My aunt's got an old slightly broken laptop. She's got a new one. No one has any need for this old one anymore. It has no selling value. Etc etc etc.

I know I can put an SSD in it and run it on Linux to make it run smoothly as a laptop for emails and word processing etc, but I already have a crap old laptop for exactly that.

What sort of fun things can you do with an old laptop? I'm talking like, using it as a whole new device. Maybe using it as a 'TV Box' of sorts - getting some radio apps, and hacked streaming apps... Or loading up a bunch of PS2 games on it... or having it as the jankiest personal assistant, with timers, and calendars, and all that.

You know what I mean.

I love pointless gadgetry.

  • znonymous [comrade/them, love/loves]
    ·
    3 days ago

    I turn all my old laptops into servers. Most often, I use them to experiment with various self-hosted services.

    Most laptops these days can be put into clamshell mode, especially if they have an HDMI out. Just get a headless dummy plug -- they run about $6.

    Plug one of those in, close the display, and you have a small, book-sized server with a built-in continuous power supply backup battery.

    Of course eventually, the power consumption of all these devices can add up. Older devices are often less efficient. Sometimes, just retiring and getting a device "recycled" (to the extent possible) is best.