Upgrade advice (part 2)
Thumbs up or down for upgrading? It gets more complicated when you get into the specifics. Most computer-savvy people get bugged several times a week by friends and family who are foundering on what to buy, when to buy it and the worst of all--upgrade or use the old thing? Unfortunately, unlike lawyers and doctors, computer people are expected to give advice for free (often by doctors and lawyers). Here's what I often say:
- Laptops - Replace them when they break. It's not worth fixing them and if you really use them, they won't survive more than 2-3 years.
- Desktops - These mothers last too long. They will function long past the point where they should be thrown out. That's right, in the garbage. After 3 years, there's no resale value and your nephew doesn't want it, even for free. When the desktop looks like it's too big, it is--get rid of it.
- Networking equipmentThis is trickier. It comes up these days because of the various flavors of 802.11. Basic rule of thumb is that if the new networking gear is faster, don't bother. If it let's you use your laptop somewhere new and that's important to you, do it. If it's for home, don't bother. If what you have works, don't change horses.
- Operating systemsAlways upgrade. You don't have to stand in line all night to be first, but don't be last. Software companies save the real fixes for the paying OS releases and if you don't upgrade to the latest version, you will find that your system gets worse than you're used to, because it's now an orphaned system. It's not fair, but there it is. You can't stand still with OSes. This goes for Apple, too, by the way, although to a lesser extent.
- Cell phonesThese are now fashion statements. If yours works, keep it. If you really, really need a Blackberry, get one. If your phone makes you feel like you stand out for all the reasons, replace it. Trust me on this, by the time that the mandatory phone plan commitment period expires, you'll be ready for a new one.
- PDAsThe first Palms worked. Every subsequent one does not. Not consistently. I use a Treo 650 and I spend far too much time babying it. If you have a PDA that is working , keep it. PDAs are really a peephole into your administrative procedures--change the PDA, and watch Outlook or whatever else you're using, break.
Posted on August 22, 2006
