7 cool ways to reuse an old laptop
OK, maybe not that old. Matt Flynn Everything old is new again. This not only applies to bells and cassettes (seriously, cassettes are making a comeback), but also...
29/09/2021
OK, maybe not
this
ancient.
matt flynn
Everything old is new again. This applies not only to bells and cassettes (seriously,
tapes are making a comeback
), but also to your old technology.
You' I have already learned to
reuse an old tablet
; Now let's focus on that laptop you've kept in the back of your closet for many years. Even though it's a slow-moving, virus-infested mess, you might be surprised at how much more life you can squeeze out of it. You probably won't have to spend any money either.
But, first: assess its condition.
First things first: does it start? If it has, for example, a faulty hard drive, a cracked screen, or missing/broken keyboard keys, it might be time for the trash/recycling heap. It is neither difficult nor costly to
replace a hard drive
, but there is obviously a cost.
But if the hardware is still good, you have a lot of options. The most obvious: reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. (You've already moved your data to your new laptop, haven't you?) It's worth considering if you have the necessary media (namely a bootable Windows disc and/or a USB stick) ), but it may not be necessary. In fact, assuming the machine is running an older version of Windows, it might not even be wise from a security perspective. (Best bet if you plan to stick with Windows: do a
clean install of Windows 10
.)
Let's take a look at some cool and practical ways to get that old laptop working again.
The old standby: install
linux
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Ubuntu p>
This is perhaps my favorite option because it does so much at once. When you install Linux, it overwrites (optionally, but preferably) your existing operating system, warts and all. In its place is a fast-booting, virus-resistant, Windows-like environment capable of anything.
In case you don't know, Linux is an open source operating system that can run thousands of programs - including, most notably, office suites like LibreOffice and OpenOffice. It can run browsers such as Chrome, Firefox and Opera; games, like Civilization V and Minecraft; email clients, such as Thunderbird; and Photoshop-level image editors, like GIMP.
Need a program only available for Windows? A tool called
PlayOnLinux can probably run it on Linux
.
If there's a downside, it's that some areas of Linux have a learning curve, especially when it comes to configuring certain settings. And you may experience compatibility issues with external devices such as printers.
That said, I
strongly
recommend giving your old laptop a Linux makeover. The only real question: what version (or "distro", short for distribution) of Linux? There are plenty to choose from, Mint and Ubuntu being arguably the most popular, the former being the closest to replicating the Windows UI.
You don't know how to proceed? Stay tuned for a how-to guide on installing Linux.
Turn it into a Chromebook
Welcome to Chromium, old laptop!
Never
What's a Chromebook but a regular laptop with limited processing power and a Google-powered interface that doesn't need a lot of processing power?
So, your old laptop should be more than capable of running this operating system, which is called Chromium. Why choose that over Linux? Partly because it runs nimbly on even the most modest hardware, and partly because it's
through and through, a fact that might appeal to Android users and others. that are part of the Google ecosystem.
Indeed, if all you want from your old PC is a web browser and cloud apps, Chromium might be your best bet. And there are at least two easy and free ways to get it:
Cub Linux
and
Neverware's Cloudready
. I have a soft spot for the latter, but it's very easy to try both.
Build your own Network Attached Storage (NAS)
I have too many old computers to backup. Hp laptop is done, dell laptop is also done. Time for my old desktops. Two of them.
— ☀️Crinn Ca$$him🔆 Wed Aug 11 12:50:19 +0000 2021
If your old laptop has a fairly spacious hard drive inside, consider devoting it to one and only one purpose: network-attached storage or NAS.
It's not a new concept; the idea is basically to connect a large hard drive to your home network and then make the contents of that drive accessible to all your devices: PC,
telephones
,
< p>tabletsand others. Even better, you can access the drive not just at home, but wherever you're connected. Instead of dumping all your photos in the cloud, you can transfer them to your NAS. Instead of storing movies on your phone, you can stream them from your NAS. Do you have the idea?
The right choice for this:
FreeNAS
. It is designed to share files both locally and online, and it also offers media streaming features. It runs from a bootable CD or flash drive, from which it configures an IP address for your PC. Presto: Quick and easy remote access to laptop hard drive.
Create your own home media center
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Craig Simms/CNET
It's a slightly different animal than a media server. The idea is to turn your laptop into a media center that serves your TV, connecting directly to it for everything from recording broadcast TV stations to playing
netflix
on the big screen.< /p>
I'll be honest: I don't see much value in this option. Netflix isn't hard to find, and many older laptops
do not have the necessary power for the DVR. (Plus you need a tuner, antenna, remote, etc.) Hell, if yours doesn't have an HDMI output, the project is pretty much done before you start.
That said, if you want to give it a try, check out this tutorial on
set up a home media center with kodi
.
Donate his brain to science
You remember
SETI@home
? It's one more thing. In fact, it started to exist so long ago that you might not recognize the name. SETI@home connects your PC to a distributed network, harnessing its processor to help analyze radio telescope data. In other words, your leftover laptop can now help you in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
You just need to download the
Boinc software
(available for Windows, Mac and -- hint-hint -- Linux), then choose SETI@home from the list of available projects.
If aliens aren't your thing, Boinc also allows this kind of "volunteer computing" for things like medical research and climate analysis. The only cost to you is electricity and the (very minimal) bandwidth needed to run the laptop.
Turn it into a webcam
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iSpy
Admit it: you've always worried about someone using your laptop's webcam to spy on you. Reverse the situation with
iSpy, an open source video surveillance application for Windows
. With it, your old laptop becomes a surveillance camera, which you can use to monitor children, pets, babysitters, the outdoors, or just about anything else.
This could be really handy if you want an inexpensive way to keep an eye on, say, a sleeping baby. On the plus side, iSpy is free for local use (i.e. in your own home), but if you want to view your webcam remotely, the service costs $7.95 per month.
Turn it into a digital photo frame
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"Say, wasn't that your laptop?"
patxipt
For serious DIY - er, there's nothing more satisfying than taking a laptop apart down to its bare parts, then turning one of those parts into something cool - in this case a picture frame digital. After all, that big, high-resolution screen has to be put to good use, right?
There are many online tutorials devoted to this subject; I recommend the aptly named
Digital photo frame from laptop
on Instructables. It's quite simple: disassemble the laptop, place the screen in a frame, mount the innards of the PC behind the frame, now run a photo frame software. But there are plenty of other ways to go, so fire up your favorite search engine for more options.
Oh, and since you've already stripped it for parts, put that hard drive in an external enclosure and use it as a thumb drive!
Do you have any other ideas for reusing old laptops? Share them in the comments!