A car usually wears out long before the payments, but a personal computer will probably run for 25 years. It's just that after two years you won't be able to find any of the latest software that will run at peak performance on your two year old hardware. You may want a system that can be upgraded in order to extend the life of your purchase. Frequently the latest technology is available as an add-on. You may want to avoid unique hardware devices that may be hard to service or impossible to replace.
Proprietary items can be hard to replace or repair.
Look for standards. Buying on the Internet Lastly, I often get asked about purchasing hardware or software over the Internet. I myself have made a lot of purchases over the Internet and have gotten some great deals and saved a lot of money. And I have never had a problem. I am probably the exception.