Computers don’t get older; software gets younger

January 16, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

I can hear the groans from all those people who recently bought computers equipped with Intel’s latest processor. They wanted the fastest computer their money could buy and they paid top dollar for it.

And for a brief moment in time, they were happy. Some even bragged they owned the speediest Windows-based personal computer on the planet.

But their happiness was short-lived. Intel has announced an even faster multicore processor.

When I heard about the imminent arrival of Intel’s newest speedster, it brought to mind one of the more frequently asked questions I hear: “I’m afraid that what I buy now may soon become obsolete. So when should I buy a computer?”

My reply is a simple one: No matter what you buy, it will be considered old in about 18 months, so stop worrying about it.

My advice is to buy the best you can afford when you’re ready for a new model. Buying anything less doesn’t save you money. In fact, it may cost you more in the long run as it will become obsolete more quickly.

Ever hear the rationale that tries to explain why computers shouldn’t be any different than automobiles or other consumer electronic devices? After all, the rationale goes, consumers accept that new car models come out every year.

New-model consumer electronics and appliances such as TV sets, washing machines and the like constantly come out with better features. So what’s the big deal with newer-model computers?

I’d like to point out that your car, whether last year’s or older, will still get you from point A to point B. Older TVs will still receive next year’s programming, and older washing machines will still wash your new clothes.

But an older computer may not be able to run all the newer programs and operating systems. And even if it can, it more than likely will not run them as well as a newer computer.

Basically, it’s the software that makes a computer different from all those other consumer electronic devices and products.

Newer-generation software continues to evolve in its complexity and places more and more demands on a computer’s resources.

Granted, new hardware can be added but eventually some limiting physical barrier such as its bus speed will finally prevent you from upgrading the hardware on your PC.

Plus there comes a point in time when adding new hardware becomes more costly than just buying a new computer.

The software is also what’s eventually going to make your computer obsolete.

You just won’t be able to play those newest games with mind-blowing graphics, or view the newest websites that use the latest technologies to display 3-D images and richly textured animations along with smoothly playing sound. Or it will be the newest operating system that fills up your inadequate supply of memory, brings your microprocessor to its knees or bogs down your slowly rotating hard drive.

So I offer up this insight to try and make you feel a little better: It’s really not that your computer is getting older. It’s your software that’s getting younger.

Enjoy it while you can.

Craig Crossman hosts “Computer America” on Business TalkRadio, Monday through Friday, 10 p.m.-midnight For more information, visit his website at www.computeramerica.com.

2011, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services