What can I do with two dinosaur computers?

QUESTION: I currently have 2 PC towers that rival the Jurassic period in age. One is better than the other with having a CD/DVD burner installed but it gives the ‘blue screen error’ and causes the monitor to do wacky things. The other is so old that its newest tech is Windows 98, but the programs all run great, including games, plus no wacky monitor. Is there a way to put the 2 together and also upgrade Windows? If so, is it more expensive than just buying a new tower? Thanks for any assistance! – Sarah, location unknown

ANSWER: Sarah, combining the working parts from both of your computers into one “better” computer is certainly possible but I wouldn’t advise it for a couple of reasons.

For starters, it takes a little techie prowess to pull a CD/DVD drive out of one computer and to place it into another. I’m not necessarily saying it’s difficult but there are a handful of issues you could run into, such as driver incompatibility between the two computers or the absence of the correct type of power supply on the computer receiving the CD/DVD drive. If you are willing to tackle these types of issues if they rear their ugly head, then by all means go for it!

As for upgrading Windows, I wouldn’t even go near that. You’re just asking for trouble upgrading a computer that old.

Which brings me to my next point. The main piece of information I extracted from your question was your reference to the Jurassic period and Windows 98 (in tech terms these are one and the same). This tells me your computers are both way beyond my personal 4 year rule. Let me explain.

I personally believe that when a computer reaches 4 years of age or older, it is often more cost effective to purchase a new computer than to sink more money into fixing or upgrading an existing one.

To prove my point, let’s look at this low-end (and keep in mind when you read the next part that this is low-end) HP Pavilion Slimline PC:

This computer is currently selling for $379.99 at the HP Home & Home Office Store. For that money, you get a brand new computer running Windows 7 64-bit (that latest version of Windows) with a processor speed that will blow the doors off either of your existing computers. It also has 3 GB of memory which is likely 6-12 times more than your existing computers. On top of that, it has a huge hard drive, a built-in CD/DVD drive, card reader and plenty of USB 2.0 ports.

All said and done, it’s like upgrading from a Pinto to a Ferrari.

So the question becomes this. Would you rather spend $300 or less to upgrade your Pinto or spend $379.99 to get the Ferrari?

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