Use pattern relevance for laptop repair and product lifetime

More than 166 million mobile computers worldwide are being sold annually. Their duration of use is not only influenced by the design and quality of components and production, but also by the user behaviour. In this descriptive study, the effects of user decisions on the duration of product life is discussed based on two surveys carried out in a university student environment in southwest Germany. Results show that use phase length expectation for the devices clearly exceed 5 years, but the actual use phase duration was found to be only about 80% of this time span. Consequently, the use pattern for laptops was described covering the aspects of user knowledge, use and repair intensity, the motivation for and the mode of disposal. Results show that only a minor share of users reads the user manuals. Those who do so and adhere to their recommendations experience a clearly increased use phase length. During the entire product lifetime of mobile computers, about one third of all devices is being repaired. The most important repairs were battery replacements, power supply unit repairs, and housing repairs. After the end of their useful life, more than 60% of the obsolete devices are still operational. Users pass on only 25% of their obsolete devices for a second use phase, but almost 2/3 of all laptops are stored, and only 11% are disposed of properly. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.