Futureproof?

[Shadow]

It obviously wouldn't be at the forefront of technology as it is now, but would it still be suitable for most tasks like surfing the web or video and pictures?

Does that old Windows 98 PC you have in your closet still run Word? Or how about that old iMac G3 running Mac OS 9 that you just gave to your little sister? All those machines are old but they still work exactly the same as the day you bought them (OK, well maybe not depending on the status of spyware and viruses). Yes, any computer bought now will be outclassed in 3 or 4 years, but you can still use it. I plan to keep my MacBook as my machine for about 5-7 years.

 

[thegrandmaster]

Just thought about the PC that my dad uses upstairs, it must be stretching at least 5 or 6 years now and all he's done is add more RAM to it and he still uses it as his main machine, seemingly without any problems ( except maybe the BSoD when ejecting memory sticks...) and that wasn't particularly spectacular at the time of purchase.

Even older is the Windows ME (!!!!) Evesham that only got retired this year! (On a separate note ME is my favourite version of Windows ever - seriously, that Evesham is the best PC that has ever graced this house!)

I'm sure my investment will still be good for many years to come after thinking about those two!

Thanks for all the help guys!!

 

[aquajet]

Do you mean that the processor or the OS will slow down?

Well, the processor certainly isn't going to slow down. In fact, the computer might even "feel" faster later on down the road. That's certainly been the case with OS X thus far. With every major release, benchmarks have shown improvements due to code optimizations (I guess -- I'm not programmer). Even Tiger runs more or less as fast as Panther on an iMac G3.

But to say it gets slower with time isn't entirely correct. If you're doing the same things five years from now, then it will run at exactly the same speed. The trouble comes when applications allow the user to do new and more complex things. If that's what you're after -- the bleeding edge -- then yes, things will appear to slow down.