i am glad to keep my mother’s computers.

Are only good for recycling. I try to buy a reasonably good machine that is sorta/kinda cutting edge so that I will get a good few years out of it. Less e-waste, less consumerism and all that. I'm not really emotionally attached to boxes of chips and wires

for clarifying, re: emotional attachment. That was good, though I send my condolences for your loss.

Only because it's easier to know what is what on the network. That's my story!

You grok.

outlook to you ie buy the best you can afford at the time of purchase.

But I live in a place where good computers with minor problems are simply thrown away because it's too much trouble and expense to troubleshoot them. I don't charge myself for my own labor.

The most expensive computer I ever bought was a shop-worn 386 for $350. The 486s were coming out and they were getting rid of old stock.

The amount I'm willing to pay for a computer has since fallen.

I don't do anything that requires a lot of computer power and Debian runs fine on most anything.

Most of my writing is done on a cheap Chromebook. That computer was a customer return before I got it.

In my collection of old hardware, I have two ancient laptops: a 1992 black & white Macintosh and a 2004 17” Mac. They still work and I’ve kept them because every now and then I need a file that can’t be translated or an application that no longer exists.

They’re like old friends. It’s remarkable how sturdy the hardware and operating systems are and how similar they are to the current systems.