CNET – “Whether you need to delay a new laptop purchase because of uncertain finances (to put it mildly), want to reduce your contribution to the e-waste problem or simply have more important things to think about, there’s a lot you can do to stretch the lifespan of your existing system. The longevity horizon of a laptop is analogous to the longevity of a human: It partly comes down to responsible behavior, partly genetics and partly just dumb luck. There’s no guarantee that anything you do can save it from dying young or failing to keep up with increasingly demanding tasks. And there’s no guarantee that if you treat it like crap it won’t last far longer than expected — in 10 years you might find yourself cursing it. “Fail already you slow POS so I can justify buying a replacement!” That’s the argument I have daily with my seven-year-old iPad..”