Laptop tax…

My five year old laptop is dying.

It’s far from dead, but I’ve already replaced the batteries, portions of the motherboard, and the harddrive, and there’s currently something rattling around inside it.

So Mandrina and I briefly discussed my getting a new laptop.

Then I did the math.

GAH!

A desktop is bad enough, but…

I paid about $2000 for my laptop in my junior year of college. That was five years ago (six?). In February, as a matter of fact. So five.

$2000 / 5 = $400/year.
$400 / 12 ~= $33 / month
That’s a dollar day, every day for the last five years!

There have been a few special cases that make it worthwhile, but WOW.

I was looking at two options for my theoretical replacement machine — high end, low end.

High end I figure can hold me for another five years. Low end, give it three.

$2000 for the high end will end up the same stunningly depressing math.

$500 for the low end gives me a laptop at $13/month. While I won’t be able to do as much with my lowend laptop, I’m more willing to pay the $0.40 /day tax than I am a dollar a day!

The $500 doesn’t strike me as scary. Heck, the $2000 doesn’t either.

Now, both numbers do. What was I thinking when I bought that engagement ring? I could have bought a new laptop instead!

(I love you, Mandrina! =] )