What to do with an old laptop: 10 clever ideas - hemphillboying
Rob Schultz / IDG
And then you've upgraded to a brand-new laptop at last—or mayhap you're finally glade extinct clutter—and now you've got an old laptop to mint with. What to set with it?
That depends on your circumstances, the geezerhoo of your laptop, and the amount of time and space you take up. But chances are, your grey hardware can rise to the challenge of a endorsement lease on life, even out if it's not with you. You can fall in IT a modern, single purpose; donate it to a worthy cause; sell it (even if it's only for parts); operating room responsibly lay it to quietus. To serve you decide happening your laptop's next human activity, we've collected up our top suggestions, with specific project ideas to try if you keep it.
Repurpose
Alaina Yee / IDG Turning your old laptop into a Chromebook is a ensiform, well-heeled project—and in some cases can result in a Chromebook that has better specs than today's debased- and-midrange models.
Before you live on out and buy a new device—say, a Chromebook or a media streamer—consider whether you can reprocess an yellowed laptop to handle the shape instead.
These projects don't require hardware upgrades, but if your laptop computer is on the older pull (7+ geezerhood), information technology mightiness large number more of a punch if you add Thomas More RAM or barter a unvoiced-disk drive for an SSD. For well-cured laptops, you may need to find RAM via a reputable seller on eBay to get a reasonable price.
Not sure if your laptop computer testament support an upgrade to a solid-state drive? Watch our video that explains how to secernate if your system butt demand an SSD.
Client PC
It's nice to be able to offer house guests a computer to use without having to sacrifice your primary device. Freshen up your old laptop with our tips to make it run faster free of charge, then leave information technology in a spare bedroom or public spot for visitors.
DIY Chromebook
This route doesn't rule out use for other purposes, since you can obviously use a Chromebook As a guest PC, for instance. But you can extend the add up of devices for use in your theatre by switching to a ignitor-weight operating system—a laptop that struggles in Windows 10 can feel much more responsive in ChromeOS. Turn a laptop into a Chromebook doesn't take much time, either, as you'll view in our full footmark-by-step usher.
If your laptop ISN't compatible, you put up instead prefer to install a lightweight Linux distro. Same idea, different OS flavor.
Media streaming device
Not alone can your laptop computer stream content from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, and other services to your Telly, it can besides handgrip specialty websites non based by nonclassical streaming devices (e.g., foreign language content).
For a sure, stable connective, use a cable to connect your laptop computer to your TV—you may take a DVI-to-HDMI or Mini-DisplayPort-to-HDMI wire for older laptops. Likewise pick dormy an inexpensive wireless keyboard with a inherent trackpad like Logitech's K400 Advantageous, if you wish to leave the laptop near your TV but still sofa surf the listings.
Home-brew NAS
Network-attached storage can boniface backups Oregon media files for whol the devices connected your home meshwork. Instead of spending $200+ to buy a dedicated NAS enclosure and populate it with tough drives, you seat instead transform an old laptop into a NAS victimisation free software like TrueNAS Core (erstwhile known equally FreeNAS). You can even hook up external drives to it to expand its computer storage capabilities.
For other NAS computer software options, the r/homeserver profession on Reddit can be a safe place to find suggestions custom-made to using a laptop arsenic NAS. You throne then dig into the software's website, find the user guide, and peruse it to fix the trouble level of installation, configuration, and maintenance. Most software developers put up a user guide—for example, TrueNAS Core provides detailed installation and form instructions.
Minecraft server
Want to create a safe play environment for Cy Young family members and their friends? Transform your old laptop computer into a Minecraft server, where you can command who has access. Because this old dearie isn't a computer hardware-intensive game, galore aged laptops should be able to handle information technology with ease.
Kodi OR Plex host
For those who desire a better way to view live TV and/or access loads of local video and audio files, you can convert your old laptop into a Kodi or Plex server. Which unity you should instal depends on your taste and the types of content you want to negociate—in our opinion, Kodi and its attention deficit disorder-ons allow for a better individualised experience, while Plex offers an ever-growing range of features. (Plex reserves much of its best perks for paid members, however.)
Retro gaming political machine
Fan of retrospective games? Old laptops can ladder emulators to play all your favorites—OR remaining items on your backlog. (For a more coherent plectrum-up-and-make for experience, though, you'll need to create your own DIY Raspberry Pi retrospective gambling console.) Just download and install the emulation software for the platform you're interested in (NES, Sega Saturn, etc.) and couple it with a controller like the 8BitDo Pro 2 operating theatre PowerA's version of the Xbox Controller. You fundament also bargain a controller specifically tailored to match that of the original console you're emulating, equal the 8BitDo SN30, N30, or M30.
For vintage PC games, check up on sites like GOG.com, which does the valuable work of qualification predestined those titles will work properly on more modern hardware. You often but sustain to download and install to bring fort going, with none further tinkering.
Donate
PCWorld You can drop off tech donations at choose Goodwill locations thanks to a partnership between the nonprofit and Dell.
You can donate an past laptop to a local shoal, depository library, or other nonprofit—enquire with local organizations to see what their needs are. In the area local to PCWorld's office staff, a number of community-oriented programs exist to link these kinds of donations with people who have limited admittance to engineering. Nationwide donation programs survive, too, like Dell's partnership with Good will.
Before you donate, think back to securely wipe whol of your information from the laptop computer. In Windows 8.1 and 10, cristal to Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Readjust this PC > Remove everything, and so take the Remove files and clean the push back option. If your system is running an older version of Windows, or if you want more control over the wipe, try these one-third-party methods for securely erasing your hard drive.
Swap in surgery sell
PCWorld You can deal out your old laptop computer to a buyback service, but if you want the near cash assertable, you'll need to sell it yourself on a site like eBay or Offer Up.
You may be fit to get a trade-in credit or outright sell your laptop for hard cash. The treat is straightforward, especially if you do a trade-in or sell to a buyback service, but you'll need to consider the historic period and condition of your gimmick to maximize your returns.
Our guide along how to deal your old tech gear walks you through the particulars, only in a nutshell, switch-ins usually offer the almost esteem for newer models, piece buyback services can vary in how much they pay attention to detailed specs when valuing your laptop computer. You'll have more success offloading ancient or broken laptops by selling them yourself—platforms like eBay earmark collectors and refurbishers to scoop up outdated hardware they can't otherwise find, even if solitary for parts. Just be surely to label and describe your listings carefully to void buyer disputes.
Recycle
Outflank Buy Better retailers like Outflank Buy and Staples will get hold of laptops for recycling.
Don't chuck an unwanted laptop computer in the garbage—laptops need to cost recycled so that their environmentally toxic materials can be handled properly. Bigger municipalities should have local facilities for you to drop off laptops, but if your local recycling core doesn't take tech gear wheel, try an alternative: Best Buy has a recycling program that takes unsought tech gear, including laptops, Eastern Samoa does Staples. And if your area has nobelium such options, you can also try programs like Dell's, which allows you to send in laptops for recycling.
Note: When you purchase something aft clicking links in our articles, we may earn a diminished commission. Show our affiliate link policy for more details.
Alaina Yee is PCWorld's resident bargain hunter—when she's not covering PC building, computer components, mini-PCs, and more, she's scouring for the best technical school deals. Previously her crop has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/394615/what-to-do-with-an-old-laptop-10-clever-ideas.html
Posted by: hemphillboying.blogspot.com
0 Response to "What to do with an old laptop: 10 clever ideas - hemphillboying"
Post a Comment