How long can one laptop live?
September 4, 2006
It’s my birthday soon. More importantly, it’s Sony Vaio PCG-V505BL Notebook’s third birthday soon. Yes, I got a lappy for my 21st birthday and no, it sure wasn’t a car.
But it was my first very own computer, and first birthday present I’d gotten in years. So understandably, I’m a little concerned about its health. Anyway, I’ve noticed the virus definitions are all afray and the peely stickers that should have been peeled off 3 years ago are ever peelier. Is it just my imagination or is Vaio getting lighter in its old age? Actually, it’s probably just lighter in comparison to that brick of a work lappy. [Powerbooks are small, but DENSE.]
But I start wondering, how long can this lappy hold up? Home usage is fairly light. Downloading is nearly non-existent, and I rarely do anything more than word processing, internet accessing, and Excelling. Mm, I love graphing financials. [Oddly enough, I still don’t know how to use any of the most basic formulas in Excel, I feel terribly ignorant!] Heck, I don’t even print at home anymore, and my little printer is packed away in the laptop case I never use because the battery life on this computer is only enough to sit up, cough dustily in your face, wheeze a few times and warn you to save your work because it’s shutti………. *black screen* We only run on AC power these days, lappy and me. After a conversation with a lady at work today regarding what sort of laptop computer she should consider for her son going off to college next year, I started speculating how much more mileage I can get out of this lappy before I have to spring for a new one. [Note, I did not say “invest” I said spring. Spend. *sigh*]
Let’s say it’ll cost about a thousand, I don’t know, I haven’t look at PC lappies in forever. They’re probably closer to $500, really. But if I were to consider going with a Mac lappy, not that I have any truly good reason other than I like them now, then we’re going to start between $1000- $1400. [Hm, look at that, I do believe I’ve just talked myself out of a Mac.] Let’s just say I’ll establish another savings fund pretty soon … goal of $1000 for the next .. 2-3 years? I would need to save $42 a month for 24 months, or $28 a month for 36 months.
That’s not a bad place to start, anyway.
I paid $400 for my home laptop and I love it. As long as it has sufficient hard drive space and memory and a CD burner, it doesn’t take much to satisfy me. If I need to do anything fancy, I use the work laptop.
Here’s the one I bought recently.
I had so much to say that I broke down and wrote you a whole post. =)
http://pennyfoolish.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-to-save-old-pc-computer-dont.html
I just use my “work” laptop everywhere. Including right now. It’s a 15″ Powerbook 2004 model. Wouldn’t think of getting anything else. Needs more memory and is pretty bashed up. Apple will send me a replacement battery for free luckily – due to recall. I own a G3 iMac desktop. No intention to replace any time soon as it works perfectly (memory was added).
hmmm I wonder what the most expensive birthday present I ever got was. It certainly didn’t cost more than $100 whatever it was. I doubt more than $50.
SingleMa: I do remember you posting about the new laptop, I’m glad you like it! $400 is far more reasonable than the numbers I’m flinging about.
Kira: Thanks =)
Moom: Fellow Powerbooker! Yes, I do like the Powerbook quite a bit. I have a thing about not doing or keeping anything personal on the work computer so I tend not to retain any bookmarks or files that are personal, that makes using it for everything a bit tedious.