Is It Worthwhile to Keep an Older Business Laptop Running?

Posted by: TAZ Networks on December 1, 2017 at 12:49 pm

Is It Worthwhile to Keep an Older Business Laptop Running?

If you’ve managed to keep a typical business laptop running for more than four or five years, you’ve done a pretty remarkable thing.

After all, business laptops live a pretty rough life. Taken to multiple sales presentations every day, traveling from office to home most weekends, running from airport to airport… it’s a wonder that old workhorse still functions!

That said, how do you know when it’s time to put your older business laptop out to pasture?

How Old is Old?

It’s a common joke that an item will break just after the warranty expires. Older business laptops follow this rule in that the warranty length can be a good indicator of how long you can expect to get decent performance out of the machine.

That’s one reason we emphasize business-grade computers and 3-year manufacturers’ warranties. Most home machines and many low-end business machines only come with a 1-year warranty.

When is it Time to Retire an Older Business Laptop?

Many parts of a laptop can be replaced or upgraded: RAM, batteries, even keyboards and screens. (And we’ve done all of those!) But after a while, replacing older business laptop components stops being worthwhile.

Here’s an example:

A client had a six-year-old laptop that they insisted on keeping in service, but the battery would not hold a charge anymore. The well-known manufacturer no longer made replacement parts for that model, including batteries. Amazingly, they somehow had refurbished batteries for sale.

The fun part is that the manufacturer would sell these “spare parts” on their site, but shipping depended entirely on availability. So they let us order a replacement battery – but didn’t ship it for a month. Our client was not too pleased, and neither were we.

So, yes, replacement parts might be available – or, “available” – but brand new, OEM parts probably won’t be. You’ll be dealing with rigged-together, third-party vendors and refurbished parts, which often are not worth the hassle. We don’t want to hold together older business laptops with “duct tape & baling wire,” and neither should you!

Running Older Business Laptops and PCs Costs More Money

It may seem counterintuitive, but keeping computers that are more than three years old can often cost more than it saves:

• Older business laptop and PCs break down more often and cost 1.5 more times to maintain when compared to newer computers.
• New computers experience 40% less downtime than older ones.
• Security incidents decrease by 23%, on average, with a new PC versus an old one.

The price of technology drops every day. You might be surprised at the productivity boost and lower operating costs that comes from replacing your older business laptops.

If you need a consultation on a replacement schedule for your older business laptop and desktop computers, or are ready to refresh your network equipment, fill in the contact form at the right and someone will contact you within 1 business day.