Last year at my lab, the hard drive in an "ancient one" controlling an old automated blood counting machine finally gave up the ghost after fourteen years of service. (Both machines survived Y2K!)
I brought in from home a 1.2GB hard drive that might have worked in the old guy, but it was decided to replace the PC and the ABC machine with new equipment.
I had a little chuckle when my sister said "ten years." With proper maintenance and parts replacements, 10 years is possible. Her PC is in a basement office that stays relatively cool throughout the year and it is not very dusty down there. It's sitting on the floor on a good-sized wooden board and is plugged into a stout surge suppressor. However, she is not likely to spring for a UPS to provide additional power protection.
Geek Speak » in reply to Thanks
The ten year computer