The Hidden Dangers In Keeping Old Computers For Too Long
You know how they say dog years are like 7 people years?
Well, with computers it's more like 15 to 20 computer years for every real year, thanks to something called "Moore's Law."
I won't go into a lot of technical detail about what Moore's Law is, but to boil it down it means basically that stuff in computers roughly doubles every 18 months.
So in other words, about every 18 months, the average hard drive (storage space) size will approximately double.
About every 18 months processor (computer brain) speeds will roughly double.
About every 18 months RAM size (temporary working space like a tabletop or work bench) will roughly double.
And so on. peace of mind
What this means for you is that while your computer isn't obsolete in a year and a half, it's definitely not cutting edge anymore, even if you got a high end model.
But that doesn't mean you need to throw it away or anything.
BUT, the thing you should remember is that while 5 years doesn't seem like a long time to us, it's 75 to 100 years for your computer.
And just like a 100 year old person can't be expected to be as physically active as a 17 year old, we can't expect our 5 year old computers to be able to handle all the modern programs.
This is one reason I mentioned in a recent email that you shouldn't try to put the new Windows Vista on an older PC -- it just can't handle it!
But there's a different problem, too, that a lot of people don't think of.
Not only does the hardware (physical parts of the computer) change radically in a few years time in terms of "strength" and speed, companies come up with new *types* of hardware that the old computers may not be able to even understand or be able to talk to.
This doesn't happen as quickly as the "every 18 months" Moore's Law that I mentioned earlier, but the bottom line is that if you keep your computer for too long, you can run into problems when the inevitable time comes to upgrade to a new machine.
Here's why.
I had a client named Dorothy several years ago who had an old Mac (what I'm talking about applies to both Windows PCs and Macs). This was around 2003 or so, and her Mac dated from the mid 1990s.
I don't remember the problem I fixed, but I told her at the time that she should replace the computer immediately because she was playing with fire trying to keep an old computer like that running.
She ignored my advice, and lived to regret it.
A year or two later, she called me asking me for my help because her old Mac had died and she had all her files on it and she wanted me to move everything over to a newer computer.
When it turned out that the computer didn't even turn on, I had to tell her that there was nothing I could do, at least not without it costing her several hundred dollars in parts and my time, and it wasn't a guarantee.
The problem was, the type of hard drive (remember, that's where all the files that she wanted are stored) wasn't being made any more, and I'd long ago had all of my old equipment that could read the old drive type break down and I'd had no reason to replace it.
Now if she'd been backing up her files, she would have been better off -- you know this if you've gotten my "5 Common & Costly Computer Mistakes" CD which comes for free with the amazing deal I'm offering on my website right now -- but she didn't.
Now we might have been able to do something if we'd hunted around on eBay for a really old computer, and shelled out a few hundred for it, plus a lot of my billable time.
Or if she'd just listened to me in the first place.
Hopefully you'll heed my advice: don't keep your computer for more than six years or so, and *please* back up your files, or one day you will be sorry, just like Dorothy was.
So keep reading my articles so you can keep up to speed yourself. And if you haven't already, rush over to my website and take advantage of the amazing opportunity I'm offering. One of the first disks you'll get will show you exactly how to back up your important files to protect yourself.
And the price will be going up sharply in a few days!
until next time,
Worth Godwin
P.S. Remember, when it comes to computers, what you don't know *can* hurt you, so keep reading my emails. Also, if you haven't tried out my easy video computer lessons for Mac or Windows you really should take a look. You get plain English lessons that are easy to follow, and each lesson is short enough to fit into even a busy schedule, and they all come with a full guarantee. The video lessons let you see every step, every click of the mouse, while you hear me explaining every step in plain English.
I've got a pretty incredible deal going on right now, which you better take a look at before I change my mind. Find out more on my website.
Just go to: www.WorthGodwin.com
Well, with computers it's more like 15 to 20 computer years for every real year, thanks to something called "Moore's Law."
I won't go into a lot of technical detail about what Moore's Law is, but to boil it down it means basically that stuff in computers roughly doubles every 18 months.
So in other words, about every 18 months, the average hard drive (storage space) size will approximately double.
About every 18 months processor (computer brain) speeds will roughly double.
About every 18 months RAM size (temporary working space like a tabletop or work bench) will roughly double.
And so on. peace of mind
What this means for you is that while your computer isn't obsolete in a year and a half, it's definitely not cutting edge anymore, even if you got a high end model.
But that doesn't mean you need to throw it away or anything.
BUT, the thing you should remember is that while 5 years doesn't seem like a long time to us, it's 75 to 100 years for your computer.
And just like a 100 year old person can't be expected to be as physically active as a 17 year old, we can't expect our 5 year old computers to be able to handle all the modern programs.
This is one reason I mentioned in a recent email that you shouldn't try to put the new Windows Vista on an older PC -- it just can't handle it!
But there's a different problem, too, that a lot of people don't think of.
Not only does the hardware (physical parts of the computer) change radically in a few years time in terms of "strength" and speed, companies come up with new *types* of hardware that the old computers may not be able to even understand or be able to talk to.
This doesn't happen as quickly as the "every 18 months" Moore's Law that I mentioned earlier, but the bottom line is that if you keep your computer for too long, you can run into problems when the inevitable time comes to upgrade to a new machine.
Here's why.
I had a client named Dorothy several years ago who had an old Mac (what I'm talking about applies to both Windows PCs and Macs). This was around 2003 or so, and her Mac dated from the mid 1990s.
I don't remember the problem I fixed, but I told her at the time that she should replace the computer immediately because she was playing with fire trying to keep an old computer like that running.
She ignored my advice, and lived to regret it.
A year or two later, she called me asking me for my help because her old Mac had died and she had all her files on it and she wanted me to move everything over to a newer computer.
When it turned out that the computer didn't even turn on, I had to tell her that there was nothing I could do, at least not without it costing her several hundred dollars in parts and my time, and it wasn't a guarantee.
The problem was, the type of hard drive (remember, that's where all the files that she wanted are stored) wasn't being made any more, and I'd long ago had all of my old equipment that could read the old drive type break down and I'd had no reason to replace it.
Now if she'd been backing up her files, she would have been better off -- you know this if you've gotten my "5 Common & Costly Computer Mistakes" CD which comes for free with the amazing deal I'm offering on my website right now -- but she didn't.
Now we might have been able to do something if we'd hunted around on eBay for a really old computer, and shelled out a few hundred for it, plus a lot of my billable time.
Or if she'd just listened to me in the first place.
Hopefully you'll heed my advice: don't keep your computer for more than six years or so, and *please* back up your files, or one day you will be sorry, just like Dorothy was.
So keep reading my articles so you can keep up to speed yourself. And if you haven't already, rush over to my website and take advantage of the amazing opportunity I'm offering. One of the first disks you'll get will show you exactly how to back up your important files to protect yourself.
And the price will be going up sharply in a few days!
until next time,
Worth Godwin
P.S. Remember, when it comes to computers, what you don't know *can* hurt you, so keep reading my emails. Also, if you haven't tried out my easy video computer lessons for Mac or Windows you really should take a look. You get plain English lessons that are easy to follow, and each lesson is short enough to fit into even a busy schedule, and they all come with a full guarantee. The video lessons let you see every step, every click of the mouse, while you hear me explaining every step in plain English.
I've got a pretty incredible deal going on right now, which you better take a look at before I change my mind. Find out more on my website.
Just go to: www.WorthGodwin.com
Labels: computer advice, computer basics, computer buying tips, computer lessons, computer training, how to choose when buying a computer, moore's law, old computers, peace of mind
posted by Worth Godwin at
6:43 PM
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