what is your longest lasting component?

[toph99]

that MacIIci i ripped apart the other day was still fully functional(everything that i could test worked) and most of it is from 1989-1994

 

[Perplexer]

This one is easy. Got to be my U.S. Robotics Courier modem. It is the oldest component that I still have connected to my fairly modern system.

This was my second Courier. The first one was purchased in 1987 for the measly sum of $500, and served me well for a LONG time. I don't really remember what happened to it. It didn't die, but just disappeared. It may still be alive and kicking somewhere.

In 1993, I bought my second Courier, a 28.8Kbps model. Since then, it's been flashed to 33.6Kbps, to X2 56K, and to V.90 56K. What a workhorse of a modem. Eight years later, it still is more powerful than 90% of the analog modems out there.

Runner-up would be my ABIT BH6 motherboard. Three years strong, went from running a PII-350 to a PIII-900 with a simple BIOS flash. Pretty respectable for a 3-year old board.

Sure, I've got lots of older components lying around that are still alive (old video and scsi cards, etc.) but it's the older hardware whose performance rivals the newcomers that really impresses me...

 

[kranky]

Mine is a 9-year-old 240MB hard drive that still works. The keyboard (same age) is still good, too. It has a LCD calculator built in that uses the numeric keypad, still running on the original battery!

 

[Boogak]

My Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite!

 

[AkumaX]

my SB16 ISA still works after like 5-6 years. still sounds great!

 

[Zorn]

I'm still using a Connor 340mb scsi harddrive that came with a 486/66 system I ordered in 1993. It has migrated through every case, mobo, cpu, etc upgrade since then. It's humming away in my current system even now.

 

[Tib]

floppy drive...and I still have the case to go along with it!

Oh and I've had a keyboard that lasted now for about 9 years I think? Since '91.

Mice go dead after a few years, but I've had this keyboard for almost 10 years now...wow.



Tibor

 

[userpete]

As I recall about all changes....Hummmmmm, it's the floppie...........OOppss, it quit. (Nothing i guess)..LoL.

later

 

[UB]

It seems that the majority of computer components last beyond their life expectancy. The vast majority of my computer components owned and sold simply become obsolete. Perhaps the more relevant question would be: What component lasted you the least amount of time?

For me, it was a Kenwood 52x ?True Beam? CD Drive. Its rocket speed lasted a mere two months before it internally fell apart (the rattling noise gave that away). The replacement Kenwood 72x ?True Beam? CD Drive didn?t last much longer. C?est la Vie!

Nevertheless, for thread consistency, the oldest working parts I have are still used daily and consists of a 386/25 motherboard with 8MB of RAM, 200MB Maxtor HDD, 1MB Trident video card. A NEC 14? monitor, AT/XT Keyboard, MS Mouse, 40x tray-less CD-Drive, and a TEAC FDD compliment these original components. It?s amazing how well Windows 95a works with this configuration.

UB

 

[YisSerL]

I've changed about everything in my computer over the years. Let's see, I think the ONLY thing I haven't change is the power cord to the power supply of the computer. I think it dates back to my first PC, a 10Mhz 286. :Q