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How and why I stopped buying new laptops

lowtechmagazine.com

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Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#41

Post by photojosh »

secfirstmd wrote: post #28
killjoywashere wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haven't bought a new MacBook since the original rMBP (or any other new laptop), which I ordered before the keynote was finished.

Yeh I've always found the opposite. Mac tends to last longer. I'm on a 2014/15 1TB SSD 16GB Pro Retina and it's still a rocket. I've found very little that would make me want to buy a new Mac at this stage.

2013 with similar specs here. My battery life is now garbage, but I think it's worthwhile replacing it.

I wasn't tempted at all until the M1...

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#42

Post by forgotmypw17 »

paulcole wrote: post #6

The environmental impact of an individual person buying a new vs. used laptop isn’t even worth considering. If an individual can sway the actions of thousands or tens of thousands of people, then it’s worth considering, perhaps it is. How people (not necessarily the author) will scrutinize the environmental consequences of inconsequential decisions while willfully ignoring the big picture never ceases to amaze me. Ki…

I think you underestimate the impact of one new device being produced.

Also, there is the matter of being complicit, whether or not your choice makes a 'real' impact.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#43

Post by paulcole »

throwaway3699 wrote: post #23
paulcole wrote: post #6

The environmental impact of an individual person buying a new vs. used laptop isn’t even worth considering. If an individual can sway the actions of thousands or tens of thousands of people, then it’s worth considering, perhaps it is. How people (not necessarily the author) will scrutinize the environmental consequences of inconsequential decisions while willfully ignoring the big picture never ceases to amaze me. Ki…

Some of those things you've listed at the end make life worth living. No, we need to make those things more environmentally friendly, not regress as a species.

I never said they didn’t. I said don’t delude yourself that buying a used laptop has any real impact on the environment.

There’s simply no way to have a biological child and be environmentally friendly. Can’t put it any more simply. I’ve got no issue with people who want biological kids. Just acknowledge that it’s a selfish choice and don’t pretend that you can buy a used laptop like that matters in the slightest.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#44

Post by forgotmypw17 »

This is one of the reasons I thoroughly test my websites on older hardware and browsers. Just got finished doing basic testing on an G4 Mac with Firefox 2.x and similar vintage Safari and IE.

Internet+Web is amazing, almost miraculous technology, enabling even 25-year-old devices adequate access with a little bit of forethought.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#45

Post by paulcole »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #42
paulcole wrote: post #6

The environmental impact of an individual person buying a new vs. used laptop isn’t even worth considering. If an individual can sway the actions of thousands or tens of thousands of people, then it’s worth considering, perhaps it is. How people (not necessarily the author) will scrutinize the environmental consequences of inconsequential decisions while willfully ignoring the big picture never ceases to amaze me. Ki…

I think you underestimate the impact of one new device being produced. Also, there is the matter of being complicit, whether or not your choice makes a 'real' impact.

I do not underestimate it.

I eat a plant based diet, live in a tiny apartment, will never have children, and never fly (have never driven a car either). I’m complicit.

A person can buy a used laptop and they’re still complicit, too. Sure, they can say “I’m not part of the problem” and feel good about it but that’s what people do. Bury their heads in the sand and make themselves feel good.

It’s why we’re in the mess we’re in.

We’re all complicit.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#46

Post by newscracker »

underseacables wrote: post #35

What frustrates me is that the continual push forward of major operating systems forces you to purchase a new laptop. I have a 2013 MacBook that works wonderfully but Apple no longer provides updates for it, and eventually the browsers will stop supporting it. It’s almost like there is a general movement towards forcing us to buy new technology by rendering older devices obsolete.

The support duration for macOS is quite short compared to Windows. But if one wants to continue using working hardware for longer, there’s always Linux. It won’t provide the same experience as macOS. When I tried it on even older Macs, I had some struggles in getting the trackpad (external one) to work nicely. But it’s an option to avoid throwing it out and instead using it (even as a secondary device) or handing it to someone else.

Other than software updates, repair and parts replacement options for those older models (which are easier to repair compared to the newer ones) may also dry up soon. Apple marks Macs as obsolete when they’re about seven years from the original release date. So Apple paid service is not an option.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#47

Post by Smoosh »

saagarjha wrote: post #30
jaimex2 wrote: post #12

It's usually just Apple people cycling their macbooks every "new shiny" release. Most people on PCs run them into the ground over 6-8 years.

Anecdotally, this is not how Mac users buy computers at all, unless they are quite well off or have someone else paying for them. Most people run Macs for half a decade if not more.

Anecdata: My wife is still rocking a ~10 year old Macbook Air, which is fine for "household" duties. I have a Mac Pro 2013 for my main computer.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#48

Post by bpcpdx »

Big fan of older gen laptops. While I confess that for my personal pcs they have always been pretty expensive with high end parts I find that I prefer old cheap used laptops for work and other more serious things. They do everything you need and you don't need to be fussy with keeping it safe because it hardly cost anything. I took one to class when I went back to college and younger students kept poking at the screen expecting it to be a touch screen.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#49

Post by ohazi »

As with used cars, 1-3 year old Thinkpads seem to be a pretty good sweet spot. New enough to be reasonably powerful / efficient / light, but old enough to be cheap and accessible.

Corporate IT shops are often selling off batches of laptops that they've replaced, so selection is usually good. The repair ecosystem will have been running for a while, so it'll be easy to get model specific upgrade and replacement parts on eBay for ~1/3 of what Lenovo charges (hinges, LCD panels, keyboards, trackpads, batteries, outer shell, motherboards, etc.).

You can usually find anything from "this laptop sat on a shelf for two years and looks pristine," to "previous owner was a slob, please take this off our hands." So depending on your comfort level and interest, you can either start using it right away, or buy every possible replacement/upgrade part and essentially build yourself a new custom machine.

Right now I'm using a T480 purchased new from Lenovo (for work), and another T480 that I bought on eBay for ~$600 and completely refurbished. I doubt I'll be buying a new personal laptop again -- rebuilding an old one is too much fun.

Re: How and why I stopped buying new laptops

#50

Post by reasonabl_human »

ohazi wrote: post #49

As with used cars, 1-3 year old Thinkpads seem to be a pretty good sweet spot. New enough to be reasonably powerful / efficient / light, but old enough to be cheap and accessible. Corporate IT shops are often selling off batches of laptops that they've replaced, so selection is usually good. The repair ecosystem will have been running for a while, so it'll be easy to get model specific upgrade and replacement parts o…

Still rocking my T430s bought used on eBay about 6 years ago... the hobby community around these devices alone is worth the cost of ownership, especially when it comes to repair and Linux support.

Installed a community made eDP converter for 1080p screen upgrade and flashed custom EC firmware for 3rd party battery support, replaced a cracked palm rest and odds and ends for a few bucks on eBay etc all pretty easily thanks to great hardware documentation. With an ssd and decent ram it runs arch + gnome as well as my modern desktop does, but costs next to nothing to repair, is built like a tank, well supported in Linux and has a great keyboard. 10/10!

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