Top 5 Laptop Computer Forever

One of my criteria for buying a laptop computer is the likely life span. I use a laptop for work. To a major extent, it is a tool and one of the most important things for me is how long it will last. I know I end up being a little behind the times fashion wise, but that’s not why I buy them. I buy them because they are cheap if you buy the right one that will last a decent length of time.


Who cares if there is a slightly faster version available? If you picked the right laptop in the first place, it should make no difference. I just do not see the point of “keeping up with the Joneses,” just to be able to say I have the latest whatever. The problem is, the manufacturers of both the hardware and the software are very well aware that they need to keep advancing so they can sell you a new computer every year. How many times do you find the battery or the screen or some other part fail, only to discover it is so expensive to replace that you might as well buy a whole new computer?So, here are my recommendations for the “Five Best Laptop Computers,” based on the fact that they will not need replacing very soon.

Number one – The Apple MacBook Pro

I have had one of these since the day it was released. I had to buy a new one when my PowerBook was stolen. Admittedly, the first releases had a few problems. Mine had to have a variety of internal parts replaced when it kept overheating. Having said that, Apple were great – they replaced all the parts free of charge within 24 hours of me complaining. I recently upgraded the software to Leopard and I must say, the good thing about Apple is the fact that they don’t manage to make your machine obsolete every time a new OS comes out. These are well built, solid pieces of equipment – I fully expect to get a minimum of six years use out of this one which is more than double what is normally expected. My old PowerBook was 4 years old when it was stolen and worked just fine. And if you look at it from a life expectancy stand point, that actually makes it cheap. They sell for around $2,000 - $3,000 (depending on the specs) which means the yearly cost is about $350 - $500. If you choose to buy one, I recommend the 3 years AppleCare Warranty – Then you know exactly how much it’s going to cost to fix for three years.

Number Two – The Apple MacBook

This is another long life laptop. I had one of these which I used for nearly five years and then sold to a friend – he still uses it to this day. So far, it is working just fine for him and nearly 8 years old. At the current price of around $1,000 - $1,500 that means a yearly cost of around $150 if you can get that long out of it. Once again, these are solidly built pieces of equipment and it is not vital to upgrade to the latest software. The one I sold is still running the first version of OSX and is working perfectly. These are perfect if you are heading off to college – they will last the length of your course. (Unless you are planning on becoming a particle physicist.) Once again, the AppleCare warranty is worth the money.

Number Three – The Sony Vaio 

I have also had and used in the past, Sony Laptops. If you need a PC rather than a mac, Sony also make very well built pieces of equipment. Their customer service has gone way down hill in the last few years, but if you are lucky, you will not need to use it ☺ Sony are one of the top laptop makers in my book – they learn a lot from all the other products they make.

I won’t go into too many details because the range of different models is ridiculously large. Unnecessarily so in fact. PCs in general are almost designed to be obsolete as soon as you open the box. The longest I have managed to get a useable PC is four years – After that time, it is practically impossible to keep the things running well – My best advice to get the longest life from one of these is to buy the best specifications you can afford – the higher the specs, the longer before it becomes un-useable.

Number Four – Toshiba Qosmio and Satellite

Once again, I have used these and they are tough. Anything I get a decent lifespan from is by definition well-built. Toshiba has a very good reputation and my own personal experience has taught me that they will look after the customer. These are not exactly the prettiest laptops on the planet – they never have been. But I don’t buy them based on how pretty they are, I buy them based on how well they will do the job I want them to do and how long they will probably last. Toshiba’s are built to last and are unlikely to fail because of a hardware issue. 

Number Five – The ASUS eee 4G –Galaxy 

I will be honest and say I have not actually owned one of these. But I have had a look and I must say, I like the idea of a PC that comes with pre-loaded, free Linux based software. It’s nit top of the range, all-singing, all-dancing stuff, but if you don’t start with the fastest, spiffiest software, you will not see the need to keep on top of the “latest and greatest.” 

Every one who has reviewed them has had nothing but praise for them and if the hardware is as well built as it seems to be, I see no reason why it should not be possible to get the same sort of life span from these as a Macintosh.

Computer life spans:

One thing you never see Apple do is sell their computer range on the basis that it will last longer than a PC. NEVER have I seen them sell them in this way - NEVER. Why not? You would think that this would make a fantastic selling point.

And it does, but they also wish to sell you a new one every couple of years. Even the latest MacBook Air. It looks good, but it’s just a thinner version of the MacBook Pro. Big deal! Does it really matter if it weighs a few ounces less? This is not a good reason to buy a new computer. The makers are trying very hard to sell computers on the basis that they are fashionable – Computers are a tool. With the possible exception of serious game players and a few professional video editors and the like, by far and away the bulk of computer buyers should have no need to buy a new one every two years, but the typical lifespan of a laptop is about 2.5 years. Why?

Call be a cynic if you will, but there are two things that force people into buying a new one:

1. The operating system takes over the hardware completely. Constant updates and improvements to the OS mean that sooner or later, your hardware will be unable to cope. And I can honestly say, I do not see a great deal of difference between this year’s OS than that of five years ago. Microsoft word is still the same bastard to use as it always was.
2. Anti Virus software. One of the things that killed my last PC stone dead was the incredible amount of Anti-virus software it needed installed.

And it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if it later comes to light that the computer manufacturers and software companies are creating these viruses THEMSELVES. You heard it here first. I refuse to believe that there are enough private individuals out there with the resources to waste this much time creating this many viruses just to piss every one off.

This is one of my main arguments for buying a Macintosh – The OS will not eat your machine next year. Sure some of the programs I use have had to be discarded since I updated to Leopard, but on the whole, it actually works faster with the same hardware than Tiger did. You will not see me throwing out my current model for a new thinner one. 

Consider buying used:

It is certainly worth considering a used Laptop. At around two years old, a used MacBook should have a good three to four years life left in it and a two year old PC will probably last another two before the software eats it. There are plenty of people who can’t live without having the latest model, so why not take advantage of their actions? Try buying a used one. I bought my dad a used Powerbook three years ago. It cost me less than $900 and he is still using it every day. It is now five years old and going strong.