Time to Upgrade?
Copyright © 2004 Chuck Nelson

The computer you purchased four years ago still works without problems, although it does seem a little slow. Everyone is telling you it’s time to get a new computer, but you feel there is no need to spend the money. With all the ads for inexpensive computers you aren’t sure; it is still a significant purchase. Is it time to get a new computer? Let’s look at some simple reasons to consider getting a new computer system.

The Age of Your Computer
Computers, on average, have a three to five year lifespan. The primary components which may fail are the hard drive, power supply and CDRom drive. Both the hard drive and CDRom drive have electric motors which spin the disks. Eventually these will wear out causing the drive to fail. Once a hard drive has failed it is virtually impossible to retrieve any information stored on it.

The power supply will just eventually burn out similar to a light bulb. Although a small cost to replace, the time spent with your computer not working can be costly to your business.

Also, as new software and hardware are developed, quite often the new technology is not compatible with your older computer system. In fact, today’s newer, larger hard drives will not, as a rule, work in a computer which is over five years old without additional hardware.

Microsoft Windows 98 is No Longer Supported
In January, 2004, Microsoft dropped support for the Windows 98 Operating System. This means that you can still continue to use this version of Windows, but Microsoft will no longer be developing features or fixing non-security problems.

Most software and hardware companies have followed Microsoft and do not provide a Windows 98 version of their software or hardware drivers. If you would like to purchase the latest printer/scanner or upgrade your accounting software to the latest version, you may be unable to do so while running Windows 98.



Your Computer Can’t Keep Up With Your Needs
Since you originally purchased your computer, you have added a CD/RW Drive, a second hard drive to keep your backups and maybe a Zip Drive or DVD Drive. You originally purchased your computer just to handle your accounting, but now you have high-speed internet in the office, do all your documents and presentations on the computer and, when bored, even play a few games. The computer still does its job but takes forever to startup and seems to run a lot slower than it did last year. You are asking your computer to just do too much with the resources it has. Additional hardware or running multiple programs at the same time can put a serious strain on your computer’s ability to perform all those tasks. Newer systems have faster processors, more memory and are better suited for all the additional hardware and software.

Cost of Repair
With the cost of new computers and components dropping, is it really a good idea to fix that old one? Today’s computers are becoming “throw away” items. I have seen numerous times where the cost to fix an aging computer can easily reach half the cost of a new system. Older keyboards, mice and monitors can plug into a new computer, bringing the cost down even further. In fact, that new DVD drive that you purchased last year will work perfectly in any other computer.

 

Technology will continue to provide new computer systems and components. If your current computer is still keeping up with your needs, then it may be safe to postpone the expense of a new computer. However, if it is over four years old, I would suggest having it checked by your local computer professional. Remember, it is a lot easier to copy the data off a working disk drive than one that has failed.