Uses for an older laptop?

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mikey pizano · #1 Post by **mikey pizano** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:58 pm

Well, I wanted this here since its a general thing but my laptop in question is a T20. It has a 40GB HDD and a 750MHZ P3, with 384MB RAM.

I have two computers with Windows so I would like your ideas. I would like to keep the computer useful and have a few things depending on the OS: Battery meter, like when I tried DSL (I can't post the whole name since the filter blocked it...) and PuppyLinux, there was none I could find. Also, I have an Atheros PCI WiFi card.

OldManClayton · #2 Post by **OldManClayton** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 4:54 pm

Goodness, your old laptop is twice as fast as my "newest" one. XD The things I use it and some 560's I have for are things like:
Pseudo (ad-hoc) internet access point
Skype client (fun, this is)
Wireless printer gateway thingie
Jukebox/Internet Radio
Plain ol' word processor

And some other things here and there.

I also know that alot of people (including me, the user of a 600e. XD) would love to just have a random thinkpad bestowed upon them, even if it is a bit older.

Radioguy · #3 Post by **Radioguy** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:20 pm

Several years ago, I was once presented with several boxes of stripped 760s. I can tell you that it became my life's purpose to restore at least one, and I did. Like with a classic car, there is a calling for some people. (Look at Harry's projects)

If I didn't have a T60, I'd probably still be using that 760XD. Just to have and use a ThinkPad is a special thing.

Purcy · #4 Post by **Purcy** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:44 pm

The guy who bought my old T22 wanted it ONLY to plug his Magic Jack into so he could have free phone service. He had a wireless network in his house so was going to use a PC notebook wireless card to connect the Magic Jack to the internet. He had a "Dell"

computer that he was going to use for everything else. I so wanted to tell him to switch them around

mikey pizano · #5 Post by **mikey pizano** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:40 pm

Thanks for the fast replies.

Yes, I do know its nice to just own a ThinkPad. I have a 570 too but the battery is dead on that.

I use a Toshiba A205-S5859 as my main computer and I have a smaller secondary use Averatec 1020 (10.6") so I don't really know what to use my T20 for. I may experiment with some different Linux versions and see what works.

Radioguy · #6 Post by **Radioguy** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:00 pm

Bathroom laptop.

Seriously, dedicating multiples for different duties is something I often did after making sure everyone I knew had at least one computer first.

joester · #7 Post by **joester** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:12 pm

Radioguy wrote:Bathroom laptop.

I got one of those!

LOL!

Joe

Puppy · #8 Post by **Puppy** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:35 am

Good use for old PCs http://www.sandysmith.co.uk/artwork/com ... sunset.htm
It does not seem to be power saving in the first place thought

doog · #9 Post by **doog** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:24 am

I had an old 390 plugger I used for out in the garage.
I have a few newer Thinkpads also. One for the house and the other for work.
Seems they never die. They just turn into old pluggers

feynmix · #10 Post by **feynmix** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:13 pm

I have an old HP pavilion, and I am planning to use the HDD as an external harddrive. I am trying to find the correct USB connector, any ideas about this? I have another external harddrive that I have connected to a USB enclosure, but the connector pins are different.

#11 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:24 pm

If you are just looking for a general use hard drive/USB connector, I use this one.

#12 Post by **Harryc** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:28 pm

Puppy wrote:Good use for old PCs http://www.sandysmith.co.uk/artwork/com ... sunset.htm
It does not seem to be power saving in the first place thought

Man-o-man...the back of that thing is a nightmare

They may be artists buy they don't know jack sh_t about wiring computers ....LOL.

mikey pizano · #13 Post by **mikey pizano** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:35 pm

WOW what a waste of computers!

feynmix · #14 Post by **feynmix** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:59 am

Harryc wrote:If you are just looking for a general use hard drive/USB connector, I use this one.

Will this work for any laptop harddrive? My HP one is a Fujitsu, whose connectors are different from a Toshiba external drive that I currently use.

EvilH · #15 Post by **EvilH** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:13 am

It will work with any laptop hard drive with an ATA-6 connector or SATA. Many laptop makers (HP and Dell in particular) add on adapters that make it easier to insert the drives without bending pins. These are usually fairly easy to get off just take care not to accidentally bend any pins by pulling one side farther than the other.

kosse · #16 Post by **kosse** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:41 pm

I recently acquired an IBM Thinkpad 600 which I am planning to use as a IRC (internet relay chat) client since I want to spare my newer thinkpads (A31P and T43) from having to keep them on 24/7. Just have to solder a new CMOS battery and get a HDD and it should do just fine..

Stargate199 · #17 Post by **Stargate199** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:31 pm

If you fell like modding the machine, make it into a digital picture frame if the display is in good condition.

Uses for an older laptop?

Uses for an older laptop?

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