you're a spreadsheet fanatic that numberpad is useful. That's what I did all through college.

[Tiny]

I'm liking the look of those tablets... I might just skip the laptop and go that route.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

My last computer (Dell Inspiron laptop) died after 6.5 years, so in October 2010 my wonderful DH bought me a lime green Sony Vaio laptop. I like it.

[Abby Normal]

At home, our desktop is about 7 years old. The load time is terrible. The kids use it, so it doesn't need to be efficient. I have a laptop at work and I end up using that at home at night because I can't stand to wait.

[Sharon]

I have a compaq desktop running XP that is around 8 years old. It was such a low end model when I purchased it that they had to order it in. I have never had any problems with it. I would like to replace it within a year or two only because of speed issues.

[thyme4change]

9 days old desktop with whatever the lastest Microsoft OS is. My old computer was 6 years old, and I didn't think I needed to replace it, but my friend insisted and built me a new one.

[Cookies Galore]

I bought my Dell Inspiron laptop in September 2008 and it still works perfectly fine. I have Vista and haven't experienced problems like I hear people talking about, but I don't do hardcore computing. All I really do with it is surf the internet, watch stuff, keep pictures and music on it, and some light usage of Word and Excel. I don't need much, though, as right now I am not work at home eligible at work (three year wait, been there a little less than two years) and when I do qualify to WAH I will get a work laptop to access the server.

[The J]

Right now, my only working computer is my laptop. It's ~6 months old. Runs Windows 7 Home. I used to be a power user, now I'm just a light user. I tended to simply upgrade my desktop as needed, and my laptops lasted for quite some time. My desktop died within a week of my laptop dying, and I realized that I used the laptop more anyway, since the desktop was in the office and I spend most of my time in the living room. So I went ahead and got a new laptop that would satisfy all my needs. I don't expect to replace this laptop for at least 4-5 years.

[2girlsdad]

49 hours old!! We just bought and Apple IMac (desktop). My wife was recently downsized and so her 2 year old HP Laptop had to go back. My work computer is about 2 years old and is a Dell Latitude Laptop which I HATE! Always freezing and crashing, hence the Apple purchase. The Apple is truly a work of art.

My company just sent me an IPAD about a week ago but I haven't done much but open the box!

[MN-Investor]

"My company just sent me an IPAD about a week ago but I haven't done much but open the box!"

My brother has an iPad and loves it! I'm not an Apple person, but I have to admit that it's awfully cool.

I'm waiting for a good 7" Android tablet which I can use as an e-book reader.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

My desktop is a Dell, about 2 years old I think. I bought a new Lenovo laptop last Aug and within 4 months had to replace the screen when my cat sat on it and broke it.

I keep looking at the iPads and wondering.......

[Gardening Grandma]

Last April I replaced my 5 yr old Dell with an iMac. Love it! I am so impressed with the quality of the Apple products.
DH gave me a gift card for Christmas to get myself an iPad and suggested I wait til the next version comes out (in April according to rumors). I don't NEED an iPad, but I WANT one because they are so cool. I'll use it mostly as an ereader.
My iMac is my workshorse. I do have an HP laptop running Win7 because I have embroidery software that will only run on Windows. It only gets used for machine embroidery and when my grandson is here.

[Deleted]

The computer I just replaced was about 3 years old (desktop). It got a virus, my new DH tried to help, and suddenly it was inoperable. I guess I could have spent $$$ trying to fix it, but the truth was that it cost $400 new with monitor. I replaced it with a $350 computer (no monitor) and added a warranty. The Dell computer caused me trouble from pretty much the first month on. The warranty required I tried to do fixes myself, which was a joke. The computer repair guy they finally sent out here because I couldn't do the fix-its said it was a piece of crap computer. So I always knew it was on its way out.

Meanwhile, my first computer (back in 1985) lasted almost 15 or more years. I finally had to put it out of its misery. It had inhaled all these years of smoking as well. You couldn't kill it, but I wiped out its hard drive and donated it. My second computer didn't have windows and skipped over everything until I replaced it in 2002. All of these, starting in 1985, were in the $2500+ range.

It absolutely amazes me with the price of computers today. Ours could do so little for so much. We took out a loan in 1985 from AT&T (where my husband worked) to get the first one. It was a Leading Edge, and we upgraded everything possible.

I know you guys don't want this history lesson, but it is a reminder that computers, like tvs and everything else, do so much more now for so much less.

[rumples]

I'm running a MacBook Pro purchased sometime in 2007 and I absolutely love it. DH just upgraded his really old Mac laptop to a big iMac and he's really happy with it. I doubt that I'll need to get rid of my laptop any time soon. Unless, of course, we decide that DN needs a laptop... then he can have this one. ;D

gardeninggrandma: have you looked at the new embroidery software for Macs? I have ConvertIt and the Embrilliance Thumbnailer and really like both. I'll probably spring for the Embrilliance Essentials soon here... then maybe I'll only need to turn windows on every now and again.

[rumples]

Oh... and to answer your other questions...

I'm somewhere between a light user and a power user depending upon the time of year. When I'm writing instruction sets, I have all sorts of graphics and word processing programs running. Otherwise, just some surfing and a bit of email.
We have replaced computers every 5-6 years generally.
I'm running whatever the latest version of Snow Leopard is... as is DH.
We also have an HP desktop running Windows 7 that DN uses for school projects. It doesn't get used a whole lot...

[Deleted]

Our Dell desktop lasted from Jan, 2002 until Feb, 2010. It was tired, slow, hummed loudly, froze and crashed at every opportunity. Bought a new Dell Desktop in Feb, 2010. Moderate useage..someone is always on it but mostly to surf, instant message, and read boards. Old comuter was Windows XP, this one is Windows 7. So glad that I missed the Vista era.

[Opti]

My laptop is over 7 years old and runs Windows XP. In a perfect world I'd
probably replace my computer every 5 years.

I'm impressed by the number of old computers so far. ;D

[8 Bit WWBG]

Indeed, the second generation iPad is coming soon, and will have features that the first should have had.

I will probably wait until the 2nd generation of Android tablets, or at least the 1.5th generation. When they are powerful enough to run hulu and netflix, and when storage is no longer an issue (perhaps I'll set up a wireless storage server) I think it will be time to cash in.

One thing I also want to see happen with tablets is some sort of dock. Whether or not that would be to a larger screen, or just to make it easier to sit and watch video, I'm not sure. A cradle perhaps with some extra battery power?

[Opti]

I will say watching "TV" or DVDs on my laptop has been an adventure. Some video players require regular upgrades and many times only a fraction of my laptop screen is used to play the video.

[mrsgords]

How old is your primary computer? 4 years, we bought it in 2007
Is is a desktop, or a laptop? desktop
What is its operating system? Windows XP, I think
Are you a light user or a power user? somewhere in the middle
How often do you replace your computer? when the old one starts giving me fits

We probably will get a laptop when our desktop dies.

[cubefarmer]

9 months
desktop - 24" wide screen monitor
Windows 7
frequent user when not at work
replace as needed - varies between 2 years and 6 years

[dcmetrocrab]

The computer I use most at home is my Lenovo laptop from work running XP Pro. I'm a light user and lazy so use it to browse on my bed. My regular computer is is a 3 year old Dell midtower desktop running XP Media Center. It has plenty of room left for upgrades, I see it lasting me 5-6 more years. My last Dell lasted me 8 years, and I only replaced it because I needed more RAM and the only way I was going to do that was to get a new motherboard since it was at it's max already.

I used to be a power user at home, not at all anymore. I'm also laptop shy since I've seen so many issues with the ones I've at at work over the years. Same thing for the Macbook Pro. That's my primary machine at work, and it's had numerous issues. The Lenovo with 2G of RAM versus the MBP with 4G, the Lenovo beats it hand down in speed and stability for the nature of work I do, not to mention the cost. It'll be another $400 to bump up the Mac to 8G. The MBP is always grinding to a halt running out of memory. I was amazed at how underwhelmed I was, it wasn't what I was expecting from Apple.

[TrixAre4Kids]

2007 Dell Vostro laptop running XP Home. Light user, primarily email, surfing, streaming netflix etc and some word & excel files. I will use it til it dies.
Only problem I ever had was trying to download zune software for my roomie (he didn't want it on his work laptop) - made my laptop go nuts, had to take it in and reload everything. Last 'puter favor I ever did for my roomie LOL.

[WannabeWealthy]

1 year old computer (HP w/Win7)
power user
desktop with all the goodies (3D stereo vision, highend graphics card, i7, etc..)
I replace my computer when I feel my PC games run too slow which amounts out to every 3-4 years.

[linarex]

We have a 3.5 year old laptop, a Mac. It's fantastic! DH also has a Dell desktop that's about 2 years old (a gift), but his previous one was about 8 years old. The Mac is the longest lasting personal laptop I've had, the other two died within a year or 2.

Oh, and we're fairly heavy users. I've got photo editing software and Excel/Word that I use regularly on my Mac, and DH does a lot of gaming on his desktop.

[dragonfly7]

Gifted 1 1/2 year-old Gateway laptop that came with a free Windows 7 upgrade. Between job searching for two people, music playing/storage, and Hulu/Netflix, it is used heavily. It replaced a five-year-old Dell laptop that would still work for everything but the videos.

Our seldom-used secondary computer is a six-year-old Toshiba laptop that overheats and hasn't recognized that it possesses USB ports for almost three years. Like previous posters, I imagine it will eventually be replaced by a tablet, or preferably some sort of tablet with a docking system so, if necessary, it could be used like a monitor with an external keyboard.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...we switched to laptops at home in 2003 and won't go back... and my little 6mos old Toshiba netbook is about to become primary... as WWBG said, no power tasks needed at home...

ETA: the 2003 Compaq laptop (20gb h/d) is still going strong and on the desk, for balancing the checkbook and stuff, but we bought his and hers laptops this summer... I do like wifi and surfing the net in the Panera...