Is it time for a new computer?
30/11/16 Filed in: Hardware
I have a iMac that is probably 4-5 years old. We don’t really use it for much except the internet, photos, etc. It is very slow. Have you been successful in speeding them up/ cleaning them out, etc, or is it just time to purchase a new one? Do i have any other choices?
___________
There are two types of slow; computer-slow and internet-slow. If the internet is slow in your home that is a different problem. So let’s assume that’s not what your asking about.
The computer slowing can be a sign of one of two things. Software or hardware. If it’s hardware, it’s very often the hard drive. That can be replaced for around $260. Drives are the main moving part of computers and the cause of most slowness. Every hard drive will fail over time. if it’s not the drive, then usually that leaves software. There are instances where processes can get stuck running full speed in the background and therefore take up cpu time causing the computer to feel very slow. In that case, that can usually be solved within a few minutes of diagnosis.
The last thing to consider is the idea that as we update our devices we are asking them to run new operating systems and applications that have been written to run best on the most modern hardware. So every time we update our phones and computers, we are taking one step closer to a planned obsolescence. A 4-5 year old computer still has a few years of usefulness left so I would expect this reason to be the case for your speed issues.
___________
There are two types of slow; computer-slow and internet-slow. If the internet is slow in your home that is a different problem. So let’s assume that’s not what your asking about.
The computer slowing can be a sign of one of two things. Software or hardware. If it’s hardware, it’s very often the hard drive. That can be replaced for around $260. Drives are the main moving part of computers and the cause of most slowness. Every hard drive will fail over time. if it’s not the drive, then usually that leaves software. There are instances where processes can get stuck running full speed in the background and therefore take up cpu time causing the computer to feel very slow. In that case, that can usually be solved within a few minutes of diagnosis.
The last thing to consider is the idea that as we update our devices we are asking them to run new operating systems and applications that have been written to run best on the most modern hardware. So every time we update our phones and computers, we are taking one step closer to a planned obsolescence. A 4-5 year old computer still has a few years of usefulness left so I would expect this reason to be the case for your speed issues.
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