Top 10 Small Business IT Questions

#9 ? I Have Some Old Equipment Still In Use, What is the Typical Lifecycle for This Equipment?

The typical lifecycle of computer equipment is 3 to 5 years. Your computer becomes obsolete because the manufacturers no longer support your computer’s hardware, software, or both. Even though your computer may continue to function past its expected “life”, finding a replacement for a broken or failing component becomes difficult. Software that fails beyond its expected life is no longer supported by the manufacturer. And failures always seem to have a way of happening at the most inopportune times! In these instances, maintaining an older computer, especially if you don’t have the expertise yourself, becomes more costly than replacement.

Disposing old equipment is a subject for a later column. However, for the basics, follow your local e-Waste guidelines as computers contain toxic components and have to be disposed of properly. Also, be sure to eliminate all personal information from your computer. You certainly don’t want a hacker to find your information on a computer they found in the trash!