My sister-in-law asked me if she needs a new computer, to which I replied: what’s your current computer doing?
Circa 2005 Tablet PC
Her answer: “Heating up, fan doesn’t work all the time, cd drive opens by itself, program crashes, the computer is super slow, the touch screen hasn’t worked for years and I bought it in 2005…”
I realize times are hard or people grow attached to things, but it’s important to know when you need to let go. Your computer is a lot like the clothes you wear or your hair cut. Would you be caught dead wearing parachute pants and a mullet? So why is my sister-in-law rocking a circa 2005 tablet pc? The question is easily answered by a steady decay of standards. Simply put, the grocery list of issues my sister-in-law reported didn’t all happen at once. They happened one at time, over time. When she got used to one problem, another would crop up. This process continued for the next 6 years which brings us to today: the computer is practically un-usable.
Is your computer acting like the one above? Do you appear to have a love-hate relationship that often requires too much compromise with your computer? If you still aren’t sure, I’ve assembled a short check list that should help you see the light:
The computer is over 4 years old
Its’ monitor is Square, not rectangular
It makes mysterious clicking sounds
It over-heats
No matter what you do, it’s slow
It just shuts off for no reason
The finish on the case has rubbed off
If you are experiencing just one of these problems then you still have time, however, if you have checked two or more items on this list then it is time to let go. If any of you have checked the first item on the list, be aware that your computer is running on barrowed time. Most hard drives are warranted for 3 years, the power supply is the same so it’s not a question of if, but a question of when…
I hope if you end up needing a computer after reading this, you can swallow your pride and upgrade. Don’t be that guy with a mullet hoping to bring back the times or yore…