It's time to let go of that old computer!
The retail PC industry is not showing the great year-to-year gains that it once did. PC Manufacturers (Dell, Gateway, etc.), chip manufacturers (Intel, AMD, etc.), and even software companies (Microsoft, etc.) are showing flat growth this year. Why? People aren't buying as many computers. I believe that this is temporary - explained by the fact that most current PC hardware is sufficient for the tasks required of it. We need the next "killer ap" or great new application to make us get more powerful computers.
In the light of that, why would I write a column about letting go of your old PC? The reason is that PCs have shown hundreds of percent of improvement in speed and storage just over the past few years. If your PC is older than 3-4 years or so, it's probably outdated for even today's software. Here are some clues that your PC might be over the hill:
1) If your PC's RAM (internal memory) size has only two digits, it's time to get a new computer.
2) If your PC's microprocessor is a Pentium or less, it's time to get a new computer.
3) If your hard drive is measured in megabytes, not gigabytes, it's time to get a new computer.
4) If you don't have a CD-ROM writer, called a CD-RW, it's time to get a new computer.
5) If you don't HAVE a CD-ROM drive at all, it's REALLY time to get a new computer.
6) If you don't have a backup device storage at least 100MB per device, it's time to buy a new computer.
7) If your operating system is Windows 95 or earlier, it's time to buy a new computer.
8) If your hard drive is partitioned into lots of little drive letters because your OS doesn't support larger drives, it's time to buy a new computer.
9) If your display monitor is 15" or less, it's time to buy a new computer.
How about repair? One factor in repairing an old computer is the cost of the repair. In some cases, that cost is not obvious. For example: let's say your hard drive has gone bad. Hard drives can be had for $100 and up, with practical current sizes about $125-$175. But if your OS is Windows 95 or earlier which doesn't support larger HD sizes, you will probably also have to upgrade to Windows 98. Counting labor to install the drive (let's assume $100) and new OS ($90), that makes this repair actually cost you $150 + $90 + $100 = $340.
If your mainboard (also called a motherboard) goes bad, that will probably cost you $300 plus two or more hours of labor, making that a $400 repair. And even when you finish, you will still have your old small HD and other older peripherals.
Another issue concerning upgrading a computer is that you might upgrade the specific component that failed, but still have other components that are old and may also fail.
How about donating that old computer? If you want to donate the computer, it is possible to donate an older working PC, but non-working PCs (no matter how minor the problem) are essentially worthless.
So, the bottom line: don't hang on to that old computer once it is past its prime!
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).