The time may have come as mine is 6 years old and every time I "install updates" it slows down even more or isn't compatible with certain things or certain places take longer to load because it seems like there are more ads then there used to be (or does it just appear that way?) so I've stopped installing them. So...I'm trying to justify buying a new one because other than speed online and working offline, it does its job. Maybe I need to clean up some files? How can I find out if something is loaded that is bogging it down or if it really is the laptop? Any sites or books you can recommend? Or...what are you opinions on pros/cons of a new laptop? And if I do, what do I do with this one?
Computers tend to get "old" fast these days, 6 years is quite old. But before buying a new one, do a Format C, install Windows again and then only the programs you use and need. People put all kinds of pointless advertisements and all other crap in the installs of various programs. Before installing anything, make sure nothing you don't want is flagged as "install this". Usually they are preselected and you have unselect them. If you buy a new one, you might be able to sell the old one, but I doubt you'll get much money from it.
yes, 6 years old is ancient, for a computer... i've had a series of dell laptops now, for years and years [since my first one in 1999] and wouldn't buy any other brand... i bought my daughter one and got my sister a dell desktop that she's been using for more than 6 years now and it's still working fine... all of mine have been problem-free and each of the 'old' ones provided years more use to those i gave them to when i upgraded...
I bought a Dell Insperon 3 years ago and, sorry maia for disagreeing, it started to slow to nothing last June, and I couldn't use any of the programs I needed [editing software] and I then died suddenly one day last september. They are worth checking out at least, for the first year it ran like stink, but in my experience they don't last long. I now have a Lenovo, and it is a much more powerful and well made laptop. I highly recommend them.
If you don't absolutely need Windows, you could always install a lightweight linux distribution on the laptop. Probably make it run quite well again, and get you by until you can get something else.
I would of course vote for a Mac. My current Mac recently needed service, so that I had to temporarily go back to one that I believe was at least five years old. The speed was perfectly adequate - noticeably slower, but for everything but playing streaming video, it was just fine. (Well, and boot was slower.) I had to use a PC of similar age at work at the same time, and it was really. really. slow. I realize that people don't swap OSes casually, but I wanted to raise the thought just in case.
Macs are definitely nicely-made, solid computers, but I can't see spending the money on one. And I'm not a fan of Apple in general. I had a Toshiba laptop that lasted for more than six years and was still running when I gave it away. My current Toshiba is going on four years. But I do think Mac v. PC comes down to personal preference and everyone should just buy what they like best. I don't really "get" the OS wars where people actually get incensed at one another over choice of OS. It's bizarre.
Could try turning off some software that startups at boot in the msconfig window, a lot of messenger and bloatware tends to run in the background. Also you could purchase a tiny netbook for casual online and general work, but it will not do any heavy video or graphic work. I have used dells for years now, like 10 pcs and my current laptop is an inspiron 13, almost 2 yrs and going strong, but I'm careful of what I install on it.
If you have Windows then start-->control panel-->uninstall a program and there should be a list of programs and drivers installed on your computer, if you see anything that you have no idea of what it is, make a googling and find out. If it is utterly useless to you then uninstall it. I myself do a Format C at least once a year to ensure that my PC is completely clean of unwanted things.
yours must be an anomaly, lemex, 'cause i've had 2 dell inspirons and both worked well, with no problems at all for years... can't recall what models my other dells and my daughter's/sister's are, but they also have worked for several years with no probs...
