Although a computer can last longer, technology advances so quickly and software demands new technology so strongly that after four years, your new computer is outdated. What should you do? Should you sell it? Should you upgrade it? Should you buy a new one? One of the joys of owning a computer is that you can upgrade or replace any of its components at any time - as long as the computer is turned off when you do so.
Upgrading is an easy alternative to tossing out a fairly good computer and spending more money on a new one. Upgrades are inexpensive. And, often, all you need is a simple upgrade: more memory, another monitor, another hard drive. A few twists of the screwdriver later, and you have an almost-new computer again. Upgrading should come from some serious need: Software demands more memory, you run out of disk storage, or something breaks.
Which hardware to upgrade first
What you upgrade first depends on your needs. Does your software need more memory? Upgrade it. Is your monitor shot? Buy another one. Out of hard drive storage? Add another.
Memory: As long as your computer is properly configured for memory, plugging in another 256MB, or even 1GB, of RAM is relatively easy. This upgrade often solves a number of problems you may have with a sluggish computer.
Hard drive: Although plugging in another hard drive is easy, getting it going can be a pain. Hard drives must be formatted, and it's hard to find out exactly how that's done. Better leave this upgrade to your dealer. Upgrading the hard drive is more expensive than upgrading memory.
Monitor: Buying another monitor is simple: Buy it! Turn your computer off, unplug the old monitor, and plug in the new one. Done!
Old monitors don't keep their value. You cannot sell them, and you shouldn't toss them out in the trash. Instead, refer to your locality's disposal people for the proper method of tossing out an old computer monitor.
Other stuff: Just about everything in your computer can be upgraded. In addition to the preceding items, you can upgrade your CD-ROM player, a floppy drive, a video adapter, or virtually any component in your computer.
Watch your upgrade costs! Sure, it may be fun to buy your computer a present in the form of an upgrade. Tally what you spend, though. If you're not careful, you may wind up spending more on your old computer than it would cost to buy a new one.
Upgrading your microprocessor
Another hardware upgrade touted in the computer magazines is the microprocessor upgrade. It's not hard to do: The microprocessor slides or clips into a socket. Most computers are designed that way. In general, upgrading your microprocessor isn't recommended, though, for several reasons:
- Cost: When your dealer buys microprocessors to plug into his computers, he buys them by the truckload. He gets a discount; you don't. You pay top dollar for a new microprocessor, which can be a several-hundred-dollar premium for the current top-of-the-line model. Spending your money on a memory upgrade may give you better results anyway.
- Compatibility: Although the new microprocessor may plug into the old one's slot, is the computer's circuitry geared to work with it? Motherboards are designed around specific microprocessors running at specific speeds. Although the new one may function, it may be crippled or inhibited by the older circuitry on the motherboard. What's the point of having a faster microprocessor when it has to slow down to access your computer's old memory?
- The whole motherboard upgrade: This upgrade involves another microprocessor upgrade, which directly addresses the issue of compatibility, but not price! New motherboards (your computer's main circuitry) are expensive. If you go that route, you may as well buy a new case and a new hard drive and - hey! - you have a new computer!
Upgrading software
When should you upgrade your software? As with everything else, the answer is "according to your needs." Do you need the new features the software offers? Does the new version fix the bugs that annoyed you? If so, buy it.
- It's possible and quite common to skip software upgrades. For example, skipping from Version 3.2 to Version 4.1 can save money and keep you current.
- If you're using the same software at home as you are at work, upgrade when your office does. If you don't, your older software at home may not be capable of reading the documents the newer software at work produces.
- A good argument to eventually upgrade any application, in fact, is to keep compatible with any new document formats. Eventually, you may find that others are using the software and that your older application cannot read those newer document formats.
Upgrading your operating system
Like all software, your operating system eventually will have a new version. Generally speaking, you should never upgrade your operating system!
The best way to get the next version of an operating system is to wait until you need to buy a new computer. The new version comes installed on that computer. Otherwise, you risk a great deal by upgrading your current operating system - primarily, that some of your older software may not be compatible, which would force you into paying lots of money for upgrades.
You may eventually encounter new software that requires the newest operating system. Traditionally, however, that doesn't happen until the new operating system is about two years old. Why? The answer is that because software developers don't want to lose you as a customer, they don't write a specific version of their applications until everyone has upgraded.
