danielsr2006
Yes I know its an unusual question but im just wondering how much time I would have left with mine. Assuming its taken care of. Trying not to bang it against anything, scanning frequently..etc. Mine is going on about 4 years old and still running smooth(knock on wood).
Any input from you guys?
Thanks
Any input from you guys?
Thanks
发表时间 Wed 17 Jul 13 @ 11:53 pm
Dazmax
Bit like asking "how long is a piece of string" mate.
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 12:25 am
DJ Zibs
Dazmax wrote :
Bit like asking "how long is a piece of string" mate.
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
This is either a really stupid or fairly smart question. To keep the heat down... Should we do like a fan? I mean a small portable one of course but it would keep the heat down in intense situations.
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 11:16 am
Dazmax
Not a stupid question at all. Add to the advice or make your point! Not everyone understands the limitations on a Laptop or what happens as a machine ages.
Sorry to be blunt.
Daz
Sorry to be blunt.
Daz
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 12:04 pm
dizzyrocks2001
Dazmax wrote :
Bit like asking "how long is a piece of string" mate.
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
Appart from the usual Software upkeep tasks.
Certainly avoiding sudden shocks to the Disk Drive is very important. Solid State Drives are coming down in price and can help avoid this being such a big issue.
Prob the biggest killer is Heat and Humidity. If you can keep it cool it will last far longer. The atmosphere in many Club Environments does not help much.
You can do some Pro Active work to help maintain your machine. Keep It Cool. Make sure all the vent grilles are clean and unobstructed. If you are not comfortable with opening up the machine (Many are not and for good reason!) use an air duster to regularly blow through the vents and if you can see it, the CPU Fan.
Once a year it is worth having it serviced and cleaned to make sure that the internal heat sinks and fan are clean and in good working order. There is a paste that is used to provide good thermal transfer between the CPU,other cooled components and their heat sinks. This can dry out over time and can reduce the ability of these components to get rid of heat. Again a decent service agent should be able to check, clean and re-apply this Heatsink Compound. If you are working consistantly in hot environments a Laptop Cooler PAd can make a big difference to the working Temp of your machine. Even using a set of rubber spacer feet ( Like those used on the bottom of furnature) between the Laptop and the surface it is sitting on can reduce the running temp by improving the airflow to the base of the machine.
If you suspect that your machine is having heat related problems. Stop using it and get it serviced ASAP.
Other things that can effect the usable life of your machine is of course the length of time that your machines manufacturer provides support and updates for drivers and other software needed to keep up with advancing Operating System issues. There is no point in buying the latest Windows version Eleventymillion if the manufacturer of your equipment no longer supports your machine and can't supply drivers to work with the new Opperating system.
Eventualy the hadware in the machine itself becomes less and less compatible as software advances so Old Age is eventualy going to take over even if the machine itself still works as advertised.
Daz
That is some solid advice right there.
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 1:16 pm
J-Snip
6 1/2 years so far with my Dell Inspiron. :-) It has been professionally cleaned once. It has not gotten as much usage during the first 6 years ... a few times a month if that...now it is working 2 nights a week for about 14 hours total. Every time it is used at a gig it is sitting on a cooling fan.
With XP no longer being supported next year I suspect that is when I will be forced to upgrade. I am itching for the MBP so that is what I will end up with.
With XP no longer being supported next year I suspect that is when I will be forced to upgrade. I am itching for the MBP so that is what I will end up with.
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 4:36 pm
danielsr2006
@Daz....Thanks for the advice and tips. I really appreciate it. I think its time for me to send it to a professional and have it cleaned.
@Jay...Thanks. Yes I worry sometimes because I dont have a backup laptop yet. Trying to stretch out this one as much as I can. If I was to have somekind of failure then I would have to get my phone out or my cds.
@Jay...Thanks. Yes I worry sometimes because I dont have a backup laptop yet. Trying to stretch out this one as much as I can. If I was to have somekind of failure then I would have to get my phone out or my cds.
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 7:00 pm
danielsr2006
Im not much of an iTunes user. I only have about 50 song on it. Mainly my wife uses it. But yes I might just start using it a bit more just for the heck of it. Just for another back up.
发表时间 Thu 18 Jul 13 @ 9:07 pm
djles.co.uk
I still have my Dell Inspiron 6000, 1.6 processor, 1 gig memory and 60 gig hard drive. Bought it off ebay in May 2005 as ex liquidation stock.
Stopped using it for DJing around 2008/9, used it for Video even with shared graphics (although it was struggling with video). It has all my bought DJ programs over the years still working on it. PCDJ Red/Blue, PCDJ VRM FX, PCDJ VJ, Traktor, Abelton Live and of course VDJ. It has sat on a cooling plate with 2 fans all it's life, even now. I bought an identical cooling plate for my gig laptop.
I don't take it to gigs, it stays at home and is used every week for my accounts.
For backup at my gigs I used to carry a few CDs. This relied on the clubs CD players, but, some clubs I worked at the CD players were never maintained and were pretty much useless. So, a couple of years ago I switched to using my iPod for backup. I recorded one of my gigs to an mp3 file from start to finish with no microphone, just the beatmatching, cuts, blends, etc. This mp3 is on my iPod and running all night with the iPod on a fader of my MC6000. Any problems with the computer I just push the fader up. I've then got all the time in the world to sort the computer out. At the worst case scenario the iPod could run for the rest of the night. A simple and elegant solution. ;-)
Cheers
Les
http://www.djles.co.uk
Stopped using it for DJing around 2008/9, used it for Video even with shared graphics (although it was struggling with video). It has all my bought DJ programs over the years still working on it. PCDJ Red/Blue, PCDJ VRM FX, PCDJ VJ, Traktor, Abelton Live and of course VDJ. It has sat on a cooling plate with 2 fans all it's life, even now. I bought an identical cooling plate for my gig laptop.
I don't take it to gigs, it stays at home and is used every week for my accounts.
For backup at my gigs I used to carry a few CDs. This relied on the clubs CD players, but, some clubs I worked at the CD players were never maintained and were pretty much useless. So, a couple of years ago I switched to using my iPod for backup. I recorded one of my gigs to an mp3 file from start to finish with no microphone, just the beatmatching, cuts, blends, etc. This mp3 is on my iPod and running all night with the iPod on a fader of my MC6000. Any problems with the computer I just push the fader up. I've then got all the time in the world to sort the computer out. At the worst case scenario the iPod could run for the rest of the night. A simple and elegant solution. ;-)
Cheers
Les
http://www.djles.co.uk
发表时间 Fri 19 Jul 13 @ 12:13 am
WasabiTech
Have had my Acer Travelmate5720G for 5 years now, and still works like a charm. Although,no heat issues ever has occured, I clean out the heatsink+fan once in 6 months. Cooling paste was changed from the stock to artic silver 2 years ago. Funny thing, I´ve never seen any dust on the heatsink what so ever. Although, the fan needs to be changed, since it´s about to go out of lifespan,but still has not started to make any noise,which is good.
发表时间 Fri 19 Jul 13 @ 2:20 am
danielsr2006
Thanks for the input you guys. I asked here because none of the DJs in my area use a laptop. So I cant learn from them. Technology is a bit intimidating to them;-)
发表时间 Sat 20 Jul 13 @ 12:44 am
jucenic
I have my since 2004, so far working fine.
发表时间 Sat 20 Jul 13 @ 1:18 am
DJ Zibs
jucenic wrote :
I have my since 2004, so far working fine.
Wow. What kind of laptop?
发表时间 Sat 20 Jul 13 @ 1:43 am
djstaffy
JayMSY wrote :
6 1/2 years so far with my Dell Inspiron. :-) It has been professionally cleaned once. It has not gotten as much usage during the first 6 years ... a few times a month if that...now it is working 2 nights a week for about 14 hours total. Every time it is used at a gig it is sitting on a cooling fan.
With XP no longer being supported next year I suspect that is when I will be forced to upgrade. I am itching for the MBP so that is what I will end up with.
With XP no longer being supported next year I suspect that is when I will be forced to upgrade. I am itching for the MBP so that is what I will end up with.
mate i still use xp also on my dell which is around 8 years old now and running great.do i have to get new lappy next year to
发表时间 Sat 20 Jul 13 @ 12:46 pm
pseft
Dazmax wrote :
Bit like asking "how long is a piece of string" mate.
as long as you want it to be :)
发表时间 Sat 20 Jul 13 @ 1:03 pm
jucenic
DJ Zibs wrote :
Wow. What kind of laptop?
jucenic wrote :
I have my since 2004, so far working fine.
Wow. What kind of laptop?
HP Pavilion
发表时间 Mon 22 Jul 13 @ 1:51 am
danielsr2006
Thanks for adding to this thread gentlemen. .
发表时间 Tue 23 Jul 13 @ 12:29 am
NashvilleSound
I don't use a lap top. I had a custom tower made. Going to get a second one made as a spare to take with me.
I've had a few bugs to work out, like anything else. Never any trouble with handling the, Video playing, Content Unlimited music, Karaoke, Text to screen, Online with I-tunes, and surfing the web all at the same time. Phenom II 6 core Dual video card 32G Ram plenty of USB ports.
I like, I-tunes - always used it. With a jam packed schedule, I-Tunes, shows all the new music and video. Any device or computer I download on, every one gets the same music. Helps with less work.
I've had a few bugs to work out, like anything else. Never any trouble with handling the, Video playing, Content Unlimited music, Karaoke, Text to screen, Online with I-tunes, and surfing the web all at the same time. Phenom II 6 core Dual video card 32G Ram plenty of USB ports.
I like, I-tunes - always used it. With a jam packed schedule, I-Tunes, shows all the new music and video. Any device or computer I download on, every one gets the same music. Helps with less work.
发表时间 Tue 17 Sep 13 @ 12:07 am
stretch107
4 years
发表时间 Tue 17 Sep 13 @ 2:18 am
blckjck
A word of caution about using compressed air. It has been known to force dust and debri into fan bearings. I would recommend vacuuming or professional service.
All of my laptops are Toshiba's. I have 2 Pentium 4's that have been retired from DJ service. My kids use them daily. They are both from around 2003.
I have one Toshiba that is used as my backup. It is also a P4. It is from around 2004. It does karaoke and music fine, and will do video if your not heavy with effects.
My last one, again a Toshiba, is about a year old.
Keep them clean, keep them cool, keep them updated, and keep them sober. (You don't want to see a laptop with a drinking problem)
All of my laptops are Toshiba's. I have 2 Pentium 4's that have been retired from DJ service. My kids use them daily. They are both from around 2003.
I have one Toshiba that is used as my backup. It is also a P4. It is from around 2004. It does karaoke and music fine, and will do video if your not heavy with effects.
My last one, again a Toshiba, is about a year old.
Keep them clean, keep them cool, keep them updated, and keep them sober. (You don't want to see a laptop with a drinking problem)
发表时间 Sun 22 Sep 13 @ 7:35 pm
