How long should a laptop last?

[BorrowedThyme]

I bought an expensive, high spec laptop to teach in lock down. Now the charging is intermittent, the screen is splitting away from its frame, and the mouse keeps freezing.

AIBU to think something that cost £600 should last longer than 3 and a half years?

Based on title alone, my answer was going to be 3 years.

after that I would expect the specs to be out of date. Physically it could still be ok, but it depends on how you treat it. If it is essentially a desktop computer it will be practically brand new. If it gets put in a bag daily, used by multiple people, or just generally treated roughly, I would be expecting the case to fail.

this is based on a whole lot of experience with many laptops for many household members.

£600 is a cheap machine that won’t last very long I’m afraid.

If you buy higher quality brands like Apple then they will last longer but it does also sometimes depend on what work you need the machine to do.

It definitely sounds like your problems are quality of build related - which is typical for PCs to be honest and 3 years would be average for a PC in my experience.

For the record, I use both PCs and Macs and have done for decades, Macs cost more but last far longer.

Unfortunately, £600 isn't going to buy a high spec laptop. Regardless, it wouldn't have been a bad one and it should have lasted longer.

I don't think it would be worth repairing as you'd be better putting the repair money towards something new. Have a look at the Dell outlet store. You can get some very good deals there.

It depends on the specification, on the quality of the components and build.

£600 sounds like a budget machine, so it will struggle with a heavy workload and constant use, won't cope with software updates, and generally not last very long.

3 years is not too bad for a basic Microsoft laptop. My work one couldn't cope with average daily use after less than 2 years. Awful.

But it's rubbish for a Mac. They can last a decade or longer.

Unfortunately, times have changed and £600 is not a lot of money to get a quality laptop.

I don’t know where you are paying £3k for a MacBook but my one up from basic spec 2015 MacBook Pro cost no way near that - it was around £850 with the education discount from memory (it was not dissimilar to the MacBook Air without discount at the time which is why I went for it).

From Apple? A 16 inch MacBook Pro ranges from £2700 to £3800. And most adults don’t get education discount because they’re no longer in education!

Sorry you've had that experience but I've used Macs for years and have only ever had a positive experience when there's a problem with them. Free repairs etc and good communication.

OP when I was younger I always got Windows machines and found they lasted me 2 years at best. Now I have Macs and got a new one last year. The previous one lasted me 8 years, the only issue was the battery, so I've given it to DP as he doesn't work on the go like I do, so that's still going strong. The one before that I did exactly the same thing with, and DP got that one too. It'd still work if we hadn't swapped it. I don't know why, but Macs just seem to last so much longer. You might pay more at first, but over time if you factor in replacement machines and repairs, you'll save money.

@Sugarcoatt

Yep from an Apple Store - a 13” Pro rather than a 15”. I was commuting twice a week so wanted the smaller one. The education discount was about £150 at the time from memory so still not anywhere near £3k - and the OP is a teacher which is why I referenced the education discount as she’d be eligible for it!

I have just looked online and whilst I think Pros have increased in price significantly, you can still get the Pro 13” from £1249 and the 13” Air from £899. Not suggesting it’s cheap for a second though

Places I've worked at and my husband's current employer all replace them after 3 years.

We just replaced a family member's 10+ year old laptop just because it was completely obsolete, couldn't load webpages well anymore.

But of a how long is a piece of string question really as it depends what you need it for and if it's looked after.

5 years is a reasonable expectation IMHO.

DS has a solid and reliable HP midrange price wise £800

DD is about to get a MacBook Air which makes me now want a new one

I'd give her mine but it'll be on its way out fairly soon

MacBooks update themselves so you always get the latest software and no viruses ever which is great

3-4 years...and I pay triple what yours cost. It doesn't last longer. Technology moves so fast that it outruns the laptop. I use Lenovo too. They have some great laptops.

Mine is stored on a flat, hard surface with nothing on top of it (or underneath it). I also don't tend to take it anywhere unless it's properly stored in a padded laptop bag - I see lots of people just throwing laptops in bags, or dumping books/paperwork on top of them and it makes me cringe, lol.

I'm obviously not saying OP is doing those things - it could be that the machine is poorly made, but I do think you need to take a certain amount of care with laptops - they're not particularly sturdy as a general rule. I also make sure I clean mine a couple of times a week - clean the screen, mousepad and between the keys so nothing gets stuck there.

I had DS replaced under warranty it was bought in 2019 was no issue as it was registered when bought. Also for a new phone out of them as cracked the screen but when they went to replace it the battery was bulging

Thank you @andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow