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Agreed, and I've done that for the most part with desktop machines (besides the ones a client of mine used to send me!)
However, I also really like working on a laptop, even as a desktop. Built in battery backup, I use a "Plugable USB" device to add a couple big monitors when working at home, it's quiet, and I'm not complaining about 16GB, 8 core, 256GB internal SSD with 512GB external SSD on a USB 3 port. It's "only" 2.3Ghz, zippy enough for me!
Marc
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... and beg for the simple tools needed to do their bidding.
We recently upgraded my group's development machines to 16GB of RAM so we could run VS2015. Our current efforts use VS2008  .
I'm going to change my name to Dobby.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I do a check to identify what the cause of the problem...
Depending on the parts need replacing I may buy a new one, but may also buy only parts...
(I always buy my new ones as parts too anyway)
Skipper: We'll fix it.
Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this?
Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.
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I do believe in this statement: "An attention to strive after technology is a pipe dream." (author: Maciej Los)
So, it depends on these factors:
1) how many modifications is necessary to run tool?
2) do i need to change a tool right now or can i wait yet?
3) how much it costs?
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I run a PC repair / networking shop with my wife.
People are forever dropping perfectly good (Better than ours sometimes) laptops on us in a fit "I'll just buy a new one" because of a dead drive or other minor inconvenience and they were just waiting for half an excuse.
I went from a Pentium mobile to a dual core to an i3 this way. The I3 cam from an elderly man who said "This just doesn't work right, you all want it?" - Um yeah. So far so good although it might have a problem on CompuServe, I don't now.
My wife has a Asus Zen book (Apple Wannabe) with back-lit keyboard and SSD drive. The SSD drive failed in it so the customer abandoned it here.
I am waiting for an I7 with a back lit keyboard now.
Although we NEVER lie to the customers. We don't have to. They do this all by themselves. But we do have a joke here when working on a sweet machine with the malware du jore, "Oh it's hammered" 
While the cobbler's children here have no shoes, we have some decent pc equipment.
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See, I don't charge myself for MY time.
Years ago, wealthy friends had a problem I fixed. They referred me to an even wealthier family.
Don King was a neighbor. HUGE houses, etc.
I came in as a favor. I don't normally do this. The machine was fine, the wife spent 4 years installing EVERY piece of software she could find. The hard drive was half dead. The machine had a restore Original OS feature built in.
So, I tell them. I will put a new HD in it, and restore the EMPTY OS, you re-install AOL and your other stuff. It is the most efficient way to do this. I charge my full rate to sit here and wait for downloads, and install and configure your software. It will cost 2 TIMES what the computer can be purchased for.
Their response: Then we still have to re-install all of that software. So just fix it.
It took forever. Downloading AOL over the phone, etc.
When I was finishing up, I asked for the Check, gave them the invoice. This was 3 evenings of work.
From after my day job until midnight or later. It was a PAIN. They were nice (the wife was).
But on that night, the husband had a few drinks and WENT OFF on me. He wrote the check. I finished, and I swore I would NEVER help people again with hardware issues!
The problem really is that you need a cheap employee (like I was a ComputerLand) to do the actual work. Just a really smart person to guide them. Otherwise it is hard. And it is expensive.
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Yep.
It's a racket.
We charge a flat rate as if we charged for every hour we would have been run out of town long ago like so many who have while we've been doing this in the last 21 years. We're still standing. While the money sustains life in this resort town we're in, the autonomy is priceless.
This is likely why the cobbler's children have no shoes.
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Look, in capitalism, BOTH parties say thank you when it is over!
My problem was that I did NOT want to grow that part of a business.
I would rather be programming. And if you could be cleaning 2-3 machines at a time, and
know the stability of the tools. That helps a lot too. For example, I remember when you
could boot a DVD with your cleaning tools on it. HOW NICE. Even boot sector viruses could
be cleaned up easily, vs. working on a booted up computer already infected.
Probably the ONE vocational class they should teach at the high school. We used to teach word processing at night to the adults. Imagine if they actually taught the kids how to boot up a good scan/clean disk and clean a machine. Nah. Teaching them to use Twitter. That's what they do!
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Yup!
Is this fun or what.
I can only imagine what "techs" used to to back in the day.
"No, the horse goes in front of the buggy"
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I upgraded my PC with brand new Asus board, 8-Core AMD-CPU and GTX 950. And then I upgraded to the brand new Windows 10 and I was lucky for some weeks. But 2 weeks ago some Windows update crushed my system. I guess it is some energy saving, or temperature detecting problem with the Asus M5A99X-EVO-R20 (UEFI-Board).
But most of all: it began two weeks ago with an update - before all WAS FINE. 
Press F1 for help or google it.
Greetings from Germany
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Yeah, my work computer has been a pain in the rear end since the day I got it.. nothing but issues, if it were mine, I would have tossed it in the trash and gotten a new one by now.
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All/Most of the Above:
- Nothing. I live with it. Until I can't
- I try cleaning my machine - when that doesn't work
- I upgrade the minimum until it's clear it isn't feasible any more (by which point I've upgraded as much as I can)
- Then I get a new machine.
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usually if possible I get a new PC.
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Your computer just doesn't cut it anymore.
You should send it to me and get a new one... 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Usually when my computer doesn't cut it anymore it really doesn't cut it anymore... i.e. my last computer was an Amstrad 1512 to develop using Visual Studio 2015... It was fun seeing it load the first pixel of the window... I've never seen the second one...
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The first PC I bought was a 1640, and that describes the floppy boot up sequence pretty damn well!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Almost thought you said was bought IN 1640, LOL
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Is it because you want to save money, have no money, or you just like holding on to things until they reach functional obsolescence?
I always equated someone who upgrades there machine to keep it alive, to be the same person that holds on to a car for years, until it falls apart on the highway. I know, generalizations... 
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Sometimes, an upgrade will do it - new graphics card, more ram, or an SSD can work wonders.
And an upgrade generally is a lot quicker than trying to get a new machine set up with all the right software, setup the way you like. For example, it normally takes me about an hour just to force Visual Studio to put my panes in the right place (and even then it generally gets the order wrong in the stacks...  ) Don't even get me started on Corel Paint shop pro...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I hate PaintShop Pro... Just when you learn a new UI, they go and change it on you.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013
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I really loved Paintshop Pro when it was Jasc-owned, and stick with V9 for years.
But...it didn't play nice with Aero, so I "upgraded" to Corel V6 - and sure enough it's been Corelised: slower, more bugs, lots of useless features...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I keep an old machine running XP just for PSP v9 (and some other things like supporting an old scanner that works great but is now "obsolete") because I got the Corel version on free trial, and then dumped it!
The XP machine hasn't been updated in a couple of years and yet manages to keep working very well - who would have thought it? (hint: I would). I don't connect to the interweb with that machine, just networked disk access. On that machine XP can live forever!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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