Over the last two years, many people have been provided with a work laptop for the first time, which has ignited a long-standing debate among computer enthusiasts and people working in IT support in Colchester; when should you replace a computer?
With the newest version of Microsoft’s flagship operating system, Windows 11 already being rolled out and forcing some upgrades in order to meet some of its requirements, the question of how long a computer should last has been ignited again.
Specifically, the requirement for TPM 2.0, a secure boot system that started to be rolled out in 2015 but was adopted by a large number of manufacturers only a few years ago, has forced some businesses to weigh the cost of waiting against the cost of upgrading now to Windows 11-ready systems.
In the past, the rule of thumb was that you should upgrade a computer every three years, because the exponential technological advancement found during the early days of the PC compatible required rapid upgrades.
A computer bought in 1992, for instance, would be incredibly different from one bought in 1995, when Windows 95 led to the rapid adoption of computers in homes, schools and offices.
Nowadays, with computers lasting longer and Moore’s Law, the idea that computers will double in power every two years, no longer in effect in the way it was in the 1990s and 2000s, people are waiting longer to upgrade.
Essentially, it depends heavily on what the computer is used for, how much it initially cost, and whether it still serves its purpose.
Some people have kept computers working for decades, such as server controllers and systems running specialist software, whilst cheaper netbooks and browser-based Chromebooks do not last very long and are not worth replacing.
If the operating system does not get security upgrades and you cannot upgrade to the latest system, a situation Windows 10 users will have to wait until 2025 to worry about, it is time to upgrade it to avoid potential malware and viruses.
If repairs become more expensive than replacing it with a better system, it may be time to roll out an upgrade, and if it cannot use the software you need it to at the speed you need it to, a replacement may be the best choice for you.
