What is life span on a computer?

[tlwmkw]

How long do you Tuggers think a computers useful life is before you have to get a new one? I posted a previous thread about this computer freezing up for a prolonged period (it's an imac)- it is now working fine again but it's made me nervous that I should get another computer now. Since it started working again the "My book" backup device thingy has disappeared from the startup screen so I wonder if that was what was causing the problems which would mean that I don't have the backup that I thought I had. We are not very computer savvy here so any advice would be appreciated.

thanks in advance,

tlwmkw

 

[ScoopKona]

I have an ancient laptop that I refuse to replace until it finally dies.

All things being equal and barring freak accidents, so long as your CPU stays cool, your computer can last for years and years. The more strain you put on the CPU the less time you can expect.

That's why "power-geeks" are so into heat dispersion -- going so far as to use refrigerated heat sinks.

 

[TUGBrian]

the main causes of computer failure are dust getting in the case, overheating, and power surges.

prevent all of those, and its likely your computer can last many many years even if left on 24x7. Its likely the computer itself will become obsolete and painfully slow (technologically speaking) before it actually suffers a failure that requires its complete replacement.

 

[ace2000]

Its likely the computer itself will become obsolete and painfully slow (technologically speaking) before it actually suffers a failure that requires its complete replacement.

Good point... especially now, when you can buy a replacement for a few hundred bucks.

 

[Htoo0]

I've never replaced a computer due to failure. Only because I want something faster. (I'm running a 2.8G desktop and a 3G laptop so it's not like I buy a new one every two years either.) My last one was around 8 years old when I replaced it.

 

[RonB]

It also depends on what you are doing. If all you do is surf, the useful life will be longer than if you run multiple programs at the same time, or run processor intensive programs.
Ron

 

[vacationhopeful]

Surf???

I have two office machines which don't surf unless you consider their modems are a 1200 Baud rate.:hysterical: :hysterical: (And they might not have modem cards).

I have had newer machines that just die including a hand-me-down laptop that just froze during startup multiple times before I replaced it.

And I still have my PC Junior which was my first surfing machine, at 300 baud

I agree dust, overheating (not enough cool air flow) and power surges tend to do in those printed circuit boards. Also, as technology and software has changed, interfacing the new just doesn't work ... just love those memory sticks.

 

[eoneguru]

OLD ??

I still have a P4 that I built in 1998, upgraded over the years and still use, once in awhile. My main computer is a 2 year old 17" laptop.

vacationhopeful "And I still have my PC Junior which was my first surfing machine, at 300 baud "

Linda, I thought I was the only one left that still had a PC Junior, but then, I also have a TI-99 in my basement :rofl:

Ray

 

[GetawaysRus]

The electronics (circuit boards) are very stable and will last a long time. I agree that a periodic dusting helps - it's amazing how dusty it gets inside the case. And I think it is important to keep your PC plugged into a good quality surge suppressor to protect the electronics.

Mechanical things (hard drives, CD and DVD drives, floppy drives) are much more prone to mechanical failure.

I start to get nervous that my hard drive will fail if a computer is 3-4 years old. I have had several hard drive crashes in the past. Some sort of regular system of hard drive or data back-up is needed insurance.

I've been able to keep my desktop computers for many years (and am still using a Pentium 3-800). I've had more failures on my laptop (from Dell), including a battery failure (it would no longer adequately recharge) and mechanical failure of the DVD drive.

 

[ecwinch]

How long do you Tuggers think a computers useful life is before you have to get a new one? I posted a previous thread about this computer freezing up for a prolonged period (it's an imac)- it is now working fine again but it's made me nervous that I should get another computer now. Since it started working again the "My book" backup device thingy has disappeared from the startup screen so I wonder if that was what was causing the problems which would mean that I don't have the backup that I thought I had. We are not very computer savvy here so any advice would be appreciated.

thanks in advance,

tlwmkw

From 50,000 feet, it sounds like a hard disk issue - possibly with the external hard drive (My Book) you mentioned. I would start by leaving the "My Book" completely disconnected for a few sessions (though you might already have done that).

Those My Books are decent cheap backup devices, but they do have a relatively high failure rate for storage devices.

At Brian mentioned, heat is the number one enemy. Then anything with moving parts will tend to wear out faster. Hard drives are the biggest point of failure in most computer systems.

If you have verified that the My Book is gone, then I would probably get a new backup device. Look for one with a 5 year warranty. I think I saw the Seagate product for $65 at Costco.

 

[mecllap]

"Useful life" for me seems to run about 4-5 years, sometimes problems, sometimes just wanting better features.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Ray - my baby sister was a DESIGN engineer on the PC Jr keyboard in Boca Raton. She still works at a major computer company as a R&D director.

As for hard disk drives on "older machine" ... if you think it is "dead", take out the disk (& its drive housing) and smack it a time or two. Reinstall and see if it runs. Has saved me several times.

 

[Hoc]

I have seen a lot of hard drive failures over the years. In fact, I would go so far as to say you almost have to expect a hard drive failure after about 3-5 years, often more frequently. Given the complexity of the software and the many drivers they install all over the place, a backup does not help you restore your software -- only your data. So, after a hard drive failure, it is often less time consuming to get a new computer and install everything from scratch, rather than replace your hard drive, after which you often have to restore everything from scratch, anyway.

 

[jasenj1]

I'm a white iMac (1.83GHz Intel CPU vintage) and MyBook owner. One of my MyBooks stopped showing up on the desktop, and its light was off, recently. I unplugged it from the wall and computer for a day or so then plugged it back in. It came back to life.

My guess is that a thermal switch of some sort tripped. I had a second MyBook stacked on top of the one that stopped.

Check that you have good ventilation all around the MyBook - especially top and bottom.

Also, I recently had the internal HD in my iMac die. I replaced it, but is a pretty intense procedure. Definitely not to be undertaken by someone who is "not very computer savvy".

You could try going into your Utilities folder and running "Disk Utility" on all your hard drives. That'll get you some feel for how healthy they are.

As for how long to expect a computer to last. I'd say the HDs tend to give out first. Beyond that, they last as long as you're willing to keep running them.

- Jasen.

 

[eoneguru]

Ray - my baby sister was a DESIGN engineer on the PC Jr keyboard in Boca Raton. She still works at a major computer company as a R&D director.

As for hard disk drives on "older machine" ... if you think it is "dead", take out the disk (& its drive housing) and smack it a time of two. Reinstall and see if it runs. Has saved me several times.

Linda, I went so far as to install a second 5.25" floppy drive in my PC Junior. Now that was cutting edge.

Another trick for a "dead" drive, is to remove it from the computer, place it in a plastic bag and put in the freezer for about an hour. Then reinstall it. If this works, start backing up your data right away as this may only be a temporary fix. I have used this procedure, successfully, a few times.

Ray

 

[ace2000]

Another trick for a "dead" drive, is to remove it from the computer, place it in a plastic bag and put in the freezer for about an hour. Then reinstall it. If this works, start backing up your data right away as this may only be a temporary fix. I have used this procedure, successfully, a few times.

Ray

I just want to clarify something here... I've found that if you do the opposite, and place your hard drive in the oven and bake at 400, that it doesn't seem to help at all... Just want to save someone the trouble of trying that out.

 

[hvacrsteve]

It is always one before you perform a full backup of all your stuff!
Otherwise 3-5 years!

 

[ecwinch]

I just want to clarify something here... I've found that if you do the opposite, and place your hard drive in the oven and bake at 400, that it doesn't seem to help at all... Just want to save someone the trouble of trying that out.

Now that's helpful advice. I have not tried it, but I would rule out the microwave also. :rofl:

 

[Hoc]

Now that's helpful advice. I have not tried it, but I would rule out the microwave also. :rofl:

And don't bother dropping it on a busy freeway or off a bridge into the bay. Never helps with data recovery. . . .