"VanguardLH" wrote in message
...
SC Tom wrote:

I really can't justify getting a new system just to have something new
to play with :-) This one works fine, and is plenty fast for what I
use it for (some FPS games, video editing, etc.). Since retiring back
in '08, I don't feel the need (well, not as much anyhow) to be on the
bleeding edge of technology. If it wasn't for some of the necessities
that smart phones provide, I'd probably still be using my old
Motorola flip phone, LOL! Maybe someday, though . . .

My prior computer was a salvaged setup (Intel Core 2 Duo quad core). A
buddy's brother gave it to my buddy to get it fixed. My buddy never got
around to it, his brother bought a new computer, and I got the broken
computer for free. The salvaged unit needed a new PSU, a new video
card, and definitely an HDD replacement (which later got updated to an
SSD, and the HDD became a data drive). There was a problem with CPU fan
speed control, but Speedfan fixed that (instead of having the fan always
spin at max speed and make noise). That computer was built in 2009, and
salvaged by me in 2013, and I used it up until spring of this year.
That's a decade of use. I kept looking at newer stuff, but there just
wasn't much bang for the buck. I didn't want an incremental upgrade,
but something significant, and why I waited so long before building a
new computer (and all peripherals, too). I didn't quite go bleeding
edge, but the new setup was damn expensive. I try to build for an
8-year lifespan. I still have the salvaged/repaired computer which will
go to my aunt to replace her even much older computer.

The only reason why I had to give up my old Motorola RAZR flip-phone was
because the carriers dropped 2G service. I'd still be using a new
smartphone, but I liked to occasionally have the flip-phone that fits
easily in a pocket to tote around when I don't want to risk my
smartphone and just want to make/receive calls, like when helping out to
build a new garage, house, or do anything physical. The smartphone is
way too expensive to expose to those hazards. I see the RAZR is back
but with a foldable screen (instead of a keypad hinged to a screen
panel). At an obscene $1500, it's nothing I will ever consider buying
(https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a2...hone-details/).

I've done the same with a couple of my older PC's. The one I had before I
built this one was a Lenovo H50-55 with an AMD A10-7800. It was ok, but not
really what I wanted. I put a video card in it to get away from the onboard
GPU and maxed out the RAM, and still wasn't happy. I willed it to my spouse-
all she needs a PC for is email and some Excel spreadsheets for her tennis
teams. Everything else is done on her tablet and phone.

I agree, phone prices have gone way over the top. I bought an unlocked Moto
g6 Play for $150 off Amazon (and balked at that price), and it works great
for everything I need from a phone. I find it amazing that people are
begging for food but have enough money to own a new $1000+ iPhone. There's
just something wrong with that picture. But I guess that's another
discussion for a different news group :-)