Buy New or Make Repairs?
My computer is in the shop. :( Is there a way that I could whine to you with just words? It is hard to whine to you without a whiny tone. LOL
Yesterday I came home from my trip from seeing my mom and when I walked in the door my computer was restarting itself over and over again. I kept hearing it making blipping noises. I watched it repeatedly do the same thing. It seemed to be searching for a place to start from.
We tried several things to fix it ourselves. After many attempts, hubby took it to the shop. I asked him how much it would cost to get it fixed. He said he didn’t know. I told him I hoped it would not be expensive. He said, “Well, it has to be fixed.” While I realize it has to be fixed, I certainly don’t want the repairs to cost a lot of money.
All this leads me to a post on buying new versus repairing the old. There doesn’t seem to be a magical answer. Really, for each instance your options have to be weighed. In my particular case I’d have to say that if the repairs will be less than $100, then I should have it fixed. If the repairs are going to be more than $100, then I have to wonder if I should not make the repairs and just put the $100 towards a new computer.
So, here are some things to consider:
1. How much the repairs cost compared with price of purchasing a new one.
2. Depreciation of the item. Do the repairs cost more than it’s worth?
3. If the item has had continual problems. Has it been a thorn in your side?
4. If you have the money to buy it new. No charging!!!
I’m sure that later I will think of some more things to add to this list. How about you tell me some of your ideas? We love comments!
Tags: computer, problems, repairsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: financial matters
4 opinions for Buy New or Make Repairs?
JayMonster
May 16, 2007 at 10:43 am
You unfortunately do not give enough information for a single complete answer, and the best I can say is… it depends.
How old is the computer? How much hard drive space do you have? How much is free? (Ballpark, doesn’t need to be specific). How much memory does it have?
While it true that you can get a perfectly serviceable and fairly modern PC for as low as $500, if your current PC is a formerly “state of the art” system that has a lot of features and abilities, then sinking the additional cash into the “old” unit may very well make your old run better than the inexpensive new.
If however this is an old unit, and was an inexpensive unit when you purchased it, then it would probably more prudent to put the cash towards the new.
I could answer with more detail if you provide more detail. Please feel free to contact me (I assume you will get my e-mail address with this comment), and I would be happy to expound further with more detail.
Maria
May 16, 2007 at 11:15 am
For me it depends on what it is. If it is something that I can not deal with breaking down all of the time (i.e. my laptop, cell phone, etc), then I would replace it, but if it is something where maintenance is something I expect (most small car things, etc), I would maintain it.
Adrienne
May 18, 2007 at 12:43 pm
I hate computer problems, but they keep my husband employed, so I can’t wish them away entirely.
The age, memory, and processor speed go a long way in determining whether or not to keep a computer, but often perfectly good computers are replaced because of spyware and/or virus infestations.
This is not only wasteful and costly, but often the user who just bought a new machine finds themselves plagued by the same problem in just a few months (sometimes in just days).
If you are having small parts fail on relatively current system, repair is usually the best route.
If you are having vague performance problems with your computer, you probably want to make sure it’s free of viruses and spyware and that all relevant software updates have been installed. It’s increasingly important to have a firewall if you’re working on high speed connections.
Write down relevant error messages and Google them until you find an explanation that resembles English (or a geek to English translator). This gives you some idea whether or not your computer repair people are in sync with popular knowledge.
Always have an up-to-date virus program (I really like the free version of AVG). Install and periodically run anti-spyware engines like Ad-Aware and SpyBot Search and Destroy that can diagnose and often remove spyware programs that slow your computer’s performance and cause lots of weird errors. We really like the free version of Zone Alarm for our firewall.
With good preventative measures and periodic maintenance you can keep a system running smoothly for many, many years.
Don’t be afraid of doing some of the work yourself. GeekSquad uses the same free tools I recommend above to clear computers of spyware and viruses. Computers aren’t the delicate things they were in the late 70s and early 80s.
Public libraries often have do-it-yourself videos on how to upgrade PCs, and sometimes the libraries offer evening programs on how to do these things. If your library doesn’t already offer these things, send them a letter asking that they consider such programs.
Our rule of thumb is: don’t buy new unless your computer is quite out of date or has very expensive hardware replacement needs.
If your repair bills are mostly for labor, then there might be free tools that will fix your problems (is your repair person going to volunteer this kind of info) or a free operating system (like Linux instead of Microsoft) that will work with fewer hiccups.
Karen
May 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Good news. It only cost $65 to get my computer fixed. I’m glad to have it back!!!! :)
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