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Growing old less gracefully. |
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Written by Tony Phelps
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
Last week, this column considered an alternative for an old computer
compared to the more usual throw-it-out-and-buy-a-new-one. Installing
open source Linux software requires much less computer power compared
to Windows, but still provides pretty much the same level of up-to-date
facilities, and it is cheap (even free) to legally obtain. For anyone
replacing computers (business or personal), this makes it very
worthwhile donating old ones to a suitable organization.
What if you wish to stay with the mainstream Microsoft software?
Particularly if you are happy to put up with longer loading times, slow
responses etc., is there anything to stop you from keeping on upgrading
the Microsoft software as new versions come out?
The answer can get quite complex. Most software will have been designed
for and built on a particular specification of computer. When you buy
software, the packaging indicates both a minimum specification (in
terms of free disk space, processor speed, and amount of memory
available) and a “recommended” specification. The software developer
probably tested on the recommended specification, and you can expect
fairly awful performance on the minimum specification. If your old
computer has even less than the minimum, the software may not install
at all, fail to run even if it does, or will be so slow as to be just
about unusable.
So sooner or later, your old computer will simply not have the ‘guts’
to run upgrades. Who says you need to upgrade anyway? You could leave
the computer running the versions of software it is best able to
handle, and ignore any subsequent software upgrades. This approach
means that you have a reasonably stable computer that you are familiar
with, that does what you want, and that can theoretically last
indefinitely.
Alas, the IT industry will ensure that such a comfortable situation
will not last long. On the hardware side, any failures and you may find
it difficult or even impossible to get spare parts or replacements. On
the software side, you will get less and less compatible with everyone
else, and the things you do will seem relatively crude and at the same
time take longer. You’ll find you are unable to do things others take
for granted, for example connecting new gadgets such as a mobile phone
with a digital camera to email a photo. And there is the real risk that
if you suddenly had to rely on your data backups, a new computer would
not be able use them.
Even if everything does keep working indefinitely, there is a security
issue. Products such as Windows 98 and Windows NT have been declared
‘end of life’, and are no longer maintained. Any problems due to bugs
or vulnerabilities in the system, and you are on your own.
At the end of the day, hardware is less important than software.
Keeping up with current facilities, security measures, and common
standards (whether formal or not) is a major part of getting the most
out of a computer system. Unless you enjoy tinkering with software, it
really is worth spending the money on a new system every 4 or 5 years. |
