Yeh the obscelescence is built in because peopel are going to throw it out and upgrade to a new model anyway/it's a conspiracy theory to force you to upgrade.
I had a similar experience with Surface Pros, aside from the being satisfied with it part XD Got one to try out because the hybird tablet/laptop thing was intrigueing but it couldn't really do the things I needed it to do (which in its defence is probably more than most people that would get such a device would ask of it) and also I just really, really, really hate Microsoft (it had been literal decades since I last used Windows so I was like well maybe things are different now and nope I still hate it). After some time I replaced the Surface Pro with my MacBook Air and was trying to figure out what to do with it when it made the decision for me by expanding the battery alarmingly and was summarily dispatched.
My big rigs and phones are always the highest end things I can afford at the time (the big rigs for the kind of work that I do and the phones it's mostly the camera specs and internal storage that kill me pricewise), the laptops are the ones I'm constantly arguing with myself about as my instincts are to do the same again and just get the highest spec one I can afford, but in reality I don't need the highest spec one I can afford as it's not my main rig and I only extensively use it once every couple of years. The rest of the time it's been whenever I've been at work waiting for the bigs to finish up doing roleplaying notes and hiving and this year lesson planning.
And that was how I ended up with a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro XD
But the idea is that I should be able to sit on the thing for at least 5 years before I have to start thinking about replacing and I've usually gotten at least that out of the Apple devices that I've owned over time (I am pretty sure my Surface Pro lasted about as long as yours, and I can't remember how long my last Fitbit lasted, the current one will be entering its fifth year soon).
Which has led me on to completely switching systems in the near future for pretty much the exact complaint you were writing about. My next laptop is going to be one of these. I still haven't decided whether I'm going to get a 13 or 16, I love the smaller form factor and lighter weight of the 13 and 11-13 is what I've always had with laptops, but the 16 has so many more cool things. I'm planning on running Arch Linux + KDE (same as my big rig) on it and the modularity means that like my big rig I should only have to replace parts moving forward as opposed to throwing out the whole unit and getting another one.
My next phone is going to be one of these and currently this is my next watch (aaaaahhh wish me luck with the last two whenever I get them XD).
Hope the new laptop works flawlessly and does everything you want for ages and ages and ages :D
I've heard that as phone upgrades come through they degrade the phones on purpose, slow the processor, diminish battery life and so on, just to get people so annoyed they buy a new one...It works too. I had my MacbookAir for over five years and towards the end it was a little shitty but I thought five years was a good deal; I hope this HP lasts that long. I think you'll go well with your MacbookAir.
I looked at the Surface/tablet thing but ended up going with the Surface Laptop thinking it was more suited to my needs, and it was...I just didn't expect it to degrade so quickly. Lesson learned. I hope this HP is a better one; I did some research, asked around (not the guy at the store either - lol) and I think it'll do the job.
I thought of you, (happens from time to time) and your big rigs and even thought for a time about a desktop compute (old-school style) but I wanted portability as I move about the place a lot. I have a laptop for work and all, but I often take my own too as I never do personal stuff on my work computers, they're encrypted and secure and all - no place for anything non-work related.
That Framework lappy you linked looks pretty good, I like how you've got it all planned out. I Don't go to that degree with computers but I generally start saving for a new one the moment I buy a new one knowing that I'll need a new one when my current new one isn't a new one any more. Lol.
Long live the HP lappy, may it provide a millennia of service!
I have heard that too, probably part of the built-in obscelence plan! Though I think battery life goes down regardless. I have also heard that the processors have to be slowed down in the older phones slightly as otherwise with newer os and software they might run to hot and explode either figuratively or literally (which seems to be a thing that Surfaces and Samsungs do). Having done no research at all on this I have no idea which one is more true.
Thinking about it I'm pretty sure the MacBook Air is entering its fifth year too, as I think I got it kind of in a hurry for the last time I was heading home which was 4 years ago. Still going reasonably strong, little bit laggy but I don't know if that's from built in obsolescence, the fact that I've dragged it through three major OS updates since I got it and I think there's more eye candy in each one (I love eye candy XD) or just general age.
If you don't need the power, a laptop would definitely work better precisely because you can just haul it around wherever. My sister mains a laptop (16" MacBook Pro) and it does her fine, she can just pick it up when she's coming out to the mainland for her annual holidays and then head back home with no disruption to her artistic schedule. I was semi-contemplating seeing if I could do the same but I feel like I would almost definitely melt a laptop XD
SAME!
Except I haven't had to do that anymore because J promised when I went down this route that he would do the tech support side of things (because I don't really have time for the research and build process anymore), so after a few years when I start having minor performance issues he does the research and I get part upgrades and then everyone else gets upgrades from my operational leftovers.
So there's that if you like the build/repair side of computers but maybe not so much if you don't XD
I think you might be right with the processor speed thing. Although, I also think they retard them from the outset so that when they do upgrades it actually seems like they did something but all they really did was put back a little of the performance that should have been there from the outset. Who knows, one day there'll be a big news story on it and we'll all know we've been lied to...like we are with most other things.
I knew we'd be save for new one when we get a new one because a new one will be an old one eventually a new one will be needed buddies! You just seem the type. Lol.
Also, I think you better stay away from the lappy's, you're a big rig gal after all.