The CLAS Computer Support Group can help you evaluate your current hardware with an eye to upgrades or replacement.
Is it worth repairing an older computer and returning it to service? The answer to that may depend on who will use it and how, but there is a definite cut off for older machines. While it is sometimes tempting to keep very old machines around, they are unreliable and it is expensive to keep them running. The support man-hours required are way off any cost/benefit scale.
We have created a quick visual reference to PC & Dell computers and Apple / Mac computers. These are classified as CURRENT (GREEN GROUP), WORTH KEEPING (YELLOW GROUP) or READY FOR SURPLUS (RED GROUP). Keep in mind performance can be affected by software issues. A fresh software image may be required to make a computer in the yellow group perform as it should.
The criteria we use to classify models into these three groups include:
1) Can it run our current software image? (for 2007-2008 this means Windows XP, Office 2007, etc.).
2) Is it under warranty or less than five years old? Without overnight delivery of replacement parts under warranty, or general availability of parts from third party-vendors, failed components may be difficult to obtain and replace.
3) Does the particular model have a specific history of problems (bad components, bad design leading to overheating, etc.)?
If you are faculty or staff in CLAS feel free to use this guide as a reference. However, if your department has its own IT staff, start with them as they may have a different recommendation based on the department's individual replacement strategy. For additional information or to discuss a particular computer replacement, feel free to contact Geoffrey Meigs at 486-0478. You can also email him at geoffrey.meigs@uconn.edu
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