Questions on computer usage

[feelinit]

I'm doing a project on computer usage, and I'm having a hard time finding answers to couple questions. I was hoping I could get some help here.
-What is the timeline of a computer? (not the history of computers, but the individual lifespan of a computer)
-What impact does the use of computers have on the environment? (remember USAGE, not production)
Thank you.

 

[konsole]

There are alot of factors that you need to consider here, like its not just a computer. There are many components to a computer some of these components can last as long as 15+ years or more and others may die after 5 years. It also has to do with how much "usage" they get. There are some components that have mechanical moving parts like a hard drive or a cooling fan and others that are just electrical circuits. Obviously the mechanical devices on average dont last as long as the components that are just electrical. Heat is probably the worst enemy to the lifespan of a computer. keep your components cool and clean and they can last a very very long time.

If your talking about the time it takes for computers to become outdated or unusable, well new components come out every year or so. So any particular components doesnt stay on the top of the list for more then a year or so. Computer parts become outdated, but still usable after about 3 years. Computer parts start to become unusable after about 10 years. To stay relatively up to date you need to have serious upgrades every 3 years or so.

 

[jevery]

For myself, the lifespan of a computer correlates closely with Moore’s law. That’s to say I replace a computer not when it fails, but when that system’s overall performance falls below about the 50th percentile as compared to the “average.” I upgrade about every 4 -5 years to stay up.

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/moores_law_40th/index.htm

 

[gamerman4]

Well you are talking to PC enthusiasts here, most of the regular users have computers that have an environmental impact comparable to 2-3 "average" computers. We also overclock which reduces the lifetime. An average computer can last for a long time in cool, dry settings (like those in an office building). You can typically see 10+ year old computers humming along fine in an office. A gaming computer is usually replaced/upgraded well before the end of its life but they could possibly last even longer than average computers because the parts in a custom computer tend to be of higher quality since enthusiasts like to use name brand parts.