Discussion, talk and tips
https://forum.puppylinux.com/
I found myself giggling a bit at this article because its not the equipment that fails as much as the OS puts junk in it. The latter causes overheating, poor performance, and may wear down a non-replaceable battery prematurely. So when is it time to replace your Operating System ?, and keep the same equipment ?
8Geee
Wonder why all the statements about how long a laptop should last, are from people attached to web sites, where you can buy laptops? 
I updated my laptop to Wins 10 via an .iso burned to a dvd approximately 12-16 months ago. Idk if I got a wrong copy or installed something wrong, I did it offline with no web connection. I ended up with a piece of glue stuck in molasses, it was that slow. I updated it again a few weeks ago to the newer version of wins 10 and did it via the same iso but this time connected to the internet. Idk what happened but it’s like I have a new and improved laptop. It responds quickly now, the fan doesn’t run all the time.... it actually runs better than it did when it was new. Btw, the ms iso over wrote all of the shovel ware and all I have now is the basic windows. Still running Puppy, but I’m happy my laptop now runs better and won’t become a brick anytime soon.
Find the article a bit humorous too. The 3-5 year timeline would be good if you want or need to keep up with the latest hardware technology. After 3 years the biggest things a typical laptop needs are:
1.inspection and physical cleaning of the cooling fan and heat sink (blow out with "canned air")
2. re-install of the OS and applications to get rid of the techno trash that has accumulated.
My newest laptop is a 10 year old Dell E6430. In terms of specs and benchmarks it still outperforms most new low and mid priced laptops, so for my use there's no need to buy a newer one.
My answer to your questions of " when is it time to replace your Operating System ?, and keep the same equipment ?" would be:
1. see item 2 above
2. when re-installing/reloading/configuring no longer provides satisfactory performance with the current OS
Switching to a low overhead OS like Puppy linux can in many cases extend your hardware usefulness by years.
wizard
After stumbling a bit with a bogged-down Puppy I put the CD in to revert some recent security changes... NOPE, went outsidde to the TELCO box (Customer side) and checked connections... OK, back inside and checked INet speed... OK. I was puzzled, but then I remembered from the old days of one's own modem... do a reboot and clear the cache. YUP, that was it. So Puppy is wagging its tail nicely again on the INet.
8Geee no new Lappy here... 2008 vintage
You should replace your hardware when it either breaks beyond repair or doesn't do everything you need it to do.
"Everything man makes...breaks. If its not broken, dont ..." - a motto I live by and expect.
Over my lifetime, technology changes have increased such that NONE of my old laps are as efficient as my newer. The newer offers improvements that become useful on many fronts.
The time to move is a user CHOICE! Not one that is predestined, IMHO.
Puppy Linux does NOT make an old PC better than a new. If it runs on an old less powerful PC, then Puppy will run even better on a newer more powerful unit. Puppy has NOTHING to do with the PC: IT has everything to do with user services and the efficiencies in Puppy.
In terms of what Puppy does, will NOT change on either the old or new PC. Change in Puppy occurs when PUP developers (or users) add functions that are deemed necessary.
Advice: "If a new machine has features you need, get it!"
One determining factor for me is power usage. Every so often a machine comes along that uses very little electricity but performs well (enough for my purposes). Then I think to myself: in one year of use I'll have saved enough in electricity to buy another one or something else I need more...
Old clunker machines that consume far too much electricity need a sledge-hammer taken to them even if you can run Puppy Tahr or whatever on them still...
For me swapping a laptop is only done rarely. Even old low powered laptops run Linux fine but some of the really old ones only work well with Puppy Linux. The article is obviously aimed at Windows users who want performance for some of their activities.
These days, what has caused me to buy newish* is when Google updates run out on my wife's Chromebook which she finds easy to use. After the Chromebook OS updates end I update the BIOS to allow them to run Linux and thus I have two 2014 vintage ex Chromebooks (very good deals at the time) now running Linux. They work great and the only change that I have done is to increase the SSD storage from 16GB to 120GB but the RAM being soldered in remains at 2GB. They all work fine. A point worth making is that batteries last much longer these days and lose capacity at about 5% of their new charge per year and so that is not a big driver to get new.
* My purchase policy is to only buy when the price is right for refurbished stock or old stock being sold off.