Very Old Laptops

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Very Old Laptops

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Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 17 4:16 pm Post subject: Very Old Laptops
I have here a couple of very old laptops: Pentium III I think. On the one hand, they work perfectly well, insofar as they work, but on the other, they are almost entirely useless for any normal kind of computer use. I've got a feeling I've asked this before, but I can't find the post if I did... Any ideas? Stick them in a box in the loft until they acquire antique value?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46169
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 17 5:25 pm Post subject:
linux will run well on far less modern kit than a p3 (if they have wifi capacity "secure " {well at least harder to watch} pooter capability is possible) screen,hd,keyboard,ports ,power supply+ housing for raspberry pi based lappy programmable control gear for a specific task

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 17 7:42 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

linux will run well on far less modern kit than a p3

I had thought that, but I think you need the right flavour of Linux. I'm told Peppermint is designed for older systems, but I've got that on it and it still seems to be struggling.

Quote:

screen,hd,keyboard,ports ,power supply+ housing for raspberry pi based lappy

That is a thought we have discussed here already I think. Or maybe take the engine out of a broken android.

Quote:

programmable control gear for a specific task

That was another thought I had, but I am yet to find an appropriate task that wouldn't be better done with programmable chips.

Thanks for the ideas, apologies if I come across as dismissive.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46169
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Jan 17, 17 8:51 pm Post subject:
linuxy linky ?

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15936

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 17 7:59 am Post subject:
If all else fails there are companies that will take old computer equipment and refurbish it/send it to developing countries/recycle all the useful bits. You may well have one in your area.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 17 12:17 pm Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

If all else fails there are companies that will take old computer equipment and refurbish it/send it to developing countries/recycle all the useful bits. You may well have one in your area.

TBH, after seeing a Comic Relief (or similar) film about an electronics recycling facility in Africa, I am disinclined to encourage them.

dpack wrote:

linuxy linky ?

Thanks, I'll give one of those a go...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46169
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 17 1:28 pm Post subject:

yr welcome, i can see no reason that an old machine and an old lean linux would not be compatible.

you might find that some peripherals dont have suitable drivers but for many tasks that wont matter

at some point i'm planning on creating a couple of matched lappys that will talk to each other via the web but will not even exist to anything else . i recon a lean linux will be a good place to start.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 17 6:06 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

yr welcome, i can see no reason that an old machine and an old lean linux would not be compatible.

Exactly so. I don't recall them being that slow when they were new... nor all the software having so many bells and whistles.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 17 6:38 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

at some point i'm planning on creating a couple of matched lappys that will talk to each other...

If you were looking for something very old, then I have two here the same as each other...

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15936

Posted: Sat Jan 21, 17 9:34 am Post subject:
I think some electronic recycling is done in the UK. There is probably enough metal in some to make it worth while, and other bits may be reuseable too.

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