Might be time for a new computer
…if you still have Windows 7.
Windows 7 is almost ten years old, and, well, software ages even faster than dog years. Microsoft supports their operating systems for ten years and those ten years will come to a close in January of 2020 (so you have some time left).
Computers last as long as they last, however…
A few things happen as they age:
- They gather cruft, both literal in the form of dust and ‘wear & tear’, and figuratively in the form of inefficiencies and bloat in software
- Statistical chance of hardware failure continually rises; the failures can be subtle and show up as slowness, or they can be abrupt and show up as grinding/grating/popping sounds, orange sparks, and ‘blue screens of death’ (free computer tip: orange sparks mean it’s time for a new computer)
- You expect faster service from computers, but your old computer just can’t keep up
You should expect about 5 years from a computer
Anything more is gravy.
Sure, it’s not going to immediately fail the moment the clock hits five years, but this is a rough estimate of how long it takes for the slow speed and trouble of maintaining it to reach a threshold. Computers are far cheaper than they used to be, so don’t hesitate to upgrade if it’s time.
So…should I replace it?
Well, I don’t want to insist that you throw away something that’s working, or maybe you have old software that only works on that clunker.
Here’re the reasons why you wouldn’t want to upgrade:
- You don’t need a desktop/laptop/tablet computer anymore, as you do positively everything on your phone (congrats)
- You have an old piece of software that just won’t run on newer hardware and you need this software to function in business (we might be able to mitigate this problem)
- You want to save money, you don’t do anything financial or otherwise important on the computer, and acknowledge that you will accept the increased risk of infection (risky, but I understand)
So, what should I get?
I offer hardware recommendations as a free service. I can even pick up and deliver the computer to you for a small additional fee. Otherwise, I’ll usually send you to Micro Center in St Louis Park, as they’re the best (and only true) computer superstore in town.
I will recommend you a desktop or laptop that most likely has a ‘solid-state drive’ or ‘SSD’ which is basically the magic sauce that makes any computer blazing fast. Expect desktops and laptops to be in the $400-700 range depending on what specifically you need. I’ll be sure to recommend something based on everything you tell me about how you use your computer.
So, you have the rest of this year to budget for this, but don’t wait til the very last minute. Be gentle to my schedule and avoid the December rush.
If you have a Mac or an Android tablet or iPad, this is not the email for you! You probably already knew that. We’ll get back to the regularly scheduled educational computer tips next month.
If you’re not sure if you have Windows 7 or you’d just like to talk more about this, give me an email or a call.
-Chris
Happy to help
Let me know how I can help!
chris@watchdogtechnology.com
952-681-8325
