New computer or not

I'm trying to figure out if it's time for a new computer or not. We owned a campground and retired in October 2007. The only use our computer would get was keeping track of customers, banking, mailings and things of a business nature, with some web surfing and a little e-mail activity thrown in.

I would replace the computer about every two years to avoid a catastrophic failure and to keep up with technology changes. This one was bought in May 2007 and has no problems. Current use is personal banking, subscription baseball games online, e-mail and some family photo exchanges along with the occasional letter but mostly web browsing.

It seems as though this will handle Windows 7 just fine. I guess the question is how long can I reasonably expect to have this last without a problem or should I just replace it and not worry about it?

Specifics can be found in my system properties listed. Thanks, Jack

 

Whoops, I see no system properties listed. Its a Dell dimension E521, AMD Athlon Dual Core 4400 2.3 GHz, 4 GB ram, 300 GB hdd, DVD rom and DVD rw, Dell 22 inch flat panel monitor.

 

Jack, I don't really see any reason why you would need a new computer or even a new OS. I think your main driver would be "will my business software work under Windows 7?" if you feel the need to upgrade.

I think you should expect 5 or 6 years out of a Dell desktop without trouble (with exception for the hard drive which could "blow" at any moment ).

I bought my Mom an entire Dell system for about $400 about 4 years ago and it's still working fine.

 

I think I have a gateway (2000, says the engraving) that's going on 10 years now, and still runs fine. As fine as 98SE runs, anyway. I'd say you should be fine for operations (maybe not security, considering MS' lifespan support cycle calendar) for years and years to come.

If you're worried about needing a new system to prevent having outdated software, because you can't keep up... There's a stunning array of linux distros that will keep your computer in use a long time past even that. And most of them work on lower hardware requirements AND they're constantly producing new versions (with the security that comes with).

If you're looking for a new system just to keep up the software and think your hardware can't compete, switch to Linux. For everything you described, you should be able to do what you want to.

But even with XP, you should still be good for several years. With a box like yours, I don't think you even need a new OS yet. You'll be fine for the immediate future.

 

Just got back from a local computer place ( not a chain store ) and their thoughts are exactly in line with yours. They did recommend an external HD for backing up everything, just in case. That would ease my mind a bit. Thanks Again, Jack

 

I think that with what hardware you have now and that external HDD you'll be sitting pretty. The Win XP and software you already have are also fine as long as you keep them updated. For maximum peace of mind, just be sure you have good anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall programs and you frequently check for updates to them. You'll be the envy of us all. Good luck.