What computer have you had for the longest? When did you get it?

[pianowizard]

In the past year or so I dramatically downsized my computer collection and am now down to just four, which I believe is my lowest computer count since 2003! The computer that I've had for the longest is an HP 8300 Elite minitower with Core i7-3770, bought in July 2012. I seldom hold on to a computer for that long, nearly 5 years.

I am not asking what's your oldest computer -- many threads asked that before -- but the computer you've owned for the longest, EVEN IF IT NO LONGER WORKS. How long have you had it for?

[JohnD.]

The computer that I have held onto the longest, would be the IBM 5150 model (640K RAM, 2 - 360K Drives - CGA monitor). Purchased by my parents for me to use for engineering school in August, 1983. It was used to access the school's VAX system via Hayes 2400 kps modem emulating a VT100, so I could input Fortran programs. Throw in there a Epson 500 9 pin dot-matrix printer. We got a discount because my pop had a good friend and his son worked for IBM, so we were lucky and got a an employee discount (33%) on the machine.

Take care,
John

[MisterB]

An Amiga 2500 purchased in 1994. It still works. I replaced the motherboard 10 years ago. It isn't one of the more collectible Amigas but it is still worth more than I paid for it which is a rare thing with computers.

In Thinkpads, my 770X bought in 2002. Neither get turned on very often.

[dr_st]

I own an AMD-K6 II based desktop, purchased it early 2000. Still works.

[ZaZ]

I tend not to hang onto things unless I use them. Back in the day you used to upgrade because in three years, the performance increased significantly, but now that CPU needs have sort of plateaued for most uses, I suspect I'll be hanging on to my current machines longer than in the past. I'm down the four as well, though two are media servers mostly.

Back in 2007 or so I bought a HP desktop with Athlon x2 CPU that I was using to code some video. Over the years I upgraded to faster CPUs and more memory, but in 2010 I took some parts from it to built a custom AMD Phenom II 1055t x6 box. I had started to code more 1080p video and in 2014 I found a really good deal on a i7-3770, so I got that and sold my Phenom. Now the Intel was definitely faster at coding video by about 50%, but I kind of wish I had kept the Phenom because it's cooler to have something your built as opposed to something you bought. The only area where the Intel was better was coding, but I usually set it up to run before I went to work or bed. The Phenom is still today a pretty good CPU, just not top of the line. Had I hung onto it, it would have been seven years.

[Puppy]

I still keep my R51 from 2004. I use it as internet radio and music player (VLC) connected to amplifier instead of old Hi-Fi CD player and FM tuner. It has surprisingly good analog audio output quality compared to X220 or new models.

[Neil]

Not the first computer I bought, and not the oldest I now have, but the one I've had for the longest time is a hp Pavilion (don't remember the model number, 8150 maybe) that I purchased as a factory refurbished unit in 1997 for $999. It had the best specs I could get for that kind of money back then. Used that machine for over 15 years in one capacity or another, and still have it, albeit with a different motherboard now. So it's basically just the original case, but the keyboard and mouse are still in use daily to this very day!

[jdk]

Packard Bell 486. It was my first computer from 1995. I used it as primary machine for four years, then in high school, saved enough money to build my own AMD relegate the PB to a spare. It was last used in the Summer of 2002 as a Word Processor / AOL Instant Messenger machine, and could still browse the internet reasonably well at the time.

I never understood the hate for Packard Bell. That machine was extremely well documented (full motherboard diagram in PDF format, taught 10 year old me a lot) and upgrading it was a breeze. That PB450 motherboard could max out with 64 Megs of RAM and a Pentium Overdrive, slots to upgrade L2 cache and VRAM, and also had a Riser card upgrade to allow PCI cards. Changing the onboard multiplier was also documented, and only required moving a jumper. It was the possibility for incremental upgrades which allowed that machine to last as long as it did. I never had a failed component, despite the machine being plugged directly into the wall all that time!

It was my opinion, still is, that the PC magazines at the time were bought off by Micron, NEC, and Dell to slander those of us who could only afford a Packard Bell computer.

[TheAuldMan76]

My X200s - I've had it for nearly five years now, got it back in late 2012, and it's been a very solid reliable little runner for me.

It's had a two new batteries and a replacement keyboard over the years - on top of that it's been upgraded to a maximum 8GB of RAM, 480GB Crucial M500 SSD and 3rd Party BIOS to remove the hardware whitelisting, so I can use an Intel 6205 WiFi Card in it. It's a lovely little system and touch wood, the WXGA+ LED LCD has kept on ticking without any issues.

EDIT: Just picked up another spare one today via eBay UK, so at least I won't be getting hammered (money wise!) if I need to replace the WXGA+ LED LCD down the road.