Procrastination With Tech – How Much Is Too Much?

When is it time to replace a computer? When the new ones with cool new features comes out? When it gets to a certain age, like maybe 5 years? When the need for more common re-starts and maintenance starts happening? Or when it is broken to the point of becoming nearly unusable? As with most things, you will find me on the later end of the scale.

I tend to be the guy who stays with it too long. But what is too long? Is it when it starts to slow down and do odd things because it is becoming overcome by code weirdness from too many years of relatively normal use? Is it when Microsoft starts to warn you that if you don’t upgrade your operating system soon, they will be discontinuing support for your current system? Or maybe when you get (as a Windows user) the Blue Screen Of Death or maybe some other failure to boot up? OK, the last one is clearly in the category of “too long”. If we describe the stages of “it’s time to replace the computer” on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being catastrophic failure) I am probably somewhere between 4 and 4.5.

In my case it involves a combination of things. First there is the battery issue. My laptop probably dates to around 2016. So I have clearly blown past the new-every-five-year people. My battery has reached the point where every time I start it up (plugged into an outlet, of course) the first thing I get is a black screen warning me that my battery is critically low. Which I get to see almost every morning because this unit can no longer stay in sleep-mode for more than maybe 12 hours without shutting itself into full-off mode.

There is also the broken case. Somehow one of the laptop hinges became difficult, and the case around it snapped. This requires great care in opening and closing it. More seriously, sometimes the loose case causes problems with the keyboard, so that the “g”, the “h”, and sometimes the backspace key become hit-or-miss propositions. Wen my text starts to look like tis, I straiten up and have to torque the keyboard from the bottom left to the upper right (or rit) in order to make those reluctant “g”s and “h”s start showing up again on the screen. In case I have not made this clear, it is really irritating.

I am reminded about something I read in a kids’ joke book from my childhood. It is a letter to a typewriter manufacturer, and went something like this:

Dear Thir: Kindly thend thomone thoon to fix thith machine. I am thad to thay that I have thmathed the eth key. Yourth thintherely, Tham Thmith.

But I can laugh at the old typewriter joke while I grumble and say words I shouldn’t as I address my computer. Especially when that old computer decides to take 45 minutes to come up and report for duty so that I can finish a blog post before I go to bed on Thursday night – chewing up all of the time available before your poor author must hit the hay for a day of actual, revenue-producing work, thus putting this little effort off past its customary deadline.

OK Mr. Complainer Guy (one might reasonably say), why don’t you just get a new laptop? It is probably because of two things. First, I seem to have an incredible ability to be satisfied (or at least complacent) with what I have. “The battery thing isn’t so bad, because I can always keep it plugged in.” “The keyboard thing isn’t so bad, because I know what to do when it starts acting up.” I am the guy who has put off replacing more than one auto headlight because I discovered that I could make it come back on by smacking it or hitting a really big bump with the nearest tire.

The second thing is that I simply detest learning new technology. I am no technophobe – I was the guy at my old office who probably knew computers better than anyone and was the first one called when someone experienced a problem. But I like the idea of not having to think about certain things, and one of them is how I navigate among various programs and systems on my computer. A new one almost always involves a new operating system, and Windows 11 (which my system keeps helpfully suggesting I download) is reputed to involve a learning curve that is steeper than most.

I am also putting off a major life decision: My children are all of the species I refer to as “Apple People”. It will probably not be too many more years before my tech abilities begin to wane. Dotage will do that to a person. That is when I will start having to rely on my children for tech support (the way they once relied on me, when I heard a “Daaaaaaad, the compuuuuuuter is messed up!!!!” I should have started an IOU system and collected signed ones for each of my fatherly tech interventions (of which there were many). Anyway, a switch to Apple World (the computerland in which my offspring hold citizenship) would be a tectonic lunge for me. Should I do it? If so, should I do it now while I still retain some ability to learn a completely new system. Especially if my alternative is Windows 11, which promises to be not much less of a lunge than going Apple. My life is so complicated!

The most palatable solution is of course, to keep using the computer I have – battery issues, keyboard issues and all. And it only does the 45-minute boot-up every couple of months. A stopped clock is right twice a day. But is a stopped computer? I’ll have to tink about tat.

52 thoughts on “Procrastination With Tech – How Much Is Too Much?”

  1. I just upgraded my computer, it was almost 10 years old, because the software wouldn’t update anymore. Due to this, I could tell my computer could be hacked easily. It’s like buying a new car, you don’t know what you’ve been missing until you get the new one that has all the upgrades. But the biggest issue is hacking… upgrade, you’ll be happy you did. If you don’t use it much, maybe an Ipad is all you need.

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    • Yes, I know I need to do it, but keep putting it off. This one is pretty powerful, but I bought it to be my main computer for work. Now that that chapter is over, I am sure I can bet by with one that is fairly simple. But I am going to hate to give up my keyboard with its number pad on the right side (like my old desktop always had). I never got used to typing figures from that upper row of keys (like I had to do in typing class).

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      • You can get the computer and buy a keyboard. I did that. So, I still have the smaller keyboard on my laptop, but I connected the bigger keyboard and a mouse to the laptop. Once you upgrade, you’ll wonder why you stayed in dinosaur land for so long. LOL

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  2. I’ve been a full-on Apple person for about a decade now, with two Macs, an iPhone, and all the rest that can accompany the lifestyle. I have little experience with Windows 11, but the Mac learning curve isn’t as bad as people say for routine tasks. If you switched, you would probably find using the Cmd key instead of Ctrl annoying at first, along with the dongles you’d need to connect older peripherals.

    Dad was a dual-citizen; he edited on an older MacBook and used a cheap Dell laptop to surf the web. My mom started using Macs in her last years of teaching and now rocks a 15″ MacBook Air with a huge external display I bought her.

    For my money, Macs just work, and the newer models are blazing fast. A 13″ M1 Macbook Air is a couple generations old, but it’d be leaps and bounds above the performance of your current ride. They’re like $650 at Walmart these days.

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  3. It’s time to convert, and I highly recommend going Apple. We did in 2012 and haven’t regretted it. In fact some of the Apple programs, such as their Power Point equivalent, are outstanding. But I also know you have little reason for doing group presentations these days…

    With the Apple products at home and Microsoft using products at work, there is a difference but it is more in the feel. Sure a few commands differ a bit, but think of it in terms of your Charger (the Apple) and your late ’70s New Yorker (Microsoft based stuff). Both feel nice, both get you there, but one is much more refined and efficient than the other.

    I’m curious to hear about what happens with computers at Casa de Cavanaugh.

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    • Thanks for sharing your experience here. I like your analogy – my current Windows laptop is performing in a way reminiscent of a certain late 70’s New Yorker in my past. Which is not a good thing.

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  4. I see you have some Mac Cultists in the comments, as well as the family. Depending on what you do with your machine, and whether you have stuff that’s OS-specific (meaning you have to have a specific piece of hardware for something you do)… I recommend looking into Linux.

    There are two nice things I can say about Windows 11: they finally realized tabs in file explorer were a good idea and it looks nice. However, the drawbacks to it are not worth it, in my opinion. I’m not a fan of forced updates, adverts being shoved in there, and the general lack of ownership that comes with a Win11 license. If I didn’t have to use Windows (Or Mac) for some photo processing software, I wouldn’t have it at all. (and I ameliorated my Windows 11 machine, reminding the thing I bought it works for me not the other way ’round).

    My desktop, primary machine, is Debian running Gnome. You might like Ubuntu as it’s hailed as a gentle learning curve for Windows users. I switched to using Debian full time when Windows 10 became a excellent advertisement for getting off Windows…

    If you do the basics: office stuff (spreadsheets/word processing), web browsing, etc, you won’t really miss anything by switching and once you figure out the specific interface that suits you, you likely won’t even think about how your free from the clutches of Bill and Steve.

    Framework (https://frame.work/) lets you build your hardware
    System76 (https://system76.com/) sells hardware preloaded with their fork of Ubuntu
    Purism (https://puri.sm/) has hardware and I think an OS hugely motivated by privacy

    If Linux intrigues you but you opt to go for one of the other cults instead of mine, keep that laptop, wipe it clean and throw a distro on it. The OS foot print is small and you’ll have a platform to tinker with, if you want. After all, you already know what to do when the keyboard acts up.

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    • I have always been intrigued by Linux – from a distance. I once worked with a lawyer (a long time ago) who was a genuine tech wizard. He picked and maintained a multi-user mini-computer running Unix back in the mid 80’s, and Steve Jobs’ Next system after that, which we were still using when that firm broke up. Both of those systems were far more capable than anything any law firm even 10x our size were using at the time. I felt like I was going backwards by a decade or more when I went elsewhere with a Windows system.

      The problem was that when something broke, it was a major headache. The lesson I learned was that unless I wanted to become the guy in charge of a custom, one-of-one system (for all practical purposes) it was better go pick a crowd and join it. The system would probably not be as good, but there was safety in numbers when it came to getting bugs fixed and having a decent selection of software.

      I see the value in your suggestions. and will definitely check out those links. But if I am going to be honest, I might be more inclined to join the sheeple in the two big tech tents.

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      • You are right… You’re sort of in charge of your own destiny when it comes to that sort of thing. However, for basic use with Ubuntu/Debian, you won’t have to deal too much with that sort of thing. One reason I use Debian is because they are cautious foot draggers when it comes to updates, in the name of stability.

        No judgment if you decide to go toward one of the others. Not everyone knows about Linux, so it was worth a mention — just repping my own Cult in light of the others!

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  5. Our laptop’s touchscreen function has become very erratic. And there doesn’t seem to be a permanent fix for that. We’re not thinking of getting a new laptop, though.
    Our desktop computer is sluggish and about 13 years old, but is hanging in there well enough for me.
    Windows 11 isn’t any big deal. I bet you’d become comfortable with it in no time.

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    • Touch screens scare me, for just the reason you cite. They were available when I chose my current setup, but I avoided them and put the money into more memory and storage. I am pretty good at adapting, so I am sure I will make do with whatever I pick, but there is a part of me that things I shouldn’t have to adapt to tech, and that it should adapt to me. I thought tech and I had an understanding as long as they kept Windows XP Pro going, but then they pulled that rug out from under me and here we are.

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  6. I have two Mac laptops, and a Mac iPad, all given to me by people that were upgrading to newer Mac’s. I was a long time PC user in the corporate world, even for imaging software, but the whole “renting programs” for a monthly fee so disgusts me, I’ perfectly happy to go Mac in retirement. Even my last PC, I was using a shell program that made it function like Windows XP, because I hated the confusing upgrades of Microsoft. What’s interesting to me, is the amount of computer programmers I know that all use Mac now! 20 years ago they would have all disparaged them and been using PC’s…not any more!

    A couple of things: I ran digital photography departments for corporations for years, and one of the things I learned to do was stabilize my systems, run them “air gapped” from the main systems or deny access to the internet. This allowed them to run ad Infinitum with zero mistakes and problems…. otherwise, allowing corporate IT to force upgrades through at will, could cause a halt to production while we tried to figure out how to make the third party software work, or have to search for upgrades! The last thing most computer “professionals” in corporations understand is how to get off the “latest is best” mentality train. They always seem to be wanting to mess everyone up as some kind of payback for getting pushed down on the playground when they were eight! Keep their sociology out of your business sociology! Number 2? There’s an amazing amount of people that after retirement, they never buy or turn on another computer. Its all iPads from then on!

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    • Oh yes, I am a veteran of the tech treadmill. You need new software because they have stopped support for your old version. Oh, and you need new hardware because because your old stuff won’t run the new software. Oh, now you need to upgrade this other software because it won’t run on your new system. Oh, and your new software doesn’t include all the features the old one had, so you will need to buy these additional modules. And so on and so on, about every two or three years. I can feel my blood pressure going up just thinking about it.

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      • JP, I was there through all of this, from no computers on anyones desk, to all computerization. I can tell you that the need to financially feed those machines constantly, and financially feed the vast amount of people admin’ing them that no company ever had on the payroll before; is literally responsible for creative marketing, and many other departments, to be bled dry, and turned companies into zombies! A lot of retail went from planning creative to build a brand, including location photography and high end models, to shooting in studio on white with marginal talent because all the money was taken away to feed the maw of computerization! The result being your company is staggering through life looking like a bunch of others. I was in an interesting conversation with two people this morning working in the greater Chicago area, who work for companies that still produce huge paper catalogs because their clients demand it and don’t want to mouse through internet pages to find what they want! Interesting and gives me great hope!

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  7. Let’s see–my desktop computer has a mfr. date of 2013. It’s a Asus G10 Series, and I got it for free. It runs Windows, and I’ve never had a problem with it. My smartphone is an LG which dates from 2017 and I’ve never cracked the screen! My TV is a Mitsubishi from 1989 which my father paid $400 for when it was new! The refrigerator is a Kenmore from 2000 and still works fine, which surprises my neighbor who has gone through three refrigerators within the last 15-20 years. The hot water heater is from 2011 and hasn’t died or blown up yet. I have three chiming clocks from 1880-1910 and they all keep good time. The house dates from 1905 and still has its original windows and no roof leaks. The model years of my cars are 1958, 1959, 1960, and 2005. They all run and drive.

    What do I have that’s new? A new gas furnace which replaced the oil burner from 1947. The new furnace is so much quieter and more efficient–costs so much less to run! Sometimes newer is better. Oh, and I just got a new hat!

    New hat

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    • Nice hat!

      I had a desktop computer of a similar age, but finally replaced it with a laptop two or three years after I bought this one. My wife uses the other one, which now has everything the desktop ever had on it. I suppose I could stop with the “his and hers” computer thing since she uses hers very seldom, but that might complicate my marriage unduly.

      It seems like engineers’ main jobs these days is to find ways to cheapen products so that they work great for a few years and then become unfixable.

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  8. You and I are cut from the same cloth, J P. My car, my computer, and even items from my wardrobe are all pre-2016. I am firmly in the camp of “if it ain’t broke, why replace it?” Having said that, cloud computing and off-computer backup solutions have taken away the stress of blue screen or any other end-game surprises. No matter what “terminal” you choose they’re all pretty “dumb” these days. I just jumped from an ASUS to a Lenovo laptop, but only because the connection pin of my power cord broke off inside the body. And thanks to the progression of tech since 2016, the Lenovo was a remarkably inexpensive.

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    • That’s the one good thing to look forward to – more storage and more memory will undoubtedly make the new one faster. It will be the user (me) that is slower.

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  9. I have always procrastinated on replacing anything that is working, both because I am lazy and somehow proud that I can put up with inconveniences that others cannot. I always lose big whether it is the computer, roof, car, etc.. The disasters are legendary and too painful to recount. For my birthday, my oldest son installed a computer my wife paid for because he was sick of coming over here and fixing or developing workarounds for all my problems. I think my old one was installed in 2015. It is still operational. I know because I still have it plugged in hoping it will totally break down, so I can justify the new one.

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  10. Let me keep my old PC, my old iPhone, my old car, as long as I can make them all last. My old PC finally gave out after 13 years. Who sez they only last for 3 years? It’s just too much of a hassle to change things out as I approach my x-th decade. That’s x as a variable.

    Hey I still use my same old lunch bag as I did when I used to work full time, years ago. Now that I am on contract, it comes in handy on those darned work in the office days.

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    • I guess we win when we outlive the usefulness of the tech. I still have a functioning VCR, but don’t really have a desire to watch anything on a VHS cassette because streaming is so much more convenient (not to mention a far better picture). At least my Technics turntable from the 1980’s is still working as it should (on the rare occasions I actually play vinyl records).

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      • As it happens, I have a Dual turntable, bought in 1978 or so. When I hooked it back up last year, it fired right up, playing good tunes at the right RPMs. If only I had more of what I used to have of my vinyl records. Many got purged in a great decluttering activity.

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  11. Interesting and timely post since I have just replaced my Windows Laptop with a MacBook Air. The MacBook is a brand new model and was more expensive than many new PC’s, but our life philosophy has always been ‘buy the best quality you can afford’ and you won’t have to replace it as frequently… which is why the sofa we bought 50 years ago is still in good shape… of course, the floral fabric went out of style 49 years ago…

    The Mac operating system and programs are not that different from the ‘Windows Way’ of doing things and everything just works well because the OS does not have to adapt to a huge variety of machines by different manufacturers. My computer talks to my iPad and iPhone (which I bought because the iPhone camera is awesome.) For me, the whole set up simplifies my life. The learning curve has not been as difficult as I thought it would be.

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    • I agree with your philosophy on buying things – the only day you regret paying more than you wanted to is on the day you pay. For the rest of the time, you will be glad you got something of good quality. Of course that doesn’t always work. My mother bought a new Maytag washing machine in 1973. The only repair she had until she died was that she replaced a dial because decades of use had worn the numbers off. After I got married in 1990, I spent top dollar on a new Maytag washing machine. Before it was ten years old it suffered a massive transmission failure. Oh well.

      I have also heard that Apple products are not built as well as they once were. So I guess this is a universal phenomenon. You are one of several who have me thinking more about going Mac.

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  12. My wife’s computer runs Windows 11 and Once I got it set up for her there have been no problems that I’ve seen. Like when anything updates/upgrades they have to change it just enough to look different and put things in new places. My own computer is about 6 years old. I did mess with Linux for a while and even set up a dual boot system that I could choose between it and Windows but in the end I didn’t see a whole lot of advantage with one or the other. Linux is a free system and nowadays is as simple to learn as Windows. I know you are plenty smart but a thing I forgot one time when I had a machine about to bite the dust was to do frequent backups. At least saving your important files. As far as Apple goes, well, nobody has given me a good enough pitch to pay a lot of extra money to switch. All modern (personal) computer systems and operating systems I would ever get would use a Graphical User Interface which is just Windows (or Windows-esque).

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  13. Well JP, like you my mantra is “if it still runs just keep it and if has issues, just deal with them.” My car will turn 15 years old on the 24th and I reached the 13,000-mile mark recently. I had the car checked out on Tuesday and got a five-year battery – they gave it a clean bill of health and marveled at the clean engine. 🙂

    I bought my first laptop the same year, 2009, (Windows 7). Its battery died long ago, even though I never untether my laptops and it’s missing a few keys, but I keep it for storing my photos and it works fine. Reluctantly I had to stop using my primary Windows 7 laptop, not because it crashed and burned, but because WordPress did an upgrade including new AI functions and while I can read/comment on posts, I can no longer create a post as it freezes and won’t add photos. That is not a laptop issue, but a Firefox browser and WordPress issue. So, for the transition to a higher OS, I started using the work computer purchased for me and dropped off at my house in 2019 … it’s been plugged in and I did updates all along, but it’s a Dell and I have only used/liked HP since I began using computers. But, in a pinch, it works, but has no Word (as I remoted into my desktop at work) and it is not upgradable to Windows 11, so I will keep it as a spare and I ordered an HP Windows 11 laptop in June. I do like it but it has a strange place to turn the computer on – next to the delete key. When my fingers are flying over the keys, I hope I don’t stray to the wrong key. It will be upgradable to Windows 12 which now debuts in 2025 (originally to debut this Fall). It is all about AI now.

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    • Gaaa, just as I was getting close to being mentally prepared for Windows 11, you had to go and mention Windows 12!

      Now I’m wondering if my even-older laptop might run at least Windows 10 – it was really robust in its memory when I got it. It was running really slow, but I could probably wipe it and start clean. Maybe good enough for blogging/web surfing? Probably not, but you have me thinking.

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      • When you go into “Settings” on your Windows 10 laptop – if you are not eligible to upgrade to Windows 11, there will be a big message in the “Updates” area. You can’t miss it.

        I’ve had a day and a half today computer-wise. I configured the Windows 11 back on 4th of July weekend. But I had to clean up the Windows 7 then put everything on a flash drive – lots of posts I have in draft the day I walk at big parks and other items. In the meantime I’ve used the Windows 10 (from work) to get acclimated to it. Today I was ready to use the Windows 11 … I had purchased a Logitech wireless keyboard as I raise the laptop on a stand – better for me ergonomically. The keyboard was the elongated type with the extra direction keys and numeric paid in the middle. I took it to the kitchen table where I sit … too long of a keyboard and I had nowhere for the mouse and I still have my landline on my left. Moved things around – did NOT like the keyboard, so had to hop on Amazon to order another shorter one. Frustrated. Then this Windows 11 has only two USB ports, something I never paid attention to … I use one for the wired mouse and one for the “receiver” for the wireless keyboard. I’ve always kept a flash drive plugged in to save any work and put documents I want to save in case the computer malfunctioned. So I now have to get an additional “USB hub” with six extra ports in it. And, the cord was too short, so I had to order a computer extension cord to plug it in. After I messed around with it, I shut it off until my Amazon delivery. I came back to the Windows 10 and it would not verify me – I had to make a new logon, new password and I shut it down in frustration and am now on the Windows 7.

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  14. J.P., you absolutely should get a new computer. Of course I am biased when I make that recommendation because I love your writing, wherever it appears, and if stuff like a broken keyboard or screen hinges is going to get in the way of it, well, why waste your time. Our lives are short.

    I spent more than 30 years testing computers and software for a variety of magazines, but retired early when print and even tech websites started to disappear (at the hands of “influencers”). I’ve worked with DOS, Windows (since version 1.0), Mac, and Linux, and have used or still used PCs running them all (as well as Android and iOS phones).

    A Mac has become my “daily driver” simply because of the cunning way Apple has integrated it with its mobile platforms: If you want your mail, messages, photos, and phone calls to follow you from device to device, there’s nothing slicker.

    But I use and enjoy Windows and Linux too. The operating systems are all decent and really not difficult to switch between. The learning curve is not steep.

    My recommendation to you, though, is that you get a new Windows laptop. The reason I say that is that when you switch to a Mac, you are stuck buying Apple hardware. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, except that you are stuck with their design decisions, choice of screens, keyboard designs, lack of touch (if you wanted that). Since there are so many different companies producing Windows computers, there’s a huge choice of designs. As a writer, you’ll like that you can shop for a machine that has the keyboard feel you like best (you should definitely try one in person before buying) and the screen that is kindest to your eyes.

    And you absolutely can get many models that still have the separate numeric keypad to the right of the keyboard. They are usually the larger units with 16″ or 17″ inch screens, but it sounds like you don’t carry your computer from place to place a lot, so maybe that would be OK.

    Finally, all the fun about Windows 11 is overblown, in my opinion. People have been complaining about every change since Windows XP, but actually Windows still runs on the core WinXP underpinnings and most of the changes aren’t that drastic. If you fear the changes in the Windows start menu, they are easily avoided with a paid-for utility called Start 11 from Stardock, or at least one freeware alternative.

    One thing you didn’t write about is the issue of what software you use — which is really the important thing about any operating system. Are the programs you use available for that OS, and if so, are they free or not? One doesn’t have to pay for web browsers these days, but if you have a Microsoft Word product key/license for your current Windows machine, you could transfer that to a new one. If you switched to Mac, you’d have to buy the software again. Or, as I do, use a cross-platform program that’s free, such as LibreOffice.

    Either way, please get ‘er done before your old computer leaves you in the lurch and you lose data. And while I’m writing, tell us more about your Charger. I’m still tossing around the idea of getting one (it has to be sublime) and there’s just one left around here. It has actually been at the dealer for a year now, so I’m a little concerned about “lot rot.” And I fear dealers anyway, so I haven’t even gone to sit in it, much less drive it!!

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    • Thanks for this very informative comment, it gives me more to think about it.

      The Charger is great – I just hit 1200 miles on it yesterday. 🙂
      You had better decide soon, you won’t have another chance to buy one new again, and if it’s been on the lot that long, you will probably drive quite a deal!

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      • JP, just an FYI, one of the big differences between PC’s and Mac’s, is virtually all the software is included on a Mac. Period. No paying monthly to use MS Word or Excel, you get their version, and it’s fairly close, and whatever “Excel Style” or “Word style” program is free with my Mac, will transfer to PC (but may not be able to be worked on and transferred back). To “Anon’s” point, I migrated to Libre when I was running a PC, to get away from monthly fees, but, like I said, free with Mac. When my pals started giving me their old Mac’s as I headed towards retirement, this was a major consideration. People that are telling you to investigate all these additional programs like Linux, are computer dweebs that enjoy dicking around with computers. They forget that “the rest of us” don’t care about computers other than as a tool. Most of us users feel that computers should have the same ramp up as using a typewriters in the 60’s! My total hope for AI is that it clears out everyone’s corporate IT department! Like I posted above, you cannot believe the amount of people I know after retirement have found they can fulfill all their online needs with an iPad, including running and posting on their websites. I was surprised, even down to imagining editing programs! My sister, an illustrator and artist, never even turns her Mac on any more, and does all illustration on the iPad where you can draw on the screen, and I’m telling you very complicated stuff! It’s incredible. Sticking with PC? I always used a “shell” program that made my PC run like any version, which I always set to WinXP. Never had to relearn anything additionally.

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      • You might want to check the software issue with Mac before you buy, I may be mistaken. All my “used” Mac’s came with iWorks, which the previous owners told me they just came with when new. I’m not sure that’s true today! Check if interested.

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      • Checked with the Mac-Mafioso, and yea, iWorks, which has Pages, Numbers, and Keynote (Macs version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint):is free, and if it’s not on your computer when you get it, you go to the Mac Apps and download it for free, seamlessly! I’ve used versions of these for years (with zero training, they all work about the same), and usually when I send PC users these files, they can easily be read with their Microsoft stuff. The one caveat being, many times a PC user will click to open these, and your PC will ask if you want it converted to the corresponding Microsoft file. If you do it, you might even be able to work on it, but it won’t “back-convert” to Works, just an FYI.

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  15. I’ve had the same Macbook laptop since May of 2015 and have had no serious issues with it (had to take it in once to the Apple store to replace the trackpad, but otherwise it’s been solid). The previous Macbook I had from 2010 to 2015 did have some battery / charging issues, but all that was needed was a battery replacement and some related maintenance that totaled < $130; it was then given to a family member where it was in use for another few of years (I think it was finally retired around 2017 or 2018).

    All of this is to say that, so if you like to stick with technology for a while, you could optimistically get a decade out of the same laptop by switching to Apple with only the occasional trip to the Apple store for some maintenance.

    Since joining the smartphone world two and a half years ago, I am sure it probably helps that some of what I used to do with my laptop is now being done with my phone, and that probably keeps wear and tear (is that the right term for things that are entirely electronic?) down on it. I have no reason to believe I’ll get to ten years with my phone but am in no rush to upgrade it.

    Sort of tangentially related; after buying the Microsoft programs suite for Apple a couple of years ago only for it to be disabled unless I paid for the newest version to be installed (I must have selected a time sensitive deal), I realized that it was unnecessary as long as I was willing to use Google Drive for documents and spreadsheets, which does not cost anything.

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    • My kids have been citizens of Apple World since forever. Although I have heard from them that newer Apple devices do not seem to be of the same quality as the older ones. But that’s probably true for almost everything.

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  16. JP, it all depends on how much are you reliant on your computer or, generally said, information system. As a systems professional and a risk-averse one at that (I’m an auditor), as I don’t like to be called off hours, I tend to hang on to systems for long times. I’ve been known to hang on around to 20 year old products despite having the chance of better performing software, just to make sure I don’t have problems.

    That said, with older machines that are not working seamlessly and an eventual disregard of a daily backup you are risking a day’s work, at least, and probably several days of off service.

    So, whatever you decide, make sure you have a solid state backup disk and use it daily, and plug it to the PC only when making backups.

    As to Apple, MS, Linux & al, all of them have issues and benefits. None will probably disappear, neither the products nor the ills and advantages. Just follow your gut. Either way you’ll be satisfied and unsatisfied. This is NOT a car purchase, for a zillion reasons.

    Rafael

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  17. Sounds like the debate that surrounds getting a new car! I tend to keep computers until they stop working, as I’m not terribly proficient at adjusting to different operating systems. Our IT department just “upgraded” our computers at work, and I’m not sure that the upgrade is really an improvement. To me, “upgrade” should mean “immediately easier to use.” That has not turned out to be the case. If I buy a new computer at home, I can’t call our IT department with questions…which is one reason why I will likely stick with my current computer as long as possible.

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  18. Thought I’d chime in on this again, altho a little late, but after talking with my high end computer users friends, and taking a general survey.

    1. Yes, Mac comparison software (to the Microsoft stuff) is free. If not on the machine, you go to their store and download it for free. No monthly payments in perpetuity! And most will be able to be read by PC users. Don’t like it? Use Google Docs, it seems like everyone under forty years old is!

    2. Yes, my coding pals, some that are running entire IT departments for substantially sized companies, use both Macs and PCs, and say they are migrating to Mac any time they can, especially since the M1, 2, and 3 chips are stunning and “unassailable”! Even people that were Microsoft “trapped” fan-boys ten years ago, can’t believe how fantastic the M series chips are, and how the computers that use it are just so much better than Microsoft. One person I know said his “big boss” said recently: “I think it’s about time we start investigating going forward with Mac”.

    3. This is weird to me and something I don’t know much about, but basically, if you buy a lower priced PC, especially under $500., it probably has something on it called Windows S. Windows S is some sort of program that makes it so the computer will not download anything BUT Microsoft software. That means no aftermarket Libre freeware word processing, not even your print driver! Forget Chrome browsers. It actually will only use Bing as well! I couldn’t believe this, but the internet is full of people complaining that they unknowingly bought one of these machines, can’t figure out how to set it for regular Windows, and basically end up screwing up the machines trying to do this. I checked in B&H Photo with computers prices and models, and the information as to whether the machine has legitimate Windows 10 or 11, or some sort of truncated Windows 10s or 11s, is deeply buried in the description and not immediately easy to find! Woe be to those who mess this purchase up. Lots of stories about people tying to return these machines to retailers a couple of weeks after they figure out it won’t download their imaging software, or audio software, or…. Just another reason to shake your head at Microsoft.

    4. Macs used to be prohibitively more expensive than a decent PC that was more powerful. Not true today! When you count in the constant charge for Microsoft Office Suite and tools, it’s hugely more expensive…AND, by the time you buy a computer than does NOT have the weird Windows “S” series software and lockouts, the cheapest laptop with a Microsoft Windows Pro OS on it, is only about $100-$150 less than a Mac with an M2 chip, which is so much faster and more powerful! It’s a no brainer!

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