They are a bad investment if you count only the hardware/software as the only thing of future value. Computers are not like gold. There isn't a Gold 2.0 coming out next year. The investment value of a computer is in the work productivity or entertainment value you gain. If a computer saves you 1000 hours of work each year and you pay your employee $10/hour, you saved $10,000 in not having to work him 1000 extra hours.

If you can use them to increase your productivity, they are a good investment. Otherwise, they are a luxury. they will depreciate and become worthless in time, no matter what sort you buy.

Do not think of computers as an investment. Think of them as a tool. A very powerful tool that can make your life a lot easier. Find out what you need to do with one and then look at all the software available to do said tasks you would be amazed at what is out there. The open source community is amazing. Its a like a car, there are a limited number that actually gain in value. A majority are just there to get us from point A to point B.

To some extent your answer has merit - though the logic is entirely flawed. Computers do not get updated so quickly. I can disconnect from the internet and use my computer as it is for years and years to come. My friend has a computer which is 7 years old, and he is happily running OpenOffice and Gimp and doing very useful work with it! If you are referring to Gaming, then surely everyone knows and understands that PC gaming is not only expensive because of the pricing of games, but also because hardware is going to be rather more expensive. PC gaming is also rather problematic in that the software must be designed to run on differing configurations. As for internet, then there are huge problems in keeping Windows computers running, though with a more intelligent choice of operating system you would find that your computer will not slow down too much as it ages. As a communication device, computers offer us a great deal of media - from text chat to voice and video. I have a fairly busy podcast schedule (at least one or two for each day of the week) and several other activities which I really must keep a computer to maintain. My computer is over a year old now, and it is currently quite a lot faster than it was then (now I boot to desktop in around 25 seconds, and I'm told this may be reduced to around 10 seconds next year, though I'd be happy with 15!). Your accusations, I believe, should be aimed at Microsoft. Microsoft is currently trying to bomb the floor out of the Netbook market (Netbooks being designed as 'companions' to your computer, not desktop replacements) because they feel rather threatened by the possibility that other sources can (and are - in the case of 'Ubuntu Netbook Remix') provide new operating systems (where Winodws falls down...) Computers are an excellent investment, enriching lives and easing workloads. Over the next ten years, the form factor should change drastically, power consumption will reduce and it is also extremely likely that our operating system will be something we carry around in a mobile device which we can also plug into our home super-computer. (Current desktop PC's are around as powerful as the Cray Supercomputers of the early 1990's).

If you are willing to Invest time in learning how to get the most out of your computer, then yes, a computer is a good investment. Otherwise, it is just another appliance.

They are a worthwhile tool to invest in your own education, and also can save you time. but be careful, you can also waste alot of time. Also, I am using a pc thats almost 10 years old. I use some intensive applications and don't have a problem. Just because they can make computers with bigger hard drives, more memory, faster chips, and flatter screens, doesn't mean you NEED them. An old one will serve most people just fine.

An investment is something that will APPRECIATE and you can sell it for more than you paid for it! A computer is outdated by the time you get it home and open the box AND by then you couldn't even sell it for what you just paid for it! They are so affordable now...I can remember my first Mac that I paid over $2000. Couple of years ago my laptop died and I still had the protection plan on it: the store replaced it with a cheaper but better model!

Most answered so I will not except to say as an investment YES a waist.. ~Nemo~

You will only be sad if you think about the future updates of computers because there will always something much faster and better than what you will have now in the future. Instead of worrying about it... Just buy something which you can afford and maximize the potential of that computer. Even if you have the best and the fastest computer in the world if you are only using it for documentation then you are not maximizing the potential and power of your computer. Aside from that a good computer today can still be useful after several years of using it and you can easily update parts if you want to have better performance for your computer. Online computer retailer shops like Blazintech (http://www.blazintech.net/) offers affordable computer parts and more. I will check their site if i were you.

They're a good investment if you don't spend too much on them. Only get what you really need and forgo all the "bells and whistles" you can. I consider computers disposable today since they are pretty much obsolete as soon as you get them home anymore.

No You can do so much stuff