[tharbert]

Computers 5-7 years old will handle most daily office tasks like email, browsing and word processing. They probably shouldn't be "trusted" for critical tasks or business processes.

But, heck yeah, I have an 8 Y.O. laptop sitting on my dining room table everyone in the family uses for web browsing. Point is, run it until it dies, buy another, repeat.

Cost on small and medium laptops is crazy low, almost to the point of being totally disposable. You almost can't repair them for what you have in them.