I want to get a nice laptop since I'm going to college this fall but I don't want to spend 1400$ or so and have my laptop be outdated and unusable the next year. Generally speaking, cost quality. Does higher quality mean it'll last much longer? Example, will a 1400$ laptop last twice as long as a 700$ laptop?
Price will have little to do with quality, a more expensive laptop will be faster, play the latest games, rip music from cd's quicker etc. Only Tech heads who want the latest and greatest in gadgets upgrade Laptops every year. Surfing the Internet and writing documents does not require a 1400$ laptop. You will be able to buy one for much less than 1000$ and it'll be as up to date as the 1400$ one it just might not be as fast. It'll last you through college I'm quite sure of this. In terms of quality as you carry and move laptops around allot there is a greater chance of them breaking, laptops often don't last as long as a home PC for this reason. Spending more money will not really help this. Can I suggest you get something with a decent size screen at least 17 get one with wifi built in for wireless net access, and a cd/dvd burner. Most of this is standard though now. The most important thing is to back up all your files regularly should it get stolen/lost or break. Colleges are getting a little tired of hearing those excuses! Get a usb flash drive for this as it's very handy. To answer your question simply a 1400$ and 700$ laptop both will be equally outdated in 4 years time.
More expensive does not necessarily means it will last longer, most likely high price is because of the components. If you take good care of your laptop it can last for many many years, a common failure after some years is the hard drive, which can be replaced. What is your major ? If you think you are only gonna be using your laptop for text processing and browsing, a cheap laptop will suit your needs. What I usually check on a laptop is how strong it looks like, and also important for me is how the keyboard feels, and the screen size.
From my 20+ years of owning computers, here’s some advice. Don’t think of it as “buying a computer”. You are “BUYING THE RIGHT TO USE A COMPUTER FOR THE TIME BEING”. In general, the more you pay the longer it will last (but paying double is not double the time). Of course it depends on many things, but to simplify…as you pay more and more, the extra-future value gained diminishes. I can’t guarantee an exact “formula” as this would be predicting the future. Assuming it doesn’t break…it usually goes by software. Software generation time is 2-3 years so if your computer can run software “just right” now, the next generation of the same software should be “too slow” so you want to upgrade to another computer that can run it “just right” again. If it’s “super fast” now, then in 2-3 years it can run the new versions “just right”…but then you might have been spoiled and need a new “super fast” computer again! :) It’s a matter of preference. Technically it can last like say 20 years (excluding battery), but do you want to use ancient software and type while people have robot slaves they can talk to? ;) Also, new technologies and interfaces come out so if your computer doesn't have it, you will have to expand it by cards (if available) or you can't use the new peripherals. Desktops are easier to upgrade than laptops. Like and old computer might not have a USB port and can't accept flash drives.
Well I don't know about all that. I do know the laptops get cheaper all the time. The dual Acer that I have would have cost $5000.00 if you could even buy such a thing just 5 years ago. This is a mere $500.00. Plus I snagged a terabyte external hard drive. The software never gets cheaper. I get about 5 years to a machine none of which died. Then I just move my goodies to the new machine. It is however worth noting that the industrial strength machines that the military uses might be worth the cost.
With proper care, your laptop should last 5 years. Number one failure is the hard drive. 1. If you system does not have enough memory, it will use your hard drive to make up the difference. This will cause the hard drive to fail earlier. 2. Make sure you keep your laptop on a surface that allows the laptop fans to work properly. 3. Wait until your laptop is powered off before moving it around, sudden jerks can cause hard drive damage. 4. Never sit anything on top of the laptop.
