{"id":3396,"date":"2019-09-10T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=3396"},"modified":"2019-09-16T09:11:18","modified_gmt":"2019-09-16T13:11:18","slug":"what-is-the-average-lifespan-of-a-laptop-that-doesnt-get-infected-with-any-viruses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/10\/what-is-the-average-lifespan-of-a-laptop-that-doesnt-get-infected-with-any-viruses\/","title":{"rendered":"“What is the average lifespan of a laptop that doesn\u2019t get infected with any viruses?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Answer requested by Miguel Camino)<\/small><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laptop hardware and usage varies hugely, and viruses (which don’t usually damage hardware) have little to do with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one end, you might have a cheapo laptop that bangs around in a student’s backpack and lives in a dorm; and at the other, a high-end, graphic-artist’s laptop, professionally maintained in a clean, cool, corporate office. Those laptops will have very different “average lifespans.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you mean the hardware itself? Transistors, resistors, and such, can last for decades or centuries. Heck, I bet future museums will have capable-of-working display versions of today\u2019s computers, even hundreds of years from now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Software? The supported lifespan of operating systems is usually less than 10 years \u2014- but the old software still works. It just won\u2019t be supported or updated anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what about the user? Someone just watching YouTube and sending texts will have little incentive to upgrade; an old PC will do just fine and can have a very long service life. But if someone is into, say, 4K\/VR gaming, they may want to upgrade hardware at least annually — a very short service life indeed — to keep up with evolving specs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might as well ask: How long does a chair last? How long does a house last? How long does a pair of shoes last?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need a lot more specificity before you can get a meaningful answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permalink: https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=3396<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"[seperator]\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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(Answer requested by Miguel Camino) Laptop hardware and usage varies hugely, and viruses (which don’t usually damage hardware) have little to do with it. At one end, you might have a cheapo laptop that bangs around in a student’s backpack and lives in a dorm; and at the other, a high-end, graphic-artist’s laptop, professionally maintained…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-reader-asks","category-hardware"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paaiox-SM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3214,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/07\/hdmi-ports-are-usually-output-only-so-how-can-i-use-my-win8-1-laptop-as-an-input-display-screen-preferably-free\/","url_meta":{"origin":3396,"position":0},"title":"“HDMI ports are usually output only, so how can I use my Win8.1 laptop as an input display screen (preferably free)?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-08-07","format":false,"excerpt":"It depends what you want to use as the HD source. If the source is another PC or similar device (smartphone, tablet, laptop...), you can likely use any remote desktop, screen sharing, Twitch-type screen-streaming, or any similar type of app (that both devices support) to display whatever's on the source\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3322,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/30\/why-do-mac-computers-last-longer-than-pcs\/","url_meta":{"origin":3396,"position":1},"title":"“Why do Mac computers last longer than PCs?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-08-30","format":false,"excerpt":"Oh, baloney. Macs aren't magical. It\u2019s an easy mistake to make: For example, in your mind's-eye comparison, you may picture \"a PC\" as something like a $200 Lenovo laptop; and \"a Mac\" as maybe a $2400 MacBook Pro. But that's hardly a valid comparison. 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Why can’t they be repaired?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-09-26","format":false,"excerpt":"Keyboards are mechanically complex, with *lots* of little parts \u2014- usually its own multi-layer circuit board containing its own logic chips and firmware, plus wiring and connectors and over 100 separate electromechanical switches, each one itself a little multi-part precision subassembly with a spring, plunger, contact points, a base, stabilizers,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/scissor-switch.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4074,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/15\/do-you-care-if-your-laptop-has-a-backlit-keyboard\/","url_meta":{"origin":3396,"position":3},"title":"“Do you care if your laptop has a backlit keyboard?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-01-15","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Elynn Quirk) Personally? 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But if there\u2019s enough light to work, there\u2019s usually enough light for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/37391673_s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/37391673_s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/37391673_s.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/37391673_s.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4711,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/08\/why-is-my-lenovo-laptop-shutting-down-after-5-to-10-minutes-of-working\/","url_meta":{"origin":3396,"position":4},"title":"“Why is my Lenovo laptop shutting down after 5 to 10 minutes of working?”","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2020-04-08","format":false,"excerpt":"(Answer requested by Chandrakant Godhani) Assuming the battery is charged and OK, or the laptop is plugged in to a known-good power supply, the most common cause of \"PC runs for a while and then stops\" is heat buildup: Some component is running hot, and the PC is shutting itself\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "A reader asks..."","block_context":{"text":"A reader asks...","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/category\/a-reader-asks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/langa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/sick-laptop-e1586282591275.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2205,"url":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/13\/readers-reply-to-cheapest-way-to-network-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":3396,"position":5},"title":"Readers reply to “cheapest way to network” post","author":"Fred Langa","date":"2019-03-13","format":false,"excerpt":"In \"What\u2019s the cheapest way to network an external hard drive?\" I suggested a fully-functional, zero-cost option: Connect the drive to any PC that's already on the network, and use the OS's built-in network sharing function (e.g. Win10's Give access to\/Advanced Sharing\/ option) to let others access the drive. 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