So how long should I expect a laptop to last?

[MrsWho]

and what about a PC?

bump

depends on how much you use it and the brand. Was it a cheapo one?

Should imagine a fair few years of normal use

Hi, MrsWho. I bought my laptop in the February of 2004 and it lasted three years. Then the hard drive went. If you're purchasing on, say a 4 year agreement, don't do it, because it won't last that long! That said, I have a friend who's a geek and he replaced my hard drive for £75.00 and it's working great again now. Still don't think it will last another three years though. Why do you ask?

My laptop burnt out after 3 months But then I did buy it from a conman on Ebay.

I got mine in August 2003 and it is very slow and starting to feel old, have a techy friend coming to look at it again but talking about lifespan lastnight it may be at its end.Just seems such a waste.

Is this a: which should I buy question? Laptops are good but the screens aren't so good for intensive use. I have an Apple laptop, we're in love with each other. I had a PC laptop, it's dead now. I'm not sorry. It lasted five years. But then I did rip out bits and replace them as they broke. This one I've had for two years and aside from having baby rice in the mousepad is superb.

MrsWho - my MiL gave me her old one to see if I could recycle it because it was running really slowly. She was on AOL and her browser was fighting it out with her firewall. I stripped both off and f-disked it and lo and behold, super fast. But my MiLs history folder showed just how dull her life is

Check how many applications you have running. DH found one related to wireless networking which was slowing his laptop to a crawl so we close that application (via task manager) every time it starts up. Actually he may now have removed it from start up.

Also downloading the new explorer played havoc and we won't upgrade to any of the new microsoft stuff but firefox has been ok.

Yep, Firefox is cool.

There are several points here...
Windows rots, after a while you need to re-install it. If anything a better machine rots faster because it runs faster.

Windows acquires an amazing amount of crap as it runs, and eventually the sheer weight of this brings your machine to a grinding halt.

Last time I saw a manufacturers numbers the life expectancy of a laptop used as such was 18 months. But a lot these days are used as small desktop machines, so average life is 3-4 years.

Think I will get my techy friend on it!

Just keep thinking back to the days when things lasted My tv in my room was bought as a reconditioned one 15 years ago and still works fine (no scart socket though) yet everything I have bought new only lasts sfew years.

Its HP by the way if that makes a difference!

Don't suppose you caould have a look on your task manager and tell me how many things are running on processes , I have 54 and I don't think that is right

48 here on desktop. All I am consciously doing is mumsnet on firefox!

I have 2 MN pages and an OG page all on explorer so its not too much more than you.
Anyone else?

I was given a laptop for my 18th birthday, I'm now 25 and the laptop is still in use. I replaced the hard-drive a few years ago to make it bigger, but its still a good laptop. That was a HP.

I now have a Sony Vaio. Not had it too long (insurance claim) but I am looking forward to many happy years!