I wonder if it’s time to get a new computer (again)

I bought my current laptop “slightly used” a couple of years ago, from a Mac-loyal friend who had given Windows a try at her boyfriend’s suggestion and had wound up regretting it. To be fair to Windows, I don’t think this particular computer was ever the best case for it; even at the time, she mentioned some battery and temperature issues.

But a new battery had just arrived, so it was a good deal – until that new battery started dropping the ball. Meanwhile, the laptop itself had become more and more prone to overheating.

It’s gotten to a point at which I can’t trust it to run while plugged in for more than a few hours, and I can’t trust it to run on the battery at all. I’ve stopped taking it to gigs, for example, because I don’t have any faith in its ability to last all the way through a set. Well, maybe some kind of lame, gimmicky twenty-minute set, but beyond that, forget it.

I’d hate to replace a computer that’s only a couple of years old, but maybe that’s the way it’s got to be. I’ve tried clearing the vents, updating the BIOS, and doing all the other stuff you’re supposed to do to deal with these kinds of problems, and I’ve had no luck. I certainly don’t want to have to buy a new battery every few months.

In other words, to the extent that my “mortgage enhanced” budget allows, I guess I’m about to get back in the market for a new computer. I’ll have to take a look at my current needs, and see what sort of machine will meet them in a somewhat affordable way.

Please feel free to share whatever recommendations you might have that aren’t “This never would have happened if you’d bought a Mac in the first place.”

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