Laptop Expected Lifetime

[aviwil]

I have been told that laptops don't usually last much longer than 3 years . Can anyone comment on this please ?

 

[TheStu]

It all depends on what kind of hell you put them through, and what you mean by last.

If you mean still be competitive, then 2-3 years is about their limit. Mine is 1.5 years old now, and even the fastest laptops out aren't that much faster really. Where they would edge me out is graphics, 64 bit, and more RAM.

If you mean still in one piece.... that all depends on you. I expect that my laptop should still be kicking in another 1.5 years, but you never know.

 

[aviwil]

Thanks TheStu . My intention of lasting is when things start going wrong , that it gets to the point where it's probably cheapier and easier to buy a new one than to pay to repair it , or that a repair will most probably bring on other problems afterwards .

 

[Brainonska511]

My laptop is 1.5 years old (2 in June of 08) and still going strong. No problems with the hinges or any other hardware problems. The only thing I had to replace was the hard drive because a book fell off my shelf and hit my computer one day. I could see this laptop lasting me through the rest of college (2 years after this one).

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: TheStu
It all depends on what kind of hell you put them through, and what you mean by last.

Not true. The CFL backlight WILL get dim after a few years no matter how well you care for it.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: TheStu
It all depends on what kind of hell you put them through, and what you mean by last.

Not true. The CFL backlight WILL get dim after a few years no matter how well you care for it.

Right, but more and more laptops are transitioning to LED backlighting, which never gets dimmer and lasts longer period than CCFL.

As of right now, the Dell XPS 1530 and the Apple MacBook Pro are the only two 15.4" laptops that have LED backlighting.

The Sony 13.3", the Dell XPS 1330 and the Apple MacBook Air have LED backlights on 13.3" laptops, and a bunch of smaller ones have them too.

 

[nZone]

A business type notebook seems to last longer than the consumer models in term of durability. I have an HP business laptop (4 yrs) and it's still running strong in term of performance. The only exception is game; well the notebook is not a gaming oriented due to a weak graphic subsystem. In term of screen, I don't notice any backlight getting any dimmer.

let's say your display needs replacement. That will probably costs you between $600-1200 just for parts alone. Buying a new laptop makes more sense in this scenario unless you are covered by extended warranty.

 

[corkyg]

I am on my 6th laptop since 1994. Technologically the useful life for me has been about 3 years.

There are things that can wear out sooner - i.e., backlight tubes, drives (all types) and batteries. All of these can be replaced.

Some brands and designs have had weaknesses in LCD/lid hinges. Those were simply bad design.

My last three have been top notch and have had nothing replaced except for purposes of upgrade (HDDs).

There are also other weak points such as the A/C adapter connection port. The best I have seen there is IBM/Lenovo. A hazard to those connectors are users who trip over the cord when in a strange place.

By and large, laptops are getting better every year. Based on today's technology, batteries will continue to have a lifespan, but backlights will disappear being replaced by LEDs. Nearly all new models have SATA drives, HDD and optical. What is lacking now are an external eSATA port along with the USB ports.

 

[aviwil]

Thanks people for your replies . Can someone explain what are CFL and LED backlights ? Is this to do with the display ?

 

[corkyg]

CCFL = Cold Cathode Flourescent Light
LED = Light emitting diode.

LED technology is just blooming, and it offers lower power consumption, longer life, and better color rendition.

Backlight

 

[Lanyap]

Heh, I'm in the middle of replacing the LCD backlight bulb on an Inspiron 6000 at the moment. It's a pain. You have to take apart the LCD panel to get to it and replace it.

 

[fr]

I have a Dell Inspiron 4100 from 2001 still running strong.

 

[Skott]

I agree with alot of whats been already said but I also believe once you go past the warranty your laptop is on borrowed time.

 

[dnuggett]

Originally posted by: corkyg

There are also other weak points such as the A/C adapter connection port. The best I have seen there is IBM/Lenovo. A hazard to those connectors are users who trip over the cord when in a strange place.

I'd have to give the nod to the Macbooks as far as A/C adapter connections. The quality of the connection and Magsafe design are the best I have seen.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: dnuggett

Originally posted by: corkyg

There are also other weak points such as the A/C adapter connection port. The best I have seen there is IBM/Lenovo. A hazard to those connectors are users who trip over the cord when in a strange place.

I'd have to give the nod to the Macbooks as far as A/C adapter connections. The quality of the connection and Magsafe design are the best I have seen.

That's pretty funny actually.

I do like the magsafe, no need to worry about tripping over the cord, it plugs and unplugs easily (i know, how is plugging in a power cord hard? Well, with the magnetic tip, you don't even have to work, you just get it close and it will plug in). But the cords are poorly designed and often fray at either the connector or the brick. Mine has frayed at the brick and needs to be replaced, my friend's frayed at the connector.

 

[dnuggett]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: dnuggett

Originally posted by: corkyg

There are also other weak points such as the A/C adapter connection port. The best I have seen there is IBM/Lenovo. A hazard to those connectors are users who trip over the cord when in a strange place.

I'd have to give the nod to the Macbooks as far as A/C adapter connections. The quality of the connection and Magsafe design are the best I have seen.

That's pretty funny actually.

I do like the magsafe, no need to worry about tripping over the cord, it plugs and unplugs easily (i know, how is plugging in a power cord hard? Well, with the magnetic tip, you don't even have to work, you just get it close and it will plug in). But the cords are poorly designed and often fray at either the connector or the brick. Mine has frayed at the brick and needs to be replaced, my friend's frayed at the connector.

Wow, that is funny, actually. I know at least 5 peeps with Macbooks who have no issues at all with the AC adapter. On the other hand I guess one can only comment about their own experiences rather than what has happened to others, because I am sure we all know somebody who.... fill in the blank. I guess that's why I said they are the best I have seen out of the 30 or so laptops I have had.

Anyways, maybe you should let Apple know about the connector issues, (big) maybe they will make it right.

 

[aceO07]

I have an IBM Thinkpad X22 from 2001. I bought it used a few years ago. Still in great shape and speedy for what I use it for.

 

[imported_Uber]

I have a Dell Inspirion B120. It was a budget laptop to begin with, but now, about 2.5, maybe 3 years later, the optical drive is 100% nonfunctional, the up arrow has fallen off (though the little rubber stud still works), and it crashes about once a week, never for apparent reasons. So I'd say 3 years was about the max for that one.

 

[Toonces]

Originally posted by: fr
I have a Dell Inspiron 4100 from 2001 still running strong.

My Dell Inspiron 4000 from July 2001 still runs perfectly... only problem was a battery that was replaced under warranty for not holding a charge - the new one from 2002 still goes for about 1.5h or so

 

[dwcal]

You have to consider laptops disposable because they're so hard to repair out of warranty. If you're careful with it and don't travel much, it'll last longer. If you get creative with salvaging spare parts off ebay, you can keep it alive a little longer too. The mechanical parts that wear out include hinges, keyboards, trackpads, power connectors, etc. If you use it at a desk most of the time, you can save some wear by docking it with a monitor and USB keyboard/mouse.

I don't see them becoming obsolete in speed. Unless you're a power user, a 4 year old Pentium M runs fine with decent hard drive and RAM.

 

[scoobyx13x]

Depends on how you use it.

I normally get extended warranties with laptops simply because of the high replacement cost. They usually work out to less than $100 per year for 3 years, which is what I figure the useful life of the laptop will be. Not very much considering all that can go wrong with the thing.

 

[Farang]

I'm wondering this myself. I have a Compaq and the wireless failed and yesterday I had a scare with the monitor or video card failing, luckily it came back on after a few reboots. It is 2 years old and I saw that they had an extended warranty put out for these two problems, but I am two months past being eligible because I didn't notice either problem until recently (never used wireless until now). I have a feeling this monitor issue is going to come back soon and now that I know it is a defect I will have to buy a new notebook.. I'm reluctant to give HP my business again because the LCD issue only showed up outside their extended warranty so that is bullshit, but I think I got my money's worth with 2 years of life (works out to about $1/day).

edited

 

[gpgofast]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: TheStu
It all depends on what kind of hell you put them through, and what you mean by last.

Not true. The CFL backlight WILL get dim after a few years no matter how well you care for it.

Right, but more and more laptops are transitioning to LED backlighting, which never gets dimmer and lasts longer period than CCFL.

As of right now, the Dell XPS 1530 and the Apple MacBook Pro are the only two 15.4" laptops that have LED backlighting.

The Sony 13.3", the Dell XPS 1330 and the Apple MacBook Air have LED backlights on 13.3" laptops, and a bunch of smaller ones have them too.

Sorry to burst your "MacBubble" but Lenovo is offering a very WIDE range of notebooks with an LED backlit display. I've got a T400 on order with a 14" LED screen. Their T500 is a 15.4" with an LED screen available, Their X200 is a 12.1" available with a LED. Their X300 has a 13.3" LED screen.

My T400 on order should be a pretty nice machine, 128GB SSD, C2D 2.8GHz Proc, 4 GB RAM, LED Display, Hybrid Graphics adapter...all for well under $2000. I wish the video card was zippier, but for a business notebook I don't need much in that department. Battery life on these notebooks is reported to be extremely good.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: gpgofast

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: TheStu
It all depends on what kind of hell you put them through, and what you mean by last.

Not true. The CFL backlight WILL get dim after a few years no matter how well you care for it.

Right, but more and more laptops are transitioning to LED backlighting, which never gets dimmer and lasts longer period than CCFL.

As of right now, the Dell XPS 1530 and the Apple MacBook Pro are the only two 15.4" laptops that have LED backlighting.

The Sony 13.3", the Dell XPS 1330 and the Apple MacBook Air have LED backlights on 13.3" laptops, and a bunch of smaller ones have them too.

Sorry to burst your "MacBubble" but Lenovo is offering a very WIDE range of notebooks with an LED backlit display. I've got a T400 on order with a 14" LED screen. Their T500 is a 15.4" with an LED screen available, Their X200 is a 12.1" available with a LED. Their X300 has a 13.3" LED screen.

My T400 on order should be a pretty nice machine, 128GB SSD, C2D 2.8GHz Proc, 4 GB RAM, LED Display, Hybrid Graphics adapter...all for well under $2000. I wish the video card was zippier, but for a business notebook I don't need much in that department. Battery life on these notebooks is reported to be extremely good.

My 'MacBubble' as you so eloquently put it, is non-existent beyond the fact that I am more up on Apple tech than any other OEMs.

Furthermore, my post was written just over a YEAR ago, and at that time, that was the situation.

This is an excellent illustration of how things change in very little time.

 

[Farang]

oops I didn't realize how dead this post was sorry