On 7/19/2018 9:30 AM, Jack wrote:
On 7/19/2018 9:12 AM, Leon wrote:
On 7/18/2018 9:47 PM, Bill wrote:
I accidentally deleted the post, but someone (Jack?) wrote that he was
tired of hardware systems lasting only 3 years.

It seems that systems sold at retail (Best Buy?) are built that way,
so that you come back to replace them. If you assemble your own, using
quality components, you can expect it to have a lifetime alot longer
than 3 years..long enough the you'll probably be ready to replace the
system for other reasons before it stops. The purchase price will be a
bit higher.Â* But you will also be in a much better position to service
it if you want to upgrade it. I just wanted to mention that this
alternative option is available. I think that once you do it, you'll
never again settle for someone else's choices (in a system).

Bill

I don't think the hardware systems are so much at fault, for a short
life span, so much as all of the bloat ware that comes preinstalled.

I have had hardware fail about 3 times since 1986.Â* a mother board in
1989, an external Seagate HD in 2012, yeah I know, and a video card in
2015.Â* Every computer except my first and current, IIRC 6~7 of them,
were preloaded with bloatware which caused boot, shut down, and
performance issues.Â* The computers that gave problems were Compaq and
Dell.Â* The first computer, an AT&T, had no hard drive, so no bloatware.
My current computer, custom built in 2011 with no bloat ware, still runs
with no issues.

Ditto. 3 since '82 or '83.Â* 10 meg HD failed after several years. It was
AFAIK the first PC hard drive made.Â* Cost $400 to replace it. Years
later replaced the XT with a 486, and that huge 400 meg HD blew up in a
month.Â* Literally came apart, sounded like a garbage disposal.Â* Many,
many years later had a video card die, replaced it and it died again in
a few days, so since the PC was getting old, I just bought another PC
instead of fooling with it.Â* Hardware doesn't break much, but they've
been making sure it gets outdated every few years.


Back in 1994, at work we had a 286 for doing simple crap. It had a
Seagate HD and about every week it would not boot, because the HD would
not spin.

I discovered the fix, open the case, remove the HD and bang it against a
counter top, replace close the case and boot. I cannot tell you how
many times I has to do that, and it never lost data.