2008

An increasingly common question is how long to stick with an aging computer? Frequently it becomes a question of continuing to use an older computer that “sort of” meets your needs, or upgrading to a new computer with its many potential benefits. Having the budget to buy a new computer is a key starting point. Transferring documents, data, programs, favorites/bookmarks and settings are other considerations for a computer migration. As part of the keep it or replace it question here are the Ten Downsides of an aging computer system.

Too Slow — The current computer is too slow, especially with several programs open at the same time. Everything takes longer and you sometimes don’t do certain tasks, including maintenance, because they just take too long.
Too Unreliable — There are too many quirky or weird behaviors that sap your productivity or enjoyment when using the computer.
Too Long — The computer takes longer and longer to boot up and to shut down.
Too Little RAM — The computer does not have enough RAM (memory) and it makes the system run significantly slower than it would with a greater amount of RAM installed.
Upgrading Components Won’t Help – There are various component upgrades that can be done such as adding RAM, upgrading to a faster graphics adapter, or upgrading to a faster network adapter, but the CPU and bus speed will still be the same – Slow.
Repairs May Be A Bad Investment – It may be necessary to repair a component (CD-ROM drive, graphics card, hard disk drive, or network adapter), but is it worthwhile to pour money for components and labor into an aging computer that may crash completely in six months?
Software Confusion – There is uncertainty about all the programs and processes that are loading every time the computer boots up. Which ones are necessary, which ones just bog the system down and which ones are safe to deactivate or turn off?
More Software Confusion – Over the years you have installed numerous programs, utilities, add-ons, plug-ins, and widgets. This creates lots of software clutter and more uncertainty about what can be uninstalled cleanly.
Version Confusion — Not sure what programs, drivers, upgrades, add-ins, plug-ins or widgets are up to date or if they can all work together without causing strange behavior or intermittent problems.
Tune Up Needed — The computer hasn’t been tuned up or cleaned up effectively in years. For desktop computers in particular this can lead to accumulations of dust, cobwebs or possibly pet hair in the vents, filters or interior of the computer.

There are always good reasons for sticking with the computer you currently own and use. And if you don’t have a budget for a new computer then replacement becomes a non-issue.

However, sometimes the decision to replace a computer becomes more urgent when a serious problem with an aging computer doesn’t leave much choice but to replace it. In the meantime be sure to keep your computer tuned up and your data backed up because Murphy’s Laws also apply to computers.

From Consumer Reports:

Getting Started

Tablets have gotten so popular that even laptops and desktops are trying to emulate them. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft makes your computer more like a tablet by placing touch capabilities front and center. Meanwhile, Apple updated its desktop operating system, Yosemite. New features include ways to make your computer work more closely with the iPhone and iPad.

Laptops and even all-in-one desktops continue to get thinner and lighter. For example, as you're shopping around you'll find Ultrabooks, which are laptops with Intel-mandated standards for thinness, performance, and other features. You'll also find thinner and lighter laptops with AMD processors, such as HP's series of Sleekbooks. And with its latest all-in-one iMac, Apple offers a desktop computer that measures just under 0.2 inches thick at its edge.

Here are some of the new features you'll see in computers:

Touch screens. Touch screens have been available on all-in-one computers for some time. But with Windows 8.1's emphasis on touch, laptops are also getting touch screens. Even better, Microsoft mandated the use of multi-finger touch for Windows 8.1, providing a better touch experience than the prior-generation two-finger touch. Computers with touch screens do cost more, however. You don't need a touch screen to take advantage of Windows 8.1, although it does add to the experience.

Enhanced touchpads. Most Windows 8 laptops also have enhanced touchpads, which add multitouch gestures especially geared toward the new operating system. For example, swiping from the right on an enhanced touchpad will bring up a group of tools known as Charms. Having an enhanced touchpad on your laptop somewhat makes up for the lack of a touchscreen.

Gesture controls. You use gesture controls by waving your hands in various ways in front of the computer's webcam, to control volume, fast-forward or rewind videos, scroll through photos, and the like. Supplied by third-party software, this capability is also popping up on some desktop computers.

Hybrid drives. These combine a traditional hard drive with a small solid-state drive (SSD). The SSD stores start-up files for fast start-up or resume, while the hard drive provides plenty of storage space.

Do you need a new computer?

Before you replace a sluggish computer, try these steps to beef up its performance:

Delete programs you no longer use. If that isn't enough, and if the computer is no more than four years old, make sure you have at least 4GB of memory. Adding memory is an inexpensive and easy way to upgrade your computer.

If you're running out of hard drive space, burn your music, photos, and videos onto CDs or DVDs, or onto an external drive, and delete them from your hard drive. To gain storage space, consider adding a hard drive. (Adding an external drive is an upgrade even a novice can do.)

If you're running Windows, run its Disk Defragmenter utility. That will help your hard drive access files faster.

If none of that works, and the computer is more than four years old, it's probably time to replace it. Be sure to recycle your old computer, but don't forget to wipe your hard drive first. We recommend Eraser, available free at http://www.eraser.heidi.ie, for Windows-based computers. Apple computers have an erase feature built in.

Windows or Macintosh?

With Microsoft's recent release of Windows 8.1, Windows computers in a sense got two user interfaces rolled into one operating system. One is the familiar Windows desktop (without certain Windows 7 features, such as transparent windows). The other, a touch-friendly design, uses a mosaic of large, rectangular tiles for each app (or accessory). You can run each by touching its tile or clicking on the tile with a mouse. Many of the tiles are "live," meaning they are constantly updating, such as letting you know you just received a new message. There are two versions available: Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Pro.

The latest version of Apple's OS X operating system is Mavericks. The many new features added to the operating system, including new apps that appeared first on tablets--such as maps and notifications--make it an interesting upgrade, especially if you have more than one Apple computer (for personal use only) or have an iPad or iPhone in the family. Users of the two most recent prior versions of OS X can upgrade for free.