So I’ve had the same computer, a Sony Vaio Laptop, for just over four years. It’s been a fairly decent computer, but there are times (like now), when I think that it’s on its last legs. A few years ago my touchpad stopped working. It was still under the service plan, so I took it in, but the tech guys decided to replace something else (don’t ask!), and I really didn’t want to take it back again, since it seemed clear that they didn’t know what they were doing. Last fall my battery died, and it didn’t seem worth it to replace that, since I could still use the laptop. A few months ago I started having intermittent screen problems. It seems that at this point there are enough things wrong that it might not make sense to get it repaired. So the dilemma is, what do I do now?

Financial. A new computer will cost me money and time spent on research. It might also cost money to purchase new software if absolutely necessary, though I use a lot of freeware so that should be a minimal cost. If I do buy a new computer, do I buy desktop or laptop? I feel that I could get more usage out of a desktop as the parts are easy to replace and I could do some of the work myself saving maintenance costs or a service plan. I also don’t travel much, so I don’t feel that I would really need a laptop for that. But then there is the energy usage issue, which leads to the environmental cost.

Environmental. Laptops use less energy, but they also have a shorter life (in my experience). While desktops can last longer, they take up more space and energy. There is also the option of buying an older computer but I’m not sure how much time that is going to buy me, plus newer computer, especially newer desktop monitors are more energy efficient than the old ones. There is also the fact that something will have to be done with my old computer. Looking around it seems that there are ways to recycle computers so that is an option (I think it’s too old and broken to donate). I may have to pay a small fee, but it is much better than sending it to the landfill. I could also try to sell it on craigslist or chegg, but I’m not sure anyone would want it, especially if the screen goes south.

I’ve done some digging on what the best course of action might be. While I still haven’t come close to making a decision, I’ve learned a lot about the environmental cost of computing. From computershopper.com,

On average, most users buy a new PC every three years. … But also consider that more than 80 percent of the lifetime energy consumption of a PC occurs during its manufacture.

This information makes me lean towards buying an older desktop over a newer laptop, since even though it’s less energy efficient to operate, over the lifetime it’s a better choice. What’s worse is besides the energy consumption, computers also contain a number of toxic materials which are released if they are not disposed of properly.

In the United States, only 10 percent of all computers disposed of are recycled, mainly because many people do not know how to recycle them and simply abandon unwanted PCs on the curb. The equipment is then often taken to landfills, where toxins such as lead, mercury, and cadmium leach into the groundwater and poison the air—if, that is, they don’t release deadly fumes into the environment by being burned in incinerators first.

Here’s a link for the full article on How To Buy a Green Computer.

Another option, which is the most frugal, is to simply not buy another computer after this one dies. That would mean just using the one in my office and going to the library on the weekends. I would save the cost of the new computer, and the monthly DSL costs, but I would probably lose all of my friends because I would just mope around all the time. We’ll see.