laptop and desktop life expectancy

[chrbb]

Still not prepared my action plan, it's hanging over me like homework on a Sunday night:D

 

What life expectancy do you expect and plan from from desktops and staff laptops?

 

 

I've got a suite of 22 computers that are 3 years old in March, and 12 desktops in yearbases that are 5 - 6 years old, my plan is to replace 12 of the suite computers this year (march) and cascade down to the yearbase computers, with the remaining suite computers replaced next march with a new server and upgarde to windows 7. As the yearbase computers really need replacing but aren't used half as much as the suite computers I thought cascading the suite computers would be a feasible solution.

 

I'm starting to replace staff laptops after 3 years, as they are used daily in the classroom connected to the smartboards and suffer daily misuse:( I'm a little concerned they aren't lasting longer.

 

Does this OK?

[BTCC_Fan]

Sounds good to me.

 

In our suites we have a cycle of 4 years, then after that they get rolled out into other departments where they stay untill they die basically, which can be as long as 6 years, maybe longer!

 

In terms of laptops we tend to keep them as long as feasibley possible unless the department gives us some cash to buy a new one. The lifetime very much depends on the brand of laptop. We still have some IBMs (very few) but most lasted 4/5years. However we had some Acers that only lasted 3/4.

[leco]

Sounds about right to me as that's the same kind of thinking I've put into my development plan:) Staff laptops especially don't "last" as long as I think they should. Perhaps mainly because as soon as one member of staff gets a new one others complain that theirs is "slow" or doesn't have a feature that they "need".

 

Staff don't appear to have the same concerns about desktop machines maybe because these are mostly used by pupils. Desktops are also seen as lasting longer therefore don't need replacing as often. Of course I alone think about server replacement as a priority over desktops or laptops, as the network "backbone" they are working much harder than any other machine.

[pete]

Desktops - 4yr cycle, offloaded to poorer depts if they've still got some life in them.

 

Laptops - ideally 4 years, often not met. Thinkpads are holding up way better than the HP kit though, so I remain hopeful.

[enjay]

I don't think it is as simple as a PC having a given lifespan, as it depends on what you're wanting to do with it. That said, we work to roughly 2-3 years for Admin Dept, Staff Room and IT Suites PCs, 3-4 years for whiteboard/projector PCs and 5-6 years for classroom PCs.

 

The cascade system which you mention is definitely the way to go, even though it increases the workload.

[IrritableTech]

We have a rolling five year system here now. Although machines in IT suites, admin offices and the like will be swapped more frequently.

 

All staff classroom machines are workstations; pupils laptops are lucky to see three years. The few staff laptops we have are replaced usually when the staff member gets fed up and decides their budget can afford a new one.

[localzuk]

We try to stick to a 3 year cycle for both desktops and laptops.

 

However, we also have a thin client system too, so old machines now get gutted and turned into thin clients at the end of their 3 year tenure.

 

So far, we've got some thin clients that are now 5 year old desktops, and I don't expect those machines to die any time soon.

[m25man]

Don't forget to add a Battery contigency to your laptop budget.

This always gets forgotten and your likely to replace 50% of your batteries over 2 years and they are not cheap!

[SYNACK]

We have a four - five year replacment cycle on PCs and a three year one on lease laptops for the staff. Generally we manage to keep to the 4 years on replacement desktops 1/4 of total purchased each year but we upgrade and continue to reuse the old pcs untill they are dead or too slow to use anymore.

 

This way we have an A group and B group of PCs and each classroom ends up with at least one to three (depending on school) decent PCs and then one ore more B grade ones. In the school with a suite all of the new ones get put strait in there and then the oldest from the suite get rolled out to the classrooms.

 

The harsh use of the laptops is covered by nice long 3 year warrenties on each so they do last the distance. This is what we use for primary schools so may not suite other levels but it works for us.

[maniac]

Don't forget to add a Battery contigency to your laptop budget.

This always gets forgotten and your likely to replace 50% of your batteries over 2 years and they are not cheap!

 

Tell me about it - we are currently in laptop battery hell as a lot of ours are now dying as they get older, but the laptops themselves are perfectally fine, just the batteries that are useless. The day a company invents a battery which can last as long as the laptop can't come too soon. Still at least the Lithium batteries we have now are better than the Ni-Mh of Ni-cd of old.

[witch]

I am trying to work on a 4 year cycle for IT suite computers but one suite are already 5 years old and there is no money or plans to replace them.

Laptops tend to just go on until they die - currently that is at about 5 or 6 years.

 

In an ideal world - I would want to change the IT suite computers and staff laptops every 3 years - but I would re-use the machines if possible around the school.

 

I have no plans set up in either school as there just isn't the money or the inclination

[neon]

what does everybody do when they have to get rid of old computers and laptops, I have a few bricks running windows 98, the head keeps saying they be good for word processing but by the time they have loaded up its pretty much home time.

[Mr.Ben]

Staff Laptops- 4-5 Years,

 

Desktops - 5 Years

 

Student Laptops - 3 Years!

[MatthewL]

We used to be 3 years for all desktops, although this has now been changed to 4 due to upgrading warranties etc.

 

As for laptops our oldest ones are around 6 years and we are pushing for these to be replaced but management have no plans for a laptop replacement until we push them!!

[Steven_Cleaver]

I work on a five year for Desktops as my supplier now provides 5 year Warranty I also try to buy a reasonably High spec so they last a bit longer.

Laptops 3 to 4 years although I have a few older be just used as stand alone laptops.

[chrbb]

Do you get branded computers with a 5 year warrenty, do you mind me asking where from?

[Steven_Cleaver]

I use Stone have been using these for about eight years now with two different schools.

[holyoakej]

Viglen (Booooo) Desktop purchased with 5 year warranty

Toshiba Laptops purchased with 3 year warranty

 

Anything after warranty is a bonus