Although this data is going to be old as soon as I post about it (for reference, the current date is Tuesday, November 17, 2009), a great study was just released by Square Trade.

Here is the link

For those unwilling to wade through it, here are some highlights:

1 in 3 Laptops fail over 3 years

As you go shopping this holiday season for a new notebook, make sure you take this into account.  One third of laptops are going to die in the first 3 years.  Do you really want to spend that much?  This certainly isn’t the last computer you’ll purchase.

Netbooks fail 20% more than laptops

To provide the full picture, it’s actually 20% more than entry level laptops (higher quality laptops fare even better against the netbook).  I have to say, I’m not entirely surprised that a notebook perfect for your lap (the netbook), which suffers much more heat strain than the average laptop, wouldn’t last as long.  At the end of the day, remember that heat is the enemy…

ASUS & Toshiba the most reliable

This is simple and sound data – ASUS and Toshiba most reliable.  No ambiguity there.  Delving deeper into the numbers, I was happy to see that Apple and Sony did well…  Here is the chart from the doc.

So that’s it – some fun mid-week reading and just in time for the black Friday shopping madness.  Be careful out there and don’t forget to do your research!

~ab

[My friend] and I were chatting about our computers last night and were complaining how a computer has a shelf life of roughly 3-5 years. This is annoying. Obviously there’s nothing we can about technological advances making our computers outdated eventually, thus requiring us to buy a new one.
However what can we do to treat our computers nicer to prevent mechanical breakdowns that necessitate new purchases?
One debate we had was this: is it better for your computer to leave it on, but in sleep mode turning it off only at day’s end? or is it better to turn it off every time you’re not using it? We felt that frequent switches on and off would be worse, but other people–who shall remain nameless–argues that simply shutting the laptop screen while it’s still on is bad for the computer.
Can you clear up this debate and offer other tips to increase a laptop’s lifespan?

I assume that you don’t care about my theories on computer hardware responding to karmic interference… so let’s keep to the facts.  There are plenty of arguments out on the web for keeping a computer on or not, but I think it’s a pretty simple discussion:

1. Heat is bad.

A little poking around gave me these rough numbers for your computer:  Your CPU should be between 40 – 60 Celsius, and your system should be between 20-40 Celsius.  What the heck does that mean?  I had look it up.  Here is my theory: As I see it, when it comes to computers, hot = bad / cool = good.  According to this interesting article from Johns Hopkins Magazine, at 45 degrees your skin can start to burn.  So it seems safe to say, if it feels hot to the touch, that would be bad.  Prolonged exposure to this kind of thing can damage those sensitive internal parts (on both you and the computer).

2. The lower the quality, the worse the effect

A poorly made computer will be more effected by heat than a well designed one.  It’s a sad fact, but it seems true that a more expensive notebook will generally last longer than a cheap one.  Current thinking is that the lower quality components cannot handle the heat.

3. More on time = More heat = More destruction

If you had a bridge and you wanted it to last as long as possible, you might limit traffic across it from time to time.  Obviously, the bridge would only last as long as its materials (every degrades slowly), but limiting traffic, the main cause of strain to your bridge, vastly increases the lifespan.  The same is true for your computer.

More detailed info

Ok so that covers the basics, now let’s think about some of the other parts to your question:

Shutting the laptop without turning it off, may increase the heat, unless your laptop (like most modern ones) goes into standby or hibernate when closed.  Make sure your computer is not just on with the screen down…

Leaving your computer on all the time sucks dust and junk into your machine.  Ever wondered why that stuff is bad?  It’s simple – dust stops the brilliantly designed parts from letting heat escape efficiently.  And now we know that more heat means…

Back in the day, the components in computers were much more sensitive and the constant starting and stopping would cause errors (I’ve only ever heard of hard drives getting messed up…).  This is no longer the case.  Our devices are full of components that were made to be cycled on an off more than you’re probably willing to do so.

Final words of advice

In the end, none of this is probably very surprising.  Nothing else in our lives lasts longer when heated, so why would our computers?  I leave you with a few tips:

Make sure you machine “sleeps” when you close it or when it’s idle.  It’s nice for you (stops the heat, saves your battery) but also for the environment.  There’s just no need for the average Joe to be running a computer 24/7.

If you do have a “hot” machine, consider buying a cooling pad (if it’s a laptop") or having additional fans / a better case installed (if it’s a desktop).  These small changes (under $50) have been shown to increase the lifespan of devices.

Take your computer in for a tune-up.  These things are not a scam.  There are simple diagnostics that a trained professional can use to figure out if your computer is running as it should.  A tune-up is probably only necessary twice in a computer’s lifetime, once in the middle and once at the end.  It’s better to hear from someone that you need to buy a new machine, rather than find it out when your data melts like clocks in a Dali painting.

Best of luck and thanks for the question Catherine!

~ab

The first thing I’d recommend is making a short list of everything you hope to do when you’ve been blessed with your perfect machine.  Are you going to do graphic design?  Maybe you’re planning to build new and improved architectural drawings of Notre Dame de Paris.  Perhaps you only need to do email and the ability to fly comfortably with your machine in your lap is crucial.  Each function requires certain system features.  Although there are far too many to list, here are some pointers:

• Graphics beyond email, the web and family photos requires a good graphics card, good RAM (for processing the images) and a comfortable screen.
• Number crunching with truly enormous applications (not just excel) requires a better processer and considerable RAM.
• Screen and keyboard size are important: a small keyboard and screen may seem like a good idea, until you find yourself spending 10 hours per day with a painful neck, sore eyes and carpal tunnel…

Once you’ve made a list of criteria, you can move to the research phase.  Here are some links to get you started. For the most part, these helpers are simple and straightforward, but some are certainly better than others… 

The Laptop Magic Finder – I like this interface on this one.  My only complaint is that zero help accompanies the advanced options, but the basic options are too simple.  I do like how it let’s you choose from the brands by selecting little pictures.

The CNET Laptop Finder – This one is pretty good from CNET.com.  I like the format and the first question gets straight to the nitty-gritty.  That said, for newbies, it may still be too complicated.  Certainly, the help provided is useful, but there’s still a bit that has to be known beforehand (e.g. WHAT IS RAM?)

If all of that is far too complicated, read this link from LaptopAdvisor.com.  It’s straightforward advice on exactly which models appeal to certain demographics.  It should simplify things…

Hopefully that helps.  What do you look for in a laptop?  Feel free to shout it out in the comments.

~ab