alt Hacker NewsBetter stock up with used laptops. I'm going to buy another one this year. Those used ones usually don't last very long.
What if in the near future it is simply too expensive to own "personal" computers? What if you can no longer buy used computers from official channels but have to find local shops or sharpen up on soldering skills and find parts from dumps? The big techs will conveniently "rent out" cloud computer for us to use, in exchange of all of your data.
"Don't you all have cellphones?"
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Time for folks to familiarize themselves with Linux distros designed to run on older hardware. My 2009 laptop runs great, with the exception of the browser. Oh and the fact that 32-bit software is harder and harder to find.
I think about this too. There are several headwinds. Rent-seeking and collapse of economies of scale in the consumer sector for sure, but also I feel like we've basically peaked in hardware's ability to meet routine needs.
Once the phone makers realize that they can sell phones and docking stations to businesses because 90% of knowledge work seems to happen in a web browser through one SaaS or other I think personal computers will be cooked.
I have heard that you can get used laptops. But they do not come with memory or SSD anymore... As even used components are now valuable enough to be removed and sold.
I have 3 old employer laptops and my personal gaming laptop, which I use for work now. I'm happy about this now ;)
I probably will only need to return newest laptop if I leave the company.
Why laptops specifically (and not also desktops)?
Non state of the art lithography is pretty much commoditized (DDR3 & DDR4) so we will always have compute, although slower.
I no longer feel obligated to apologize for holding on to older devices for a long time. I have several desktops and laptops that are all still usable.
Eh, if this demand is really sustainable they will eventually start producing in adequate volume
Bingo. A number of corporate interests don't want to let you own your personal computers for different reasons. Google/Apple wants you to get locked down devices, and cloud/AI providers want you to use their services from a weak client.