Buy or repair?

We live in a largely disposable society, and many people feel that it's easier to run a computer into the ground and then just buy a new one.

That works if you can afford it, but before you shell out that money, consider some other costs involved that people sometimes don't think about.

Running a computer into the ground runs the risk of downtime and data loss. If you're not doing regular maintenance, drives and other parts can fail.

Setting up a new computer involves installing applications, transferring user data, and setting up networks and printers, and this often takes two or three days to get right. That's time away from production or enjoyment. And for a business to have an employee do the setup is an expense that probably dwarfs the outlay for the new hardware itself.

I'm not saying you should be running an old Tandy computer with DOS 3.1. If you need a new machine, you should get one (and we can help set it up and transfer data, if you wish). But many people have machines that with a little care will remain quite capable of performing the tasks required of them for some time. And the cost of a tune up and perhaps a hardware upgrade is a pittance compared to the total cost of buying new.

Just something to think about. Whatever your needs and the size of your wallet, you have options.