How long should this laptop last me?

I've done a lot of homework and I'm about ready to purchase my first laptop configured like this...

HP dv8000t

Win XP home
2.0 GHz core duo
1.0 gig ram
80 GB HD
Lightscribe
Ultra BrightView

It will be used as a desktop replacement and will hardly ever travel with me. I will mostly use it to run Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Quark Xpress. It will be my only home computer.

How long should I expect this to last? I know that computers are outdated the second you buy them, but all else aside what's your opinion?

 

i don't think your computer will become outdated until 64-bit software takes over. however, they do speculate that it is possible to replace the core duo with the merom...but would rather not get into that discussion. anyway, i suspect it will take at least 2 years for 64-bit to really become important....but you never know.

 

If you take good care of it there is no reason it shouldn't last 3-4 years. You'll probably want a new notebook by then anyway.

 

I think 3-4 will be a good time frame. Just don't drop it and keep the dust off of it.
Tim

 

tyou should get it from circuit city and take advantage of the extended
warranty they offer

 

Dont know about going to circuit city to buy a laptop, you can get really good deals from their website and can configure whatever you want on your laptops.

 

The ability to swap in a Merom is dependent on Intel not changing socket/motherboard/chipset design requirements and on HP adding BIOS support for it. It might happen, but...

Now they're saying the Turion X2 will launch this month:
http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20060511A2005.html
I don't know what's going to happen but if you think there's any chance you'll want to run Windows Vista in the future (or Linux today), wait a few weeks for the Turion X2. The apps chris listed will probably go 64-bit very quickly.

 

So what does it mean on the HP site where it says this machine is "Windows Vista compatible"?

 

when the new os, vista, comes out, it has all the proper components to run it.

 

Not much. There will be one 32-bit edition of Vista, so just about any modern machine can technically run Vista. If you want to run 64-bit Vista, and if you're going to upgrade at all you do, you're going to need a 64-bit capable machine and right now only AMD has 64-bit notebook CPUs.

Having a GPU that is DirectX 9 hardware capable is a good idea too, otherwise you won't get all the new Vista eye candy. All the current ATI and nVidia GPUs will do. Intel's GMA950 is supposed to be capable, if slow.

 

do you guys mean it should last 3-4 years in terms of it being outdated or broken?

 

A mixture of both.

If you don't abuse your laptop (drop it from the desk to the ground, spill coffee or water on it, crush it with your car, etc.), a laptop can last a few years. Take care of it and it can last for several years. Now, as laptops become cheaper, some manufacturers begin using cheaper parts that don't hold up as well, so you have that possible point of view. But really, laptops don't blow up unless something is wrong.

With anything computer related, it's more apt to become outdated in 3-4 years. It's the price of technology and advancement. Just like a car, cell phone, TV, etc., you'll never have the most-up-to-date system because manufacturers are constantly bringing new innovations to the market.

 

I'm pretty careful with my electronics in general, and this laptop will stay chained to the desk for the most part. So I'm not worried about it breaking. Plus I'll probably buy at least a two year, "you sneeze on it we fix it" warranty.

I just wondered how long it should last before it's completely outdated. I guess since Windows Vista is obviously the future, I should wait long enough to buy a macine that handles the 64-bit version. Thanks for all the help guys. I was real close to making a purchase but with all the input I think I should wait a little longer.

When will the core duo processors with that capability be available?

 

Are the new Core 2 duo's recently in the news the ones that are 64-bit ready?

 

Named: Core 2 Duo
codenamed: Merom
Released: August 2006 (maybe delayed)

So by october we would be seeing core 2 duo lappys......... I think. But vista would still not be released so you'd still get XP with it and you'd have to shed more cash later on for the upgrade.

personal comment: it will last until the next version of windows arrives. since there will still be a 32bit vista. Whats the use of getting 64bit now whilst the migration to 64bit hasn't really kicked-off yet. If you need the laptop now then buy it now. If you can wait for 4-5 months for 64bit, or 8-10 months more for 64bit+vista then go on ahead. All three will still serve its purpose. Personally, I believe that dual core is far more important to me then having support for 64bit - since everybody has once in a while have 6+ windows opened all at the same time.

 

Perfect explanation! Thanks.

As much as I want a sweet new laptop starring me in the face, I think I'm just going to have to wait. Since mine will be a desktop replacement there's no reason to kick my old dekstop to the curb unless it just dies.

If I'm planning on dropping $1500 or so, I'd rather wait and get one when Vista is here for real.

Thanks guys!

 

Well... outdated? I have a 1985 Tandy 600 that still works. It was my first notebook of many...