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JUST THE
F.A.Q’S PART II
By Mike Bianchini, Network Technician
Bardissi Enterprises
This Newsletter article deals
with another Frequently Asked Question (F.A.Q) we often get
asked.
“How long should my computer
last?”
Let’s face it, computers are a
big investment. They can potentially cost a lot of money
depending on the type you get. One of the main factors
people look for when buying a computer is how long it will
be until they have to buy one to replace it. To answer this
you must ask yourself some questions:
What are you going to use the
computer for?
A good example of this is my
mother and I. We bought my families computer around 1999.
Since I was in college I also got a new computer around the
same time. Since 1999 I have had 4 computers including the
one I received while in college. My mother is still on the
same machine. What’s the difference? I’m a high powered user
who relies on a more powerful machine to do graphics/video
editing and running multiple programs. She checks her email
and does light internet surfing. If you plan on using your
system for running multiple programs, playing games(other
than solitare), editing video or graphics, then you know
that you can expect to buy a replacement system sooner than
someone who basically just checks their email and does some
light internet surfing.
What are you willing to
spend?
The saying, “you get what you
pay for”, pretty much sums up how you should look at
computer systems. That bargain system you saw in the ad for
$499 is not going to last you anywhere near a system that is
$1000. The reason is that the $499 system probably has about
half the amount of power than the $1000 system. Thus, you can
expect it to last about half as many years. This of course
is taking into consideration moderate computer use.
Don’t forget that other then
hardware, your system also includes software. Operating
systems(OS),like Microsoft Windows, generally come out every
four years. It is recommended that you upgrade your
operating system with each new release. Make sure you factor
future OS upgrade costs into your purchase.
There are ways to stretch out a
computer’s user life. The best way is to perform some
upgrades to your system. The first is one you might want to
do yourself. Adding RAM or memory, as most call it, is a
great way to see an increase in performance on your system.
RAM prices have dropped down big time in the past few years.
You can most likely double your RAM for around $100. Another
way to stretch out your computer’s user life is to upgrade
your hard drive. If you find your hard drive is getting full
you can go buy an external hard drive to store some of the
files like pictures, music, and video. This should free up
space on your installed hard drive and make it a little
faster. You can also go buy a faster hard drive. Just like
memory, hard drive prices have gone down quite a bit in the
past few years. As a side note, installing a new hard drive
on your system requires you to reload your operating system.
If you purchase an external hard drive you do not need to
reinstall your operating system.
In general when looking to
purchase a new computer you should look for your system to
have a user life of 4-6 years. As you can see there are
several factors to think about before purchasing a system.
If you do your research you should be in great shape.
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