Mac Daniel's Advice

When Should I Replace My Mac?

Low End Mac Reader Specials

Memory To Go Special: MacPro 8 Core Memory 4GB kit $192 / 2GB kit $109. MacBook Pro / MacMini / iMac Intel Core2 DUO 2GB $44 1GB $23--Free shipping available.

Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com

LA Computer Company: LA Computer Company: Specials on AppleCare, Apple Displays, MacBooks, iMac's, MacBook Pros, Laptop and iPod accessories and more. Apple A/C Adapters for laptops starting at $25.00 Call 1-800-941-7654 or Click Here.

Other World Computing: OWC Mercury Elite FW800/FW400/USB2/eSATA TOP-RATED Solutions offer High Performance, Reliable storage for all your data storage needs. Industry leading 2yr limited + up to 5yr HD Mechanism Warranty too! Up to 2.0TB(2000GB), 500GB specials from $199.99

Mac users can finally play Party Poker for Mac. Not only that, they can also learn how to play PokerStars for Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, laptops, and LCD TVs side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for a new cell phone GPS products or MP3 players. The Ciao network makes searching products easy for you.

Memory For New Intel Core2 DUO MacBooks, MacBook Pro, MacMini & iMacs" 4GB Kit $80, 3GB Kit $60, 2GB Kit $40, 1GB $20. Click to Maximize your Macs...

Charlie Ruggiero - 2001.03.12

Q: When should I replace my Mac.

A: The first rule in replacing your computer is to not listen to hype from Apple or anyone else. If all you do is word processing, and you still use Word 4 or Word 5 or even something like Write Now on your old Quadra 610, then why upgrade? The program does not expire, and, if you treat you computer right, it will last a long time. There is no reason you need a "70s iMac;" those flowers do nothing for your word processing except maybe inspire you to write. (If that's the case, go buy some flowers!)

Every computer manufacturer wants you to think that the computer you own does not do everything you want it to. The truth is that your computer probably can do almost everything you want it to do, but it might do it slower. The question then becomes do you really want to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get a little extra speed?

A 68030-based Mac can burn CDs, surf the Internet, check email, do word processing, compose music, run MIDI keyboards and other devices, scan photos, run paint programs, play a multitude of games, as well as do many other tasks. I actually did not realize that older Macs could do such a vast number of things until my StarMax 3000 was hit by lightening, and I had to go back to a Macintosh IIx while I waited for a replacement. I also had to test out my equipment that was attached, and I was surprised to find that a version of Toast (CD burning software) ran on the IIx, as well as the scanner software. Even if the latest software won't run, you can usually find older versions that will, and often at a discount.

The second rule is to avoid upgrading your Mac for just one reason. If you work with Photoshop or video editing software, you probably have no choice. The speed benefits are enormous with a new Mac, and if your job depends on these applications, you will have a good reason to upgrade.

Others should think long and hard about upgrading for things like the ability to play MP3s, play current games, or use the latest version of Microsoft Word. It would be great if all those worked with your current Mac, but are they really so important that you want to spend a hundreds or thousands of dollars to upgrade? Keep in mind what you do most on the computer. If you spend 90 percent of your time word processing and 10 percent playing games, the benefit of upgrading for the games is not that great.

Third rule is don't upgrade to a Windows PC because it costs less. It may sound like propaganda, but if you had a Mac for the last 5 to 10 years and you really liked (or even loved) using it, then you are not going to like switching to a Windows machine. Yes, you may be able to get used to it, and they are disgustingly cheap, but you get what you pay for. You will be missing the quality, ease of use, and a pretty good community of computer users.

I work in an environment where people are constantly switching from Mac to PC, and PC to Mac. People who have used Macs for a long time and then switch to PCs are often very disappointed with the Windows environment. There are exceptions. If you hate your Mac, and it just seems to have a stupid interface (believe me sometimes I find certain things in Mac OS annoying), and you just can't get along with it, maybe a Windows machine will be better. Be careful, though - if you don't like the Mac interface, you may not like the Windows interface either.

Finally, why you should get a new Mac. If you have a Power Mac that is newer than a Power Mac 7200 and the Mac has a problem (such as lightening hits it, the processor fried, or some similar major problem), before you fix it make sure that there isn't some way you can get more power and features for just a little more than the cost of fixing the old Mac. You do not want to spend $500-1000 fixing a Mac when you can get a used iMac for $600-800 or a used Power Mac G4 for $1000-1300.

Another reason to upgrade has to do with compatibility with your coworkers and friends. If you are constantly receiving Word files from a higher version, it is a pain to tell people to save down to your Word version. Upgrading to the point where you can run a Word version that can read their documents will make your life smoother.

Graphic design, video editors, and people who can use the extra speed to get things done much faster should always consider new machines. New software in your field often has new features which make your job easier or allows you to be more diverse (thus making you a more valuable employee or company).

Why I upgrade to the latest and greatest: Because I do both video editing and computer graphic design. Video editing software has taken incredible jumps in just this last two years, and the new Macs are minuscule in price compared to the professional video editing systems from a few years back.

I also upgrade because I am a technology freak. Avoid becoming one; it's very expensive.

Before upgrading be sure to measure the price in comparison with the benefit, and you will usually come up with the right answer.  LEM

Charlie Ruggiero has used a lot of Macs, from Plus to G4, and even ran a BBS (remember those?) on a Plus. He works as Macintosh tech support and technology advisor for the College of Education at Michigan State University. He does a lot of hardware and software troubleshooting, as well as a great deal of video editing, capture, and streaming. Charlie is well versed in HyperCard, fairly knowledgeable in Future Basic, and has a good background in sound and video. He even has his own site, Edge of Heaven.

Not sure if you should upgrade your old Mac or replace it? Check the Mac Daniel index to see if we've already addressed your problem.

Recent Mac Daniel columns

Recent Content on Low End Mac

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2008 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, PowerBook, MacBook, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.


Have a question?
Ask an expert!

Low End Living

Amazon.com

Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Best Used Macs
Video Cards
Email Lists
InfoMac's Low
End Mac Forum

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
MacMall
TechRestore
MacResQ
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.