Uses for an Old THinkpad

[ArtShapiro]

I think this is a T20:

http://thereifixedit.com/2010/05/28/epi ... te-laptop/

Art

[thePCxp]

Actually, it's a 600.

I thought that it was funny when I first saw it and I think that it's a pretty unique way to use an old ThinkPad.

[BillMorrow]

a good use but for ONLY the time of day..??!

heck, most any clock has the time, temp, date and most show more..

if it were me i would hang about a half dozen temp probes and show a map of where each is located..
for high temp in the computer room and more info..
other weather related info AND wire it to a camera to warn of impending danger..
(whether that danger be someones wife or supervisor or??)

while the time of day might keep that old thinkpad busy theres no need to bore it to death..
3:49:14 P.M.
3:49:15 P.M.
3:49:16 P.M.
3:49:17 P.M.
3:49:18 P.M.

BAM!, bored to death..

[Navck]

Fractal screensaver seems like another great option to put on screen, a little trippy for one's coworkers and possibly attention grabbing however.

[rkawakami]

Personally, if I needed a laptop turned into a clock, I'd put something like this on it: http://www.daylightmap.com/

Rotate that with some sort of display from the sensors of the weather station on my roof, that would make for a useful gadget.

[BillMorrow]

there are many good uses for an older thinkpad..
a prop in NCIS LA where i have seen at least ONE thinkpad..

storage for your music collection where you want to select and play tunes..

whole house controller with a parallel port..

monitor a small surveillance camera network from your bedroom..
or elsewhere..

so many uses other than wasting it on a clock only..
the only issue is the IO issue..

[ArtShapiro]

Personally, if I needed a laptop turned into a clock, I'd put something like this on it: http://www.daylightmap.com/

Ray, I'm probably missing something discouragingly non-subtle, BUT: why an application that tells us where there's daylight? I can normally look out the window and discern that fact. As IBM used to say: "Not just data...reality"!

Art

[rkawakami]

I've always thought that a map of the world showing the terminator (line between daylight and darkness) was interesting. At a glance, you can easily determine what part of the world is just eating breakfast or dinner; at least in the middle latitudes. And along those lines, as long as the terminator is accurately drawn (i.e., seasonally adjusted for the angle of the sun above the horizon), it can also show you were it's perpetual daylight or darkness.

Right now, I can see that Sydneysiders are just seeing the rising sun and Londoners have been in darkness for about half an hour. Yes, the same thing can be determined by looking at some world clocks but a map is just cooler .

[bill bolton]

I can see that Sydneysiders are just seeing the rising sun

That may be true for people actually in Sydney, whether Sydneysiders or visitors, but as Australians in general travel so widely, I can assure you that some Sydneysiders exist in all time zones, so some will be seeing the sun rise at the same time as you!

Cheers,

Bill B. (in cold and wet Vancouver, and about to be overtaken by the big black hump)

[t140568]

It's not a bad idea. Maybe a little overkill to run a clock application, though. I thought about hanging one on the fridge for a grocery list sort of thing, but could never figure out how to mount it.

[Unknown_K]

It's not a bad idea. Maybe a little overkill to run a clock application, though. I thought about hanging one on the fridge for a grocery list sort of thing, but could never figure out how to mount it.

I would think an old PALM PDA would be better for that.