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Can Your Hardware Top 18 Years and Ten Months? (theregister.co.uk)

Posted by timothy on from the old-enough-to-vote dept.

DesertNomad points out this article at The Register "about a fairly aged Pentium-based server that lasted 18+ years without much in the way of service." Reminds me that I have a pair of working, occasionally used, Pentium-based notebooks (more like lug-books), one of which is a 1999 Thinkpad, and the other a 1996 CTX. I'm sure there are plenty of boxes out there that have survived at least 18 years and that are in daily or constant use. The fans are always the tricky part! What's your best personal hardware-survival stories? I have some keyboards in active service that were made in 1984, and probably some of them go back well before that, but keyboards should last that long.

2 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. Me & My Brain by mveloso · · Score: 4, Informative

    My brain has been going for decades, and not only have I not been able to upgrade it I've been actively degenerating it's performance.

  2. Re:Batteries are the worst by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    What I found with laptops what kills them is a few things

    Dirt. keep the fans and vents clean. I usually take a shop vac to mine. On rare occasions I *will* rip the thing apart and get the dirt out. Dirt=heat=failed parts.

    Torsion stress. Do you pick the things up and move them around alot? Put them on one of those laptop tables for sitting on a couch with. Something like this http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Natural-Surface-Detachable-Friendly/dp/B018PI22WM . You probably can find one for a better price I just picked the first one I found. My wife was doing just about as good as you. Once I got her one of those she went from 1-2 years to 4 years now. Also occasionally check the screws and make sure they are still snug. They work themselves loose.

    Also the next one you buy figure out where the power supply comes in. If you sit on a couch a lot this can mean the difference between a bum power connector and the thing lasting a good amount of time. Also pull all the wires off once and while and untangle them. I do that at least once a week. My wifes laptop comes in from a direction that is little stress on the laptop and cable. Mine on the other hand I have gone thru 3 power cables because I have to lay the power cable over the back and come in from the wrong side. Which is why I have taken to untangling them...

    Also move to SSD if you can.

    Also most laptop parts can be bought. They are seriously a pain to take apart usually though :(