I’ve been using my Vaio UX90 for about a year. I plan to upgrade to a slightly more powerful UX this month.

In the UMPC space, since specs are so anemic to begin with, I seem to need to upgrade more often. Other than that, though, I’d simply keep using what I have.

I have been using my phone (Samsung SCH-i730) for over two years, and have no plans to switch any time soon. I haven’t found anything else that’s significantly better.

Before I got my XV6700, the longest time I used a single handheld device was approximately a year. Something new came out and I managed to justify to myself replacing a perfectly good device with a new device. eBay was my friend. Now with the XV6700, I really have no desire to change to something else. That may change when Verizon releases their version of the Mogul, but we’ll see when that time comes.

For notebooks, my Latitude D610 with 2 GB RAM and a 100 GB 7200 RPM drive flies with Vista. I am *really* lusting after a Tablet PC, especially after using a spare Tablet from work for about a month, but am forcing myself to wait a bit longer.

It basically comes down to whether or not I can justify the expense to myself while saving to buy my first house. The answer is usually that what I already have does what I need and does it very well.

I still use my HP200lx as a calculator, etc. at my desk. Lotus 123 on the HP200lx easily outguns pocket excel and
the keyboard is certainly easier to use than my current Windows Mobile phone’s keyboard.

My Sony Clies (3 of them) were true to the Sony timer and lasted 1 year and 2 months each before breaking (well, I dropped one). I’m at 11 months on my Wzero3 ES (WM5.0 phone) and my wife is not about to approve a new phone. I just replaced my G4 Power Mac after 4 and half years of service. The disk drive broke (replaced under extended warantee) and my wife is using it. Still runs acceptably for moderate duty although it poops out with some heavier programs. It was replaced with a MacBook (not pro) which I hope will serve at least three years.

I usually get three years, or perhaps a little more, out of laptops, but up until now they have been provided by the company I work for and I’ve always felt that they are a little frugal. I just took delivery today of an X61 tablet and since I’m paying for it myself I’ll expect 3 years from it although I may find that I’m more frugal than the comapny I work for.

I usually get three years, or perhaps a little more, out of laptops, but up until now they have been provided by the company I work for and I’ve always felt that they are a little frugal. I just took delivery today of an X61 tablet and since I’m paying for it myself I’ll expect 3 years from it although I may find that I’m more frugal than the comapny I work for.

I insist upon at least 3 years out of a device. Hey, I’m not rich enough to change gadgets like I change socks… I can only manage maybe one major acquisition a year.

I don’t buy often, and when I do buy, I try to buy quality (and pay a premium, I guess) so I can still get away with a 4-year-old desktop, 5-year-old digital camera, 3-year-old HDTV, etc.

I won’t be replacing my UMPC until 2010, unless (fingers crossed to avert omens) it poops out on me and completely ruins my plans.

— Steve

I also say that I’ll do 2-3 years with my laptop. But at the moment it’s more like 1.5 years. That makes my Portege M400 due in about 2 months.

For PDA I’m running around with a HP hx4700 for 2 years and it’s still running fine. A cellphone (nothing fancy) about 2 years, but I’m looking to replace my current cellphone and PDA with a new smart phone (maybe Nokia N95)

as for umpc my vgn u 750 is close to a year and going strong, I really do not see a need to change with what we have on the market. I really like the screen size and the way it handles so I will stick to it for a while, would like more hard disk space since it has only 60g but then it still works. The phone is a kyo 7135 and has taken a beating but still works and it is falling apart but will hold to it until something better comes along. I also use a handera and it still is better than anything around since i get to use the card to handle database. I have looked for a replacement for these things and really there has not been a thing that would make change so I guess I will keep these for a longer time

More should be done in the OS to make it easier to move apps/data to a new device. It’s often weeks before a device is as usable as the last one (PCs as well as mobile devices).

You know, it’s funny that you brought this up, Kevin. I was just thinking about how committed you are (and have been for quite some time) to the Q1 line. Seriously, I had a moment this weekend when I pondered….”if only I could use any of my gadgets as long and effectively as Kevin has used the Q1.” I started wondering if maybe it was a character trait — you find something great and stick with it. Or, if maybe it’s all about your usage needs and the Q1 actually being a perfect fit for you. If that’s the case, I’m extremely jealous!

My gadget shelf-life is similar to Mat Millers; like Dan, I’ve got the Goldilocks complex. Yesterday is a good case in point. I was leaving the house for a quick trip and I felt like I needed to have a PC with me but nothing seemed right. The x61 was too big, my Q1 was too small (screen-wise) and actually too heavy (with the case, battery, etc). So, I sighed and just resigned myself to relying solely on my Cingular 8525 (btw, I have had all of the above for under 6 months). :)

Thanks for raising this interesting question. The responses are fascinating!