laptops Die?

Question

Alright, I'm thinking of getting a laptop. However, I have been hearing that these things completely DIE, and only takes like 3 years to achieve this. What the freak. Are you telling me if I spend $1000 on a laptop and take care of it for 3 years it would die and I would need to buy a new one? They don't tell you that in the commercials.

I always thought the battery dies and then you have to get a new battery. Please can someone with experience answer this.

If this is true I ain't buying crap!

Answer 1

Of course it's not true, that woul;d be like saying that all cars die after 5 years, like anything else there are various factors in whether it will die or not.

1. How you treat it.
2. How much you transport it around.
3. The quality of it's build in the first place.
4. The environment it is in.
5. Luck

If durability is your main concern and you will transport it a lot then you should maybe look at something like a Panasonic toughbook http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/products.asp. They are designed for durability, but like anything else you get what you pay for so they won't be cheap. I was always impressed by the build quality of IBM's too, though they are now made by Lenovo so i don't know if that standard has been maintained.

What are the main things you need the laptop for? Also bear in mind that the hardware will be fairly dated anyway after 3 years so if you're doing anything hardcore on it e.g. gaming then after 3 years it's going to be pretty old. If you're just surfing or doing general user stuff e.g. Photos, word processing etc. then you'll probably get a good 5 years out if it.

Answer 2

My man.. I have worked as a technician for a few years. Most laptop do die and that is the truth. If you buy a descent laptop today it may be the "thing" and grab everyone's attention.

Most laptop parts tent to be very difficult to obtain several years later after they're purchased. At the moment i'm struggling with to Packard Bell laptops: one requires a CPU fan and the other a keyboard and not even the manufacturer has stock. The laptops are barely 3 years old.

What i'd advise you to buy is the same old desktop unless if you are planning to take business with you wherever you go. Laptops are ideal for folks who travel a lot, do business on the road, student who have to travel up and down (home and university) etc

If you're planning to stay home... invest your money in something that is worth it and that is nothing but a DESKTOP PC.

Laptops suffer from a lot of problems. Just to list a few::
- keyboard (spilled coffee, broken keys)
- broken touch pads
- broken LCD (expensive)
- dead batteries (hard to get)
- Blown chargers (hard to get and expensive)
- Even the socket where you plug the charger in gets broken... now where on earth are you going to find someone to solder the replacement part back on to the motherboard. In this case you have to buy a new motherboard.

BUT where will you find one 3 years from now? Me, i'm going to die a desktop pc fanatic

Answer 3

Laptops tend to die sooner than desktops, typically because they get more abuse simply by being transported more frequently. However, properly cared for, laptops can last several years. I have one laptop, a Gateway Solo 2500, that's still in very good working order even though it's about 7 years old. Conversely, I've had some Dell and Gateway laptops newer than that which failed without any greater abuse than the 2500. (although my most recent laptop failure was due to my ex-fiance dropping it, killing the fan, which caused a series of internal problems on the motherboard.) So, it varies, but if you take good care of it (meaning you're the only user, and know what happens to it) it should last for quite some time - probably until you outgrow it.

Answer 4

It depends on what laptop you get...sometimes parts will go bad (as in ANY computer system) and need to be replaced. Yes, the battery will go bad...there's nothing you can do about that, but you can help it. Don't leave it plugged in the whole time and don't run it completely dead all the time either. I have a very old 386 laptop from the early to mid 90's...it still works, except for the battery.

Answer 5

It is true that most laptop batteries are crap and last for about three years. However, the rest of the laptop usually last much longer I have used a six year old laptop, and its only problem other than the battery was that it was getting outdated. Batteries are replaceable, and usually cost about $200.

Answer 6

I am currently on my fourth laptop since 2001, each of which I paid more than $1000 for. Of those laptops, two of them died in the sense that they stopped posting bios - would not longer boot without replacing the mother board.

Generally, laptops components are not as durable for long term use as desktop components. That a prime tradeoff one must make for mobility and battery life.

You may wish to consider the cost of your purchase over it's useful life. So, if you expect to use your laptop for three years and it costs $1000 then think of it like paying $333.33 per year for the computational benefit you derive from it.

Answer 7

not true. its all in how you treat them (and they are machines and machines do break - like a car or anything else). if you treat them like crap then yes.

however the batteries are limted in life, and the manufacturer will tell you this. they are certified fro like 250, 250, or 500 charges, etc. after that they stop holding a charge and you have to replace them, usually $70 - $150. so just expect ot have to repalce it after a period of time.

its a chemistry thing, not due to poor quality products. dont worry about charging, most newer laptops have a device in them that stops the charging when they are full, so its ok to leave it plugged in. its what i do with mine (actually i have a port replaicator most of the time). my battery is about 3 years old, its still doing quite well to my suprise

my other laptop which uses the battery frequently holds a charge for about 20 minutes. the battery needs to be replaced or rebuilt.

Answer 8

It is possible for a laptop to overheat and burn itself out. It's entirely possible for a laptop screen to go out, in which you'd have to either have it repaired or plug in an external monitor. But, I've never heard of a laptop dieing in 3-years. I know ppl who have had their laptops for much longer than 3 years. So long as you maintain some degree of proper care for the laptop. Keeping up with it's maintanence and such (( if need be )) You'll have a functioning laptop for a good number of years and not a pittiful 3.

Answer 9

A good laptop from a known brand will last years if teken care of. I've supported all the main brands laptops for years. Some have problems within 3 months, other last years (like a car).

Answer 10

I know hundreds of people with very old laptops. They tend to get treated badly, bumping them around while running can destroy the drive in a week.