One could say it’s pretty sad and yet pretty amazing that the average life of a computer is about 5 years tops. Sad in the sense that unlike a car you can’t beef up a 20 year old computer and still compete with other drivers, and Amazing in the sense that technology is advancing so quickly. In a few days I turn 30 years old, and yet I can still recall when these things were in frequent daily use: rotary telephones, Atari 2600, record players, and of course the recordable VHS tape player.
My first computer was a Commodore 64, which had no hard drive (only floppy 5.25″ drives), followed years later by a major upgrade to a computer that had a 40 Megabyte hard drive! I can recall my dad commenting on how amazed he was at the size. I can also recall playing old video games on it, waiting at least 7 minutes for the computer and games to load on Windows 3.1. And then there was the old MS Word 5.0 with the blue screen background in MS Dos-like format. The only thing I miss from that old system was the game “Tank Wars”, variations of which are commonplace in the freeware market nowadays.
It’s no secret that if you want to live a semi-normal life in which computers play a major or even partial role, you have to take upgrading into consideration. Each computer has a tipping point when it is no longer able to keep up with the demands of technology. This point in time varies from person to person depending on demands. For instance, a video editor will likely upgrade much sooner than a retired grandparent who just wants to check email and internet sales. Nevertheless, this equation stands firm for any user: FUNCTION + TIME = LEVEL OF SATISFACTION.
I’ll break it down for you.
When you purchase software, the side of the box shows “System Requirements” on it — the minimal nuts and bolts your computer needs in order to run the application. However, just because it is ABLE to use the software doesn’t necessarily mean you SHOULD. For example, when Leopard 10.5 came out, it was available for both Power PC (IBM based) computers such as the G4 and G5, as well as the new Intel based chips. The bare-minimum requirements were among other things a G4 running at 867MHz. Even though an iMac G4 running at 1.0 Ghz (or 1000 MHz) CAN run the Leopard OS, that doesn’t mean you should. Why? Because the previous OS (Tiger 10.4) makes the G4 run faster than the newer, more processing-intensive OS does.
However, there is a sacrifice. The price to pay in this is that when you choose to not upgrade your OS to Leopard (a wise choice in the iMac G4 illustration), you miss out on a lot of great time-saving and/or increased workflow features — the biggest ones lately being the jump from 32-bit processing to 64-bit (first debut was in Leopard 10.5), the Time Machine backup feature, the advancements in iWork & iLife, much quicker video editing/rendering, and so on.
So when is it the right time to sell and upgrade, and how should you go about it? Here are a few things that have helped me in the decision:
1. Sell while the selling is good. Christmas time and pre-college summer days are good times from a calendar perspective, but don’t lock yourself into that schedule. If you have a 2 or 3 year old MacBook, for instance, and hear buzz about a new OS or new laptop that will force your model to be in the “previous generation” category (i.e. a major body style change or a different line of processors), research and see how much your Mac is selling for on Ebay and Craigslist and calculate how much you could get for it versus how much your replacement computer would cost you. I’m not advocating a NEW one necessarily, but a replacement one. Sometimes your best bet is to buy a model that’s been out for 3-6 months. You’re still on the front line of the curve, yet you’re not going into debt over the purchase. As I’ve mentioned before, I recommend Apple Refurbished or Craigslist.
2. Consider upgrading the guts. A huge and less expensive improvement to your Mac is often accomplished by simply upgrading your RAM and hard drive. RAM is the first priority, with HD being second (unless you’re almost full, then HD would be 1st). Hard drives run slower when pushed to the capacity limits. So if you have a 160 Gb hard drive with 150 gigs used up, consider upgrading to a 500 gig. And when you upgrade, do a fresh install of the OS X and use Time Machine from your backup hard drive to restore your data. TM makes life so much smoother.
3. Be on the lookout. If you’re interested in upgrading but aren’t sure when, then believe it or not you’re in a good spot. Why? Because the pressure is low and you have the ability to wait for the right deal. One time I was in this mode and happened upon a high end MacBook on Ebay that was only a month old and the guy (who was reverting back to PC…what a shame) was selling it for $900 with a 500 gig Time Capsule and iWork included. Altogether, the stuff added up to around $1700 worth of goods! So what did I do? First I sold my previous Mac for $750, then I sold the Time Capsule for $150, then I sold the iWork disc (b/c I already owned a copy) for $50. Do the math. Yes, I actually made money and had a one month old, virtually brand new upgraded computer! (I spent the “earnings” on RAM). [Note: Usually, if something is too good to be true, then it is; but in this case, I checked his Ebay ratings and he was 100% positive, so I went for it. He was simply wanting a quick sell and I got it]
4. Where to Buy: the Big Three. The top 3 sites I scan when looking to upgrade are Craigslist, Ebay, and the Apple Store Refurbished list (Tuesdays are the best day to check b/c they update their inventory each week on that day). You can access that list by going to Apple.com then Store, then scan to the bottom left. Refurbished iPods are on there too.
5. Where to Sell: the Big One. Let me be clear. There is no better place to sell your computer than Craigslist. Why? First I’ll discuss why not Ebay. Because when you try Ebay, you’re (a) competing against a much larger audience, (b) forced to pay seller fees, which are ridiculously high, (c) forced to ship the item, and finally (d) aside from the hassle, you’re not guaranteed a safe transaction of money. Plus, what if they decide to return it? Ugh. Unless you’re a big shot company or need national attention for an amazing cool product you invented, Ebay is for buyers, not sellers.
So why Craigslist? Aside from the fact that it’s a million times easier to post than Ebay, and it’s free, and millions of people check it…dealing with people face to face is always best. Selling things on the internet can be grueling and mean-spirited. People can be picky over the smallest things and they’ll unleash a fury at you if it’s done electronically. (Ever gotten a mean email from someone who didn’t have the guts to say it to your face?) With CL they can inspect it right there on the spot, they’ll pay cash, and they’ll come to you! (for safety reasons, I suggest having them meet you at a neutral location that is close to home; i.e. don’t give out your address unless you’re comfortable doing so. Meet at a school parking lot during the day or at a gas station)
6. Check this site to see where your Mac sits on the curve.
All in all, everyone has a level of comfort with their Mac performance needs. If you’re considering a Mac upgrade, ask yourself how much time you’ll be saving, how much money you can afford to spend (purchase price of new minus selling price of old), and how much improvement will it bring to the table. And if you can find one that’ll do your laundry for you, don’t hesitate for even a second.
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I’ve had the iPhone 4 now for a little over 2 months now and have had a pretty good chance to determine some personal highs and lows of this device.
