The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be.

I remember my first desktop computer that I purchased brand new. Not some second hand machine but one I configured and ordered myself. At a price tag around $2500, I purchased a desktop and a nice big 15 inch monitor. I expected that thing to last for several years and it did. I actually paid it off before it died!

That was when developments in processing power and software weren't moving at the blazing speed it is today. Now, I can purchase an iPhone with over 1000 times more capabilities and functionality than that desktop for $199.

Moore's law postulates that now computing performance will double every 2 years through 2015 or later. That explains why your electronics and computers aren't lasting as long as they used to when they cost thousands of dollars.

So, look at the Windows computer you use to run your businesses. Statistically, you are probably looking at them and saying "The old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be."

• If you can't remember when you bought it, processing power has more than doubled since it was built.
• If it is running Windows XP SP3 (please don't use it even to finish this article if it is less than SP3), XP was released in 2001 and SP3 in April 2008. So your OS patched version you are running is between 3 and 10 years old depending on how you look at it.
• If it is running Windows Vista, Vista was release to consumers January 2007, so a very long 4 years of OS troubles are under your belt.

Your systems can't continue to run the devices and software being written for newer technologies forever. They may run but they aren't running efficiently. If you are clicking and waiting forever and you aren't using a machine that runs Windows 7 that is less than 3 years old, it is time. Time to think about putting that old gray mare out to pasture. She just can't run with the fillies and be expected to win.

A word about Apple Computers:

Apple computers are more expensive than Windows PCs and they definitely last longer. As they say "you get what you pay for". There are still reasons to make sure you don't expect it to last two or three times longer without upgrades and updates. They are not immune to Moore's law either.