How many years could notebook computers and phones be stored in a closed bunker/vault and still operational when found?

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The idea is for some people in a post-apocalyptic future to find these bunkers/vaults and be able to turn on the computers and charge the cellphones. How many years could the equipment last if they were stored in very good conditions (no sun light, no humidity, all covered in plastic or inside boxes)? 10 years? 100 years?



There are already some related questions (this one specific about cars), but in most of them the objects where abandoned in the environment or left behind without being properly stored.










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  • 1




    Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
    – ColonelPanic
    yesterday






  • 5




    For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
    – jcaron
    yesterday










  • You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
    – Fez Vrasta
    yesterday







  • 1




    One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
    – nzaman
    yesterday










  • Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday














up vote
20
down vote

favorite
3












The idea is for some people in a post-apocalyptic future to find these bunkers/vaults and be able to turn on the computers and charge the cellphones. How many years could the equipment last if they were stored in very good conditions (no sun light, no humidity, all covered in plastic or inside boxes)? 10 years? 100 years?



There are already some related questions (this one specific about cars), but in most of them the objects where abandoned in the environment or left behind without being properly stored.










share|improve this question



















  • 1




    Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
    – ColonelPanic
    yesterday






  • 5




    For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
    – jcaron
    yesterday










  • You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
    – Fez Vrasta
    yesterday







  • 1




    One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
    – nzaman
    yesterday










  • Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday












up vote
20
down vote

favorite
3









up vote
20
down vote

favorite
3






3





The idea is for some people in a post-apocalyptic future to find these bunkers/vaults and be able to turn on the computers and charge the cellphones. How many years could the equipment last if they were stored in very good conditions (no sun light, no humidity, all covered in plastic or inside boxes)? 10 years? 100 years?



There are already some related questions (this one specific about cars), but in most of them the objects where abandoned in the environment or left behind without being properly stored.










share|improve this question















The idea is for some people in a post-apocalyptic future to find these bunkers/vaults and be able to turn on the computers and charge the cellphones. How many years could the equipment last if they were stored in very good conditions (no sun light, no humidity, all covered in plastic or inside boxes)? 10 years? 100 years?



There are already some related questions (this one specific about cars), but in most of them the objects where abandoned in the environment or left behind without being properly stored.







reality-check post-apocalypse computers






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edited 12 mins ago









α CVn♦

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asked yesterday









Lupino

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1,050223







  • 1




    Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
    – ColonelPanic
    yesterday






  • 5




    For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
    – jcaron
    yesterday










  • You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
    – Fez Vrasta
    yesterday







  • 1




    One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
    – nzaman
    yesterday










  • Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday












  • 1




    Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
    – ColonelPanic
    yesterday






  • 5




    For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
    – jcaron
    yesterday










  • You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
    – Fez Vrasta
    yesterday







  • 1




    One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
    – nzaman
    yesterday










  • Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday







1




1




Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
– ColonelPanic
yesterday




Can the devices be plugged in to wall power? As Separatrix mentioned, the batteries in these devices will most definitely be the first things to go. Even with a dead battery, most modern devices can still function when provided wall power (or bypassed rather easily to function with the appropriate DC voltage being provided otherwise).
– ColonelPanic
yesterday




5




5




For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
– jcaron
yesterday




For the cellphones, if you intend to use them as phones (as opposed to use them as miniature computers, e.g. using data that is stored on them), then the networks they are compatible with will probably be the first to go.
– jcaron
yesterday












You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
– Fez Vrasta
yesterday





You may get rid of the issue by providing these devices with solid state batteries rather than the classic LiPo. They are still in development but it wouldn't be that sci-fi to make them available to some gov agency. That would have the benefit of being a pretty unknown tech without many info available about life span
– Fez Vrasta
yesterday





1




1




One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
– nzaman
yesterday




One thing that the answers below haven't mentioned: the screens. LED and CRT displays will last forever if protected from dust. LCD screens will not, and I suspect, neither will the various OLEDs. I've seen LCD screens grow mould if not regularly aired.
– nzaman
yesterday












Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
– Î± CVn♦
yesterday




Definitely related: How long can an abandoned, semi-sheltered computer remain bootable?
– Î± CVn♦
yesterday










6 Answers
6






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up vote
20
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There are two primary parts you need to consider the shelf life of for these devices



  • Magnetic storage

  • The battery

The general theme of this is that while magnetic storage shelf life can be measured in decades. LiPo battery shelf life is measured in years.



The real limiting factor here is the LiPo batteries. They don't like being overcharged, or fully discharged, or shocked, or not used, or overused. Their general reaction to all of these things is to explode.



So while visually they may be in pristine condition, the chances of being able to get any of these devices to run is minimal after anything over a decade of storage.




There's an extra factor here that needs to be considered



  • Solid state storage

Unfortunately this is currently an unknown quantity. As a fairly new and rapidly changing technology, lifespan estimates range from decay starting in only 7 days when left unpowered to lasting over 300 years with steady use.






share|improve this answer


















  • 8




    +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
    – Amadeus
    yesterday










  • The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday










  • @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
    – Separatrix
    yesterday






  • 5




    'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
    – Martin James
    yesterday






  • 2




    @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday

















up vote
17
down vote













There are three really big problem components for long term storage of computer hardware, batteries, flash memory, and electrolytic capacitors. While there are other components that can fail in long-term storage, most of them can be kept working if the storage environment is ideal. These three, however, will pretty reliably fail after a reasonably short period of time independent of the environment they are kept in. In particular:



  • Batteries: Varies, but generally not very long. Most batteries have a shelf life of at best a few years when left unused. The CMOS RTC battery in most computers won't be much of an issue barring some potentially weird configurations that rely on firmware settings. The batteries in phones or laptops however are another story. For those, you'll be lucky if they work at all after about 5 years of being unused. From a safety perspective, you should also be replacing (or at least reconditioning) any batteries in such a device before attempting to use it, failure there tends to be catastrophic and very dangerous. In some cases, you might be able to get away with having a really exotic type of battery that can safely be stored for long periods of time (Silver-Air batteries come to mind, but they're expensive, not rechargeable, and still only last at most a few years). You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged (most rechargeable batteries have a longer shelf-life if stored discharged), but that probably also won't extend things by much.

  • Flash storage: Theoretically indefinite if there's no hard radiation, but it won't retain data past a few years without special efforts taken to do so. Flash memory is inanely durable when not being used. About the only things that can reliably make it stop working are long term exposure to hard radiation, extreme thermal stress, extreme heat, or just plain physically destroying it. However, it's actually not really all that good for long term data storage. The reason for this relates to how flash memory works. In short, flash memory stores data by trapping an electrical charge on an otherwise electrically isolated bit of conductive material. Doing this requires pushing electrons across a layer of insulating material, which degrades the insulating material over time (this is why flash memory is write-limited), causing the electrical charge to slowly leak out. For flash memory seeing active usage, this isn't much of an issue as things will get rewritten before it becomes an issue. For flash memory in archival storage however, this puts an upper limit on how long your data will last. For good quality SLC NAND flash, this limit is estimated to be somewhere around 5 years. For the cheap MLC NAND flash used in most devices these days, it's usually only 2-3 years. There's not really any practical way around this except not using flash memory, but most forms of storage media do have some type of long-term degradation they have to deal with.

  • Electrolytic capacitors: At most 15 years. These are mostly used for power handling in computers and other devices. The issue with them is that they use a gel as one of the two electrodes, and if this gel dries out or leaks out, the capacitor will stop working (and if it leaks, it may damage other components when you try to power on the device). Even if kept in otherwise perfect conditions, the sealing material will deteriorate over time, which for current designs puts a functional upper limit of about 15 years on their life expectancy. You can obviously work around this by just not using electrolytic capacitors (and some phones don't for exactly this reason), but it's non-trivial to figure out if an arbitrary system uses them or not, and most of the alternatives come with their own issues.





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  • 1




    IMHO best answer - good details.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday










  • You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
    – Mołot
    5 hours ago











  • @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago










  • "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
    – Mołot
    4 hours ago










  • @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
    – Prof. Falken
    2 hours ago


















up vote
3
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Another issue to consider is the overall system aspect of cell phones. They don't work without a cell tower network, including functioning computers to keep track of everything. So cell phones simply won't work at all once the external tech has died.






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  • 1




    They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
    – manassehkatz
    14 hours ago










  • manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago










  • @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
    – T.J.L.
    4 hours ago










  • @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    3 hours ago

















up vote
2
down vote













I would think that any computer equipment (PC, notebook, phone) would last pretty well, as long as:



  • Any battery (including e.g. a coin-cell motherboard battery) was removed

  • It didn't rust (temperature and humidity were low)

  • Doesn't rely on EPROM holding state (it will degrade in a decade or so)

  • The plastics didn't degrade too much

  • Any capacitors didn't leak

So if the computers were intentionally stored for long-term survival, and there were instructions on how to put them back together, build new batteries, etc. then they could last for.. let's say multiple decades but probably not much longer than 100-150 years.



As for any data, the storage medium would need to be carefully considered.



  • USB sticks, flash media. - maybe 10 years if you're lucky

  • Other solid state media - lasts a few decades (Here's one that supposedly works for 100 years though)

  • Magnetic tape - about the same

  • Spinning-rust hard drives - maybe 100 years, allowing for some data loss and degradation of the moving parts

  • Optical storage - Archive-grade BluRays claim up to 1000 years.





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  • 2




    With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday






  • 3




    Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday






  • 1




    Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday






  • 1




    @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
    – K. Morgan
    yesterday






  • 1




    Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday

















up vote
2
down vote













One more cause of failure to note are “Tin Whiskers”.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)



At present, any lead-free solder used will form tin/zinc/silver whiskers at some unpredictable time in the future. These hairs are a few micrometers across and once started can grow as fast as 1mm per year. Eventually the whiskers will bridge pins and traces on the circuit board and destroy the device. There has been a large amount of research into using conformal coatings to prevent this growth, but the massive pressure these growths generate in tiny pinpoint locations has been able to eventually penetrate or lift all coatings that have been tested.



This brings up an interesting side of your question. Electronics built before the mid-2000s may not have this type of failure for centuries, while electronics built after the lead soldier ban are unlikely to last much beyond 20 years. However, safety critical and space flight circuits are currently excepted from the ban. This means computers in cars, airplanes, satellites, and power plants are allowed to use lead soldier and will not suffer from this problem.






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  • Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago

















up vote
1
down vote













If the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different.



If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance.



  • Do not use electrolytic capacitors or rechargeable batteries.

  • Store read-only data in old school ROM. (Not EPROM even, ROM.)

  • Make all circuits essentially space grade, so not even accumulated background radiation can flip something.

  • Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch.

  • Provide dry batteries (non-rechargeable) for boot-strapping in the first phase.

  • Wet batteries but with chemicals stored separately in large vets with instructions on how to activate them?

  • Use simple LED character displays and small speakers for output instead of relying on normal, complex bitmapped displays.

  • Provide extensive documentation on all systems, including physical paper (or plastic) on everything

  • Build the same system with different technologies in several versions, from discrete transistors up to ICs with everything in between, so a society can bootstrap and make replicas in ever increasing sophistication.

and so on...



a bit on a tangent but I thought it was a cool idea. Like a Rosetta stone for computing.






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    6 Answers
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    6 Answers
    6






    active

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    up vote
    20
    down vote













    There are two primary parts you need to consider the shelf life of for these devices



    • Magnetic storage

    • The battery

    The general theme of this is that while magnetic storage shelf life can be measured in decades. LiPo battery shelf life is measured in years.



    The real limiting factor here is the LiPo batteries. They don't like being overcharged, or fully discharged, or shocked, or not used, or overused. Their general reaction to all of these things is to explode.



    So while visually they may be in pristine condition, the chances of being able to get any of these devices to run is minimal after anything over a decade of storage.




    There's an extra factor here that needs to be considered



    • Solid state storage

    Unfortunately this is currently an unknown quantity. As a fairly new and rapidly changing technology, lifespan estimates range from decay starting in only 7 days when left unpowered to lasting over 300 years with steady use.






    share|improve this answer


















    • 8




      +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
      – Amadeus
      yesterday










    • The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
      – Separatrix
      yesterday






    • 5




      'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
      – Martin James
      yesterday






    • 2




      @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
      – Î± CVn♦
      yesterday














    up vote
    20
    down vote













    There are two primary parts you need to consider the shelf life of for these devices



    • Magnetic storage

    • The battery

    The general theme of this is that while magnetic storage shelf life can be measured in decades. LiPo battery shelf life is measured in years.



    The real limiting factor here is the LiPo batteries. They don't like being overcharged, or fully discharged, or shocked, or not used, or overused. Their general reaction to all of these things is to explode.



    So while visually they may be in pristine condition, the chances of being able to get any of these devices to run is minimal after anything over a decade of storage.




    There's an extra factor here that needs to be considered



    • Solid state storage

    Unfortunately this is currently an unknown quantity. As a fairly new and rapidly changing technology, lifespan estimates range from decay starting in only 7 days when left unpowered to lasting over 300 years with steady use.






    share|improve this answer


















    • 8




      +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
      – Amadeus
      yesterday










    • The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
      – Separatrix
      yesterday






    • 5




      'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
      – Martin James
      yesterday






    • 2




      @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
      – Î± CVn♦
      yesterday












    up vote
    20
    down vote










    up vote
    20
    down vote









    There are two primary parts you need to consider the shelf life of for these devices



    • Magnetic storage

    • The battery

    The general theme of this is that while magnetic storage shelf life can be measured in decades. LiPo battery shelf life is measured in years.



    The real limiting factor here is the LiPo batteries. They don't like being overcharged, or fully discharged, or shocked, or not used, or overused. Their general reaction to all of these things is to explode.



    So while visually they may be in pristine condition, the chances of being able to get any of these devices to run is minimal after anything over a decade of storage.




    There's an extra factor here that needs to be considered



    • Solid state storage

    Unfortunately this is currently an unknown quantity. As a fairly new and rapidly changing technology, lifespan estimates range from decay starting in only 7 days when left unpowered to lasting over 300 years with steady use.






    share|improve this answer














    There are two primary parts you need to consider the shelf life of for these devices



    • Magnetic storage

    • The battery

    The general theme of this is that while magnetic storage shelf life can be measured in decades. LiPo battery shelf life is measured in years.



    The real limiting factor here is the LiPo batteries. They don't like being overcharged, or fully discharged, or shocked, or not used, or overused. Their general reaction to all of these things is to explode.



    So while visually they may be in pristine condition, the chances of being able to get any of these devices to run is minimal after anything over a decade of storage.




    There's an extra factor here that needs to be considered



    • Solid state storage

    Unfortunately this is currently an unknown quantity. As a fairly new and rapidly changing technology, lifespan estimates range from decay starting in only 7 days when left unpowered to lasting over 300 years with steady use.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited yesterday

























    answered yesterday









    Separatrix

    70.9k30166278




    70.9k30166278







    • 8




      +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
      – Amadeus
      yesterday










    • The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
      – Separatrix
      yesterday






    • 5




      'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
      – Martin James
      yesterday






    • 2




      @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
      – Î± CVn♦
      yesterday












    • 8




      +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
      – Amadeus
      yesterday










    • The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
      – Separatrix
      yesterday






    • 5




      'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
      – Martin James
      yesterday






    • 2




      @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
      – Î± CVn♦
      yesterday







    8




    8




    +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
    – Amadeus
    yesterday




    +1, the batteries, they will degrade within a decade no matter how well stored. I'd also add mobile phones won't call anywhere without cellular towers and computers that have electricity, and in a post-apoc world, I doubt you have the full electrical grid up and powering everything. If you do, get those manufacturing plants running to manufacture new batteries!
    – Amadeus
    yesterday












    The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday




    The storage on these devices is solid state, not magnetic. Still good answer because the Li batteries are the big issue.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday












    @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
    – Separatrix
    yesterday




    @pojo-guy, the trouble is that solid state drives are too new for there to be real data. I've seen estimated values from over 300years of solid use to 7 days when unpowered.
    – Separatrix
    yesterday




    5




    5




    'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
    – Martin James
    yesterday




    'The secret to the SSD is that it used electrical arcing to melt metal to create and break physical connections' well, I'm pretty sure that the mechansim is a bit different than that, eg. electrons trapped, (or not), between insulated gates in a transistor. If the SSD data could be refreshed at intervals to mitigate occasional electrons tunneling their way to freedom, the lifetime could be very long. especially if the drive has a much larger capacity than the data and multiple copies can be stored/checked,
    – Martin James
    yesterday




    2




    2




    @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday




    @SSight3 I believe that question has come up on Retrocomputing a few times, in different forms. Certainly there is a question about What precautions to take when powering on old computer for the first time in years.
    – Î± CVn♦
    yesterday










    up vote
    17
    down vote













    There are three really big problem components for long term storage of computer hardware, batteries, flash memory, and electrolytic capacitors. While there are other components that can fail in long-term storage, most of them can be kept working if the storage environment is ideal. These three, however, will pretty reliably fail after a reasonably short period of time independent of the environment they are kept in. In particular:



    • Batteries: Varies, but generally not very long. Most batteries have a shelf life of at best a few years when left unused. The CMOS RTC battery in most computers won't be much of an issue barring some potentially weird configurations that rely on firmware settings. The batteries in phones or laptops however are another story. For those, you'll be lucky if they work at all after about 5 years of being unused. From a safety perspective, you should also be replacing (or at least reconditioning) any batteries in such a device before attempting to use it, failure there tends to be catastrophic and very dangerous. In some cases, you might be able to get away with having a really exotic type of battery that can safely be stored for long periods of time (Silver-Air batteries come to mind, but they're expensive, not rechargeable, and still only last at most a few years). You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged (most rechargeable batteries have a longer shelf-life if stored discharged), but that probably also won't extend things by much.

    • Flash storage: Theoretically indefinite if there's no hard radiation, but it won't retain data past a few years without special efforts taken to do so. Flash memory is inanely durable when not being used. About the only things that can reliably make it stop working are long term exposure to hard radiation, extreme thermal stress, extreme heat, or just plain physically destroying it. However, it's actually not really all that good for long term data storage. The reason for this relates to how flash memory works. In short, flash memory stores data by trapping an electrical charge on an otherwise electrically isolated bit of conductive material. Doing this requires pushing electrons across a layer of insulating material, which degrades the insulating material over time (this is why flash memory is write-limited), causing the electrical charge to slowly leak out. For flash memory seeing active usage, this isn't much of an issue as things will get rewritten before it becomes an issue. For flash memory in archival storage however, this puts an upper limit on how long your data will last. For good quality SLC NAND flash, this limit is estimated to be somewhere around 5 years. For the cheap MLC NAND flash used in most devices these days, it's usually only 2-3 years. There's not really any practical way around this except not using flash memory, but most forms of storage media do have some type of long-term degradation they have to deal with.

    • Electrolytic capacitors: At most 15 years. These are mostly used for power handling in computers and other devices. The issue with them is that they use a gel as one of the two electrodes, and if this gel dries out or leaks out, the capacitor will stop working (and if it leaks, it may damage other components when you try to power on the device). Even if kept in otherwise perfect conditions, the sealing material will deteriorate over time, which for current designs puts a functional upper limit of about 15 years on their life expectancy. You can obviously work around this by just not using electrolytic capacitors (and some phones don't for exactly this reason), but it's non-trivial to figure out if an arbitrary system uses them or not, and most of the alternatives come with their own issues.





    share|improve this answer


















    • 1




      IMHO best answer - good details.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
      – Mołot
      5 hours ago











    • @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
      – Mołot
      4 hours ago










    • @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
      – Prof. Falken
      2 hours ago















    up vote
    17
    down vote













    There are three really big problem components for long term storage of computer hardware, batteries, flash memory, and electrolytic capacitors. While there are other components that can fail in long-term storage, most of them can be kept working if the storage environment is ideal. These three, however, will pretty reliably fail after a reasonably short period of time independent of the environment they are kept in. In particular:



    • Batteries: Varies, but generally not very long. Most batteries have a shelf life of at best a few years when left unused. The CMOS RTC battery in most computers won't be much of an issue barring some potentially weird configurations that rely on firmware settings. The batteries in phones or laptops however are another story. For those, you'll be lucky if they work at all after about 5 years of being unused. From a safety perspective, you should also be replacing (or at least reconditioning) any batteries in such a device before attempting to use it, failure there tends to be catastrophic and very dangerous. In some cases, you might be able to get away with having a really exotic type of battery that can safely be stored for long periods of time (Silver-Air batteries come to mind, but they're expensive, not rechargeable, and still only last at most a few years). You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged (most rechargeable batteries have a longer shelf-life if stored discharged), but that probably also won't extend things by much.

    • Flash storage: Theoretically indefinite if there's no hard radiation, but it won't retain data past a few years without special efforts taken to do so. Flash memory is inanely durable when not being used. About the only things that can reliably make it stop working are long term exposure to hard radiation, extreme thermal stress, extreme heat, or just plain physically destroying it. However, it's actually not really all that good for long term data storage. The reason for this relates to how flash memory works. In short, flash memory stores data by trapping an electrical charge on an otherwise electrically isolated bit of conductive material. Doing this requires pushing electrons across a layer of insulating material, which degrades the insulating material over time (this is why flash memory is write-limited), causing the electrical charge to slowly leak out. For flash memory seeing active usage, this isn't much of an issue as things will get rewritten before it becomes an issue. For flash memory in archival storage however, this puts an upper limit on how long your data will last. For good quality SLC NAND flash, this limit is estimated to be somewhere around 5 years. For the cheap MLC NAND flash used in most devices these days, it's usually only 2-3 years. There's not really any practical way around this except not using flash memory, but most forms of storage media do have some type of long-term degradation they have to deal with.

    • Electrolytic capacitors: At most 15 years. These are mostly used for power handling in computers and other devices. The issue with them is that they use a gel as one of the two electrodes, and if this gel dries out or leaks out, the capacitor will stop working (and if it leaks, it may damage other components when you try to power on the device). Even if kept in otherwise perfect conditions, the sealing material will deteriorate over time, which for current designs puts a functional upper limit of about 15 years on their life expectancy. You can obviously work around this by just not using electrolytic capacitors (and some phones don't for exactly this reason), but it's non-trivial to figure out if an arbitrary system uses them or not, and most of the alternatives come with their own issues.





    share|improve this answer


















    • 1




      IMHO best answer - good details.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
      – Mołot
      5 hours ago











    • @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
      – Mołot
      4 hours ago










    • @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
      – Prof. Falken
      2 hours ago













    up vote
    17
    down vote










    up vote
    17
    down vote









    There are three really big problem components for long term storage of computer hardware, batteries, flash memory, and electrolytic capacitors. While there are other components that can fail in long-term storage, most of them can be kept working if the storage environment is ideal. These three, however, will pretty reliably fail after a reasonably short period of time independent of the environment they are kept in. In particular:



    • Batteries: Varies, but generally not very long. Most batteries have a shelf life of at best a few years when left unused. The CMOS RTC battery in most computers won't be much of an issue barring some potentially weird configurations that rely on firmware settings. The batteries in phones or laptops however are another story. For those, you'll be lucky if they work at all after about 5 years of being unused. From a safety perspective, you should also be replacing (or at least reconditioning) any batteries in such a device before attempting to use it, failure there tends to be catastrophic and very dangerous. In some cases, you might be able to get away with having a really exotic type of battery that can safely be stored for long periods of time (Silver-Air batteries come to mind, but they're expensive, not rechargeable, and still only last at most a few years). You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged (most rechargeable batteries have a longer shelf-life if stored discharged), but that probably also won't extend things by much.

    • Flash storage: Theoretically indefinite if there's no hard radiation, but it won't retain data past a few years without special efforts taken to do so. Flash memory is inanely durable when not being used. About the only things that can reliably make it stop working are long term exposure to hard radiation, extreme thermal stress, extreme heat, or just plain physically destroying it. However, it's actually not really all that good for long term data storage. The reason for this relates to how flash memory works. In short, flash memory stores data by trapping an electrical charge on an otherwise electrically isolated bit of conductive material. Doing this requires pushing electrons across a layer of insulating material, which degrades the insulating material over time (this is why flash memory is write-limited), causing the electrical charge to slowly leak out. For flash memory seeing active usage, this isn't much of an issue as things will get rewritten before it becomes an issue. For flash memory in archival storage however, this puts an upper limit on how long your data will last. For good quality SLC NAND flash, this limit is estimated to be somewhere around 5 years. For the cheap MLC NAND flash used in most devices these days, it's usually only 2-3 years. There's not really any practical way around this except not using flash memory, but most forms of storage media do have some type of long-term degradation they have to deal with.

    • Electrolytic capacitors: At most 15 years. These are mostly used for power handling in computers and other devices. The issue with them is that they use a gel as one of the two electrodes, and if this gel dries out or leaks out, the capacitor will stop working (and if it leaks, it may damage other components when you try to power on the device). Even if kept in otherwise perfect conditions, the sealing material will deteriorate over time, which for current designs puts a functional upper limit of about 15 years on their life expectancy. You can obviously work around this by just not using electrolytic capacitors (and some phones don't for exactly this reason), but it's non-trivial to figure out if an arbitrary system uses them or not, and most of the alternatives come with their own issues.





    share|improve this answer














    There are three really big problem components for long term storage of computer hardware, batteries, flash memory, and electrolytic capacitors. While there are other components that can fail in long-term storage, most of them can be kept working if the storage environment is ideal. These three, however, will pretty reliably fail after a reasonably short period of time independent of the environment they are kept in. In particular:



    • Batteries: Varies, but generally not very long. Most batteries have a shelf life of at best a few years when left unused. The CMOS RTC battery in most computers won't be much of an issue barring some potentially weird configurations that rely on firmware settings. The batteries in phones or laptops however are another story. For those, you'll be lucky if they work at all after about 5 years of being unused. From a safety perspective, you should also be replacing (or at least reconditioning) any batteries in such a device before attempting to use it, failure there tends to be catastrophic and very dangerous. In some cases, you might be able to get away with having a really exotic type of battery that can safely be stored for long periods of time (Silver-Air batteries come to mind, but they're expensive, not rechargeable, and still only last at most a few years). You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged (most rechargeable batteries have a longer shelf-life if stored discharged), but that probably also won't extend things by much.

    • Flash storage: Theoretically indefinite if there's no hard radiation, but it won't retain data past a few years without special efforts taken to do so. Flash memory is inanely durable when not being used. About the only things that can reliably make it stop working are long term exposure to hard radiation, extreme thermal stress, extreme heat, or just plain physically destroying it. However, it's actually not really all that good for long term data storage. The reason for this relates to how flash memory works. In short, flash memory stores data by trapping an electrical charge on an otherwise electrically isolated bit of conductive material. Doing this requires pushing electrons across a layer of insulating material, which degrades the insulating material over time (this is why flash memory is write-limited), causing the electrical charge to slowly leak out. For flash memory seeing active usage, this isn't much of an issue as things will get rewritten before it becomes an issue. For flash memory in archival storage however, this puts an upper limit on how long your data will last. For good quality SLC NAND flash, this limit is estimated to be somewhere around 5 years. For the cheap MLC NAND flash used in most devices these days, it's usually only 2-3 years. There's not really any practical way around this except not using flash memory, but most forms of storage media do have some type of long-term degradation they have to deal with.

    • Electrolytic capacitors: At most 15 years. These are mostly used for power handling in computers and other devices. The issue with them is that they use a gel as one of the two electrodes, and if this gel dries out or leaks out, the capacitor will stop working (and if it leaks, it may damage other components when you try to power on the device). Even if kept in otherwise perfect conditions, the sealing material will deteriorate over time, which for current designs puts a functional upper limit of about 15 years on their life expectancy. You can obviously work around this by just not using electrolytic capacitors (and some phones don't for exactly this reason), but it's non-trivial to figure out if an arbitrary system uses them or not, and most of the alternatives come with their own issues.






    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 23 hours ago

























    answered yesterday









    Austin Hemmelgarn

    1,8251512




    1,8251512







    • 1




      IMHO best answer - good details.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
      – Mołot
      5 hours ago











    • @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
      – Mołot
      4 hours ago










    • @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
      – Prof. Falken
      2 hours ago













    • 1




      IMHO best answer - good details.
      – pojo-guy
      yesterday










    • You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
      – Mołot
      5 hours ago











    • @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
      – Mołot
      4 hours ago










    • @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
      – Prof. Falken
      2 hours ago








    1




    1




    IMHO best answer - good details.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday




    IMHO best answer - good details.
    – pojo-guy
    yesterday












    You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
    – Mołot
    5 hours ago





    You might also make things better by storing the device with the battery fully discharged — this is not precise. There is a lowest charge that allows safe recharge. 0% on your phone means this level + safety margin, not real 0 charge left. And batteries tend to lose charge on their own when unused, so more years = more safety margin you need. More safety margin = faster deterioration, and finding the sweet spot is tricky.
    – Mołot
    5 hours ago













    @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago




    @Mołot I suspect it also depends on the exact battery design and charging circuit. Most of design's I've seen actually recommend storing the battery discharged as far as the device will let you when you plan on storing it for more than a few months without usage.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago












    "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
    – Mołot
    4 hours ago




    "as the device will let you" - that's what I'm talking about. Devices have their safety margins in place. But try storing one for a year or two - high chance you'll go past safety and protection circuit will simply refuse to load it.
    – Mołot
    4 hours ago












    @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
    – Prof. Falken
    2 hours ago





    @lupino if the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different. If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance. Do not use electrolytic capacitors. Store read-only data in ROM. Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch. Etc etc.Use simple LED character display and speakers instead of graphical displays. Etc etc.
    – Prof. Falken
    2 hours ago











    up vote
    3
    down vote













    Another issue to consider is the overall system aspect of cell phones. They don't work without a cell tower network, including functioning computers to keep track of everything. So cell phones simply won't work at all once the external tech has died.






    share|improve this answer
















    • 1




      They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
      – manassehkatz
      14 hours ago










    • manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
      – T.J.L.
      4 hours ago










    • @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      3 hours ago














    up vote
    3
    down vote













    Another issue to consider is the overall system aspect of cell phones. They don't work without a cell tower network, including functioning computers to keep track of everything. So cell phones simply won't work at all once the external tech has died.






    share|improve this answer
















    • 1




      They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
      – manassehkatz
      14 hours ago










    • manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
      – T.J.L.
      4 hours ago










    • @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      3 hours ago












    up vote
    3
    down vote










    up vote
    3
    down vote









    Another issue to consider is the overall system aspect of cell phones. They don't work without a cell tower network, including functioning computers to keep track of everything. So cell phones simply won't work at all once the external tech has died.






    share|improve this answer












    Another issue to consider is the overall system aspect of cell phones. They don't work without a cell tower network, including functioning computers to keep track of everything. So cell phones simply won't work at all once the external tech has died.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 17 hours ago









    WhatRoughBeast

    21.1k22976




    21.1k22976







    • 1




      They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
      – manassehkatz
      14 hours ago










    • manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
      – T.J.L.
      4 hours ago










    • @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      3 hours ago












    • 1




      They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
      – manassehkatz
      14 hours ago










    • manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      4 hours ago










    • @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
      – T.J.L.
      4 hours ago










    • @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      3 hours ago







    1




    1




    They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
    – manassehkatz
    14 hours ago




    They would work as portable computers. I read a trilogy (can't remember the titles or author at the moment) where one key plot point was a character who, when on an alternate timeline mixed-up Earth of sorts (it gets complicated...) has essentially a very-smart-phone with a huge database of information, so that even without any cell phone network at all (effectively the only phone on Earth) it is still extremely useful as a computer.
    – manassehkatz
    14 hours ago












    manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago




    manassehkatz is correct, you don't need any kind of network link to access the data stored on most computers and smart-phones, you only need it to access the network.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    4 hours ago












    @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
    – T.J.L.
    4 hours ago




    @AustinHemmelgarn But most smart-phones really don't have that much data on them (yay "cloud"). A database like manassehkatz referenced would have had to be deliberately and explicitly installed.
    – T.J.L.
    4 hours ago












    @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    3 hours ago




    @T.J.L.It really depends on what data you care about. Many people have quite a few photos and a reasonable amount of music on their smartphones.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    3 hours ago










    up vote
    2
    down vote













    I would think that any computer equipment (PC, notebook, phone) would last pretty well, as long as:



    • Any battery (including e.g. a coin-cell motherboard battery) was removed

    • It didn't rust (temperature and humidity were low)

    • Doesn't rely on EPROM holding state (it will degrade in a decade or so)

    • The plastics didn't degrade too much

    • Any capacitors didn't leak

    So if the computers were intentionally stored for long-term survival, and there were instructions on how to put them back together, build new batteries, etc. then they could last for.. let's say multiple decades but probably not much longer than 100-150 years.



    As for any data, the storage medium would need to be carefully considered.



    • USB sticks, flash media. - maybe 10 years if you're lucky

    • Other solid state media - lasts a few decades (Here's one that supposedly works for 100 years though)

    • Magnetic tape - about the same

    • Spinning-rust hard drives - maybe 100 years, allowing for some data loss and degradation of the moving parts

    • Optical storage - Archive-grade BluRays claim up to 1000 years.





    share|improve this answer


















    • 2




      With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday






    • 3




      Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
      – K. Morgan
      yesterday






    • 1




      Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday














    up vote
    2
    down vote













    I would think that any computer equipment (PC, notebook, phone) would last pretty well, as long as:



    • Any battery (including e.g. a coin-cell motherboard battery) was removed

    • It didn't rust (temperature and humidity were low)

    • Doesn't rely on EPROM holding state (it will degrade in a decade or so)

    • The plastics didn't degrade too much

    • Any capacitors didn't leak

    So if the computers were intentionally stored for long-term survival, and there were instructions on how to put them back together, build new batteries, etc. then they could last for.. let's say multiple decades but probably not much longer than 100-150 years.



    As for any data, the storage medium would need to be carefully considered.



    • USB sticks, flash media. - maybe 10 years if you're lucky

    • Other solid state media - lasts a few decades (Here's one that supposedly works for 100 years though)

    • Magnetic tape - about the same

    • Spinning-rust hard drives - maybe 100 years, allowing for some data loss and degradation of the moving parts

    • Optical storage - Archive-grade BluRays claim up to 1000 years.





    share|improve this answer


















    • 2




      With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday






    • 3




      Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
      – K. Morgan
      yesterday






    • 1




      Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday












    up vote
    2
    down vote










    up vote
    2
    down vote









    I would think that any computer equipment (PC, notebook, phone) would last pretty well, as long as:



    • Any battery (including e.g. a coin-cell motherboard battery) was removed

    • It didn't rust (temperature and humidity were low)

    • Doesn't rely on EPROM holding state (it will degrade in a decade or so)

    • The plastics didn't degrade too much

    • Any capacitors didn't leak

    So if the computers were intentionally stored for long-term survival, and there were instructions on how to put them back together, build new batteries, etc. then they could last for.. let's say multiple decades but probably not much longer than 100-150 years.



    As for any data, the storage medium would need to be carefully considered.



    • USB sticks, flash media. - maybe 10 years if you're lucky

    • Other solid state media - lasts a few decades (Here's one that supposedly works for 100 years though)

    • Magnetic tape - about the same

    • Spinning-rust hard drives - maybe 100 years, allowing for some data loss and degradation of the moving parts

    • Optical storage - Archive-grade BluRays claim up to 1000 years.





    share|improve this answer














    I would think that any computer equipment (PC, notebook, phone) would last pretty well, as long as:



    • Any battery (including e.g. a coin-cell motherboard battery) was removed

    • It didn't rust (temperature and humidity were low)

    • Doesn't rely on EPROM holding state (it will degrade in a decade or so)

    • The plastics didn't degrade too much

    • Any capacitors didn't leak

    So if the computers were intentionally stored for long-term survival, and there were instructions on how to put them back together, build new batteries, etc. then they could last for.. let's say multiple decades but probably not much longer than 100-150 years.



    As for any data, the storage medium would need to be carefully considered.



    • USB sticks, flash media. - maybe 10 years if you're lucky

    • Other solid state media - lasts a few decades (Here's one that supposedly works for 100 years though)

    • Magnetic tape - about the same

    • Spinning-rust hard drives - maybe 100 years, allowing for some data loss and degradation of the moving parts

    • Optical storage - Archive-grade BluRays claim up to 1000 years.






    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 23 hours ago

























    answered yesterday









    K. Morgan

    51415




    51415







    • 2




      With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday






    • 3




      Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
      – K. Morgan
      yesterday






    • 1




      Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday












    • 2




      With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday






    • 3




      Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
      – Austin Hemmelgarn
      yesterday






    • 1




      @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
      – K. Morgan
      yesterday






    • 1




      Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
      – manassehkatz
      yesterday







    2




    2




    With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday




    With respect to "any battery" - in addition to the primary batteries, which are easily removable on most laptops & phones, but most definitely not on all of them, there are often smaller batteries (e.g., CR2032 or similar for clock) that (a) often require disassembly to get to them for removal and (b) are sometimes not designed to be easily removable even once you find them. Those smaller batteries can degrade - e.g., leak - over time too, which is definitely a consideration for any > 10 years situation.
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday




    3




    3




    Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday




    Um, no UV radiation does not corrupt EEPROMS, it erases EPROMS (which are different and largely unused anymore), but they have to be have it directly shining through the quartz window on the packaging of the chip, which would be hidden by the case of whatever the chip is in.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday




    1




    1




    Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday




    Also, flash memory (including most solid state media) is good for only a couple of years without prophylactic rewrites, magnetic tape can last longer than you probably think if kept in ideal conditions, and optical media actually does degrade over the course of a few decades.
    – Austin Hemmelgarn
    yesterday




    1




    1




    @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
    – K. Morgan
    yesterday




    @manassehkatz: Yes indeed, any battery (which is why I mentioned the motherboard battery)
    – K. Morgan
    yesterday




    1




    1




    Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday




    Oops. I somehow missed that you did already mention the motherboard battery. But my main point is those batteries are often very hard to remove/replace on a laptop. Desktop (unless soldered) - takes < 1 minute (mostly to remove the case screws).
    – manassehkatz
    yesterday










    up vote
    2
    down vote













    One more cause of failure to note are “Tin Whiskers”.



    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)



    At present, any lead-free solder used will form tin/zinc/silver whiskers at some unpredictable time in the future. These hairs are a few micrometers across and once started can grow as fast as 1mm per year. Eventually the whiskers will bridge pins and traces on the circuit board and destroy the device. There has been a large amount of research into using conformal coatings to prevent this growth, but the massive pressure these growths generate in tiny pinpoint locations has been able to eventually penetrate or lift all coatings that have been tested.



    This brings up an interesting side of your question. Electronics built before the mid-2000s may not have this type of failure for centuries, while electronics built after the lead soldier ban are unlikely to last much beyond 20 years. However, safety critical and space flight circuits are currently excepted from the ban. This means computers in cars, airplanes, satellites, and power plants are allowed to use lead soldier and will not suffer from this problem.






    share|improve this answer




















    • Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
      – Separatrix
      2 hours ago














    up vote
    2
    down vote













    One more cause of failure to note are “Tin Whiskers”.



    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)



    At present, any lead-free solder used will form tin/zinc/silver whiskers at some unpredictable time in the future. These hairs are a few micrometers across and once started can grow as fast as 1mm per year. Eventually the whiskers will bridge pins and traces on the circuit board and destroy the device. There has been a large amount of research into using conformal coatings to prevent this growth, but the massive pressure these growths generate in tiny pinpoint locations has been able to eventually penetrate or lift all coatings that have been tested.



    This brings up an interesting side of your question. Electronics built before the mid-2000s may not have this type of failure for centuries, while electronics built after the lead soldier ban are unlikely to last much beyond 20 years. However, safety critical and space flight circuits are currently excepted from the ban. This means computers in cars, airplanes, satellites, and power plants are allowed to use lead soldier and will not suffer from this problem.






    share|improve this answer




















    • Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
      – Separatrix
      2 hours ago












    up vote
    2
    down vote










    up vote
    2
    down vote









    One more cause of failure to note are “Tin Whiskers”.



    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)



    At present, any lead-free solder used will form tin/zinc/silver whiskers at some unpredictable time in the future. These hairs are a few micrometers across and once started can grow as fast as 1mm per year. Eventually the whiskers will bridge pins and traces on the circuit board and destroy the device. There has been a large amount of research into using conformal coatings to prevent this growth, but the massive pressure these growths generate in tiny pinpoint locations has been able to eventually penetrate or lift all coatings that have been tested.



    This brings up an interesting side of your question. Electronics built before the mid-2000s may not have this type of failure for centuries, while electronics built after the lead soldier ban are unlikely to last much beyond 20 years. However, safety critical and space flight circuits are currently excepted from the ban. This means computers in cars, airplanes, satellites, and power plants are allowed to use lead soldier and will not suffer from this problem.






    share|improve this answer












    One more cause of failure to note are “Tin Whiskers”.



    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whisker_(metallurgy)



    At present, any lead-free solder used will form tin/zinc/silver whiskers at some unpredictable time in the future. These hairs are a few micrometers across and once started can grow as fast as 1mm per year. Eventually the whiskers will bridge pins and traces on the circuit board and destroy the device. There has been a large amount of research into using conformal coatings to prevent this growth, but the massive pressure these growths generate in tiny pinpoint locations has been able to eventually penetrate or lift all coatings that have been tested.



    This brings up an interesting side of your question. Electronics built before the mid-2000s may not have this type of failure for centuries, while electronics built after the lead soldier ban are unlikely to last much beyond 20 years. However, safety critical and space flight circuits are currently excepted from the ban. This means computers in cars, airplanes, satellites, and power plants are allowed to use lead soldier and will not suffer from this problem.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 2 hours ago









    UrQuan3

    1191




    1191











    • Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
      – Separatrix
      2 hours ago
















    • Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
      – Separatrix
      2 hours ago















    Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago




    Good spot, I'd forgotten about that
    – Separatrix
    2 hours ago










    up vote
    1
    down vote













    If the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different.



    If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance.



    • Do not use electrolytic capacitors or rechargeable batteries.

    • Store read-only data in old school ROM. (Not EPROM even, ROM.)

    • Make all circuits essentially space grade, so not even accumulated background radiation can flip something.

    • Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch.

    • Provide dry batteries (non-rechargeable) for boot-strapping in the first phase.

    • Wet batteries but with chemicals stored separately in large vets with instructions on how to activate them?

    • Use simple LED character displays and small speakers for output instead of relying on normal, complex bitmapped displays.

    • Provide extensive documentation on all systems, including physical paper (or plastic) on everything

    • Build the same system with different technologies in several versions, from discrete transistors up to ICs with everything in between, so a society can bootstrap and make replicas in ever increasing sophistication.

    and so on...



    a bit on a tangent but I thought it was a cool idea. Like a Rosetta stone for computing.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    Prof. Falken is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















      up vote
      1
      down vote













      If the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different.



      If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance.



      • Do not use electrolytic capacitors or rechargeable batteries.

      • Store read-only data in old school ROM. (Not EPROM even, ROM.)

      • Make all circuits essentially space grade, so not even accumulated background radiation can flip something.

      • Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch.

      • Provide dry batteries (non-rechargeable) for boot-strapping in the first phase.

      • Wet batteries but with chemicals stored separately in large vets with instructions on how to activate them?

      • Use simple LED character displays and small speakers for output instead of relying on normal, complex bitmapped displays.

      • Provide extensive documentation on all systems, including physical paper (or plastic) on everything

      • Build the same system with different technologies in several versions, from discrete transistors up to ICs with everything in between, so a society can bootstrap and make replicas in ever increasing sophistication.

      and so on...



      a bit on a tangent but I thought it was a cool idea. Like a Rosetta stone for computing.






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      Prof. Falken is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.



















        up vote
        1
        down vote










        up vote
        1
        down vote









        If the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different.



        If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance.



        • Do not use electrolytic capacitors or rechargeable batteries.

        • Store read-only data in old school ROM. (Not EPROM even, ROM.)

        • Make all circuits essentially space grade, so not even accumulated background radiation can flip something.

        • Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch.

        • Provide dry batteries (non-rechargeable) for boot-strapping in the first phase.

        • Wet batteries but with chemicals stored separately in large vets with instructions on how to activate them?

        • Use simple LED character displays and small speakers for output instead of relying on normal, complex bitmapped displays.

        • Provide extensive documentation on all systems, including physical paper (or plastic) on everything

        • Build the same system with different technologies in several versions, from discrete transistors up to ICs with everything in between, so a society can bootstrap and make replicas in ever increasing sophistication.

        and so on...



        a bit on a tangent but I thought it was a cool idea. Like a Rosetta stone for computing.






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        If the devices were deliberately built to last, the story could be quite different.



        If you are willing to make significant sacrifices and accept high cost, both in R&D and materials - to begin with, optimize for durability, not performance.



        • Do not use electrolytic capacitors or rechargeable batteries.

        • Store read-only data in old school ROM. (Not EPROM even, ROM.)

        • Make all circuits essentially space grade, so not even accumulated background radiation can flip something.

        • Do not use batteries, instead use some other kind of power source as well as instructions on how to create a power source from scratch.

        • Provide dry batteries (non-rechargeable) for boot-strapping in the first phase.

        • Wet batteries but with chemicals stored separately in large vets with instructions on how to activate them?

        • Use simple LED character displays and small speakers for output instead of relying on normal, complex bitmapped displays.

        • Provide extensive documentation on all systems, including physical paper (or plastic) on everything

        • Build the same system with different technologies in several versions, from discrete transistors up to ICs with everything in between, so a society can bootstrap and make replicas in ever increasing sophistication.

        and so on...



        a bit on a tangent but I thought it was a cool idea. Like a Rosetta stone for computing.







        share|improve this answer








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        answered 2 hours ago









        Prof. Falken

        1134




        1134




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