Everyone’s got an old computer tower or laptop stashed away that’s not doing anything. That old computer was old reliable early on, but now it’s sitting in a closet collecting dust. Rather than let it sit because it’s too old to do the latest-and-greatest, get your inner geek on and do something fun.
Here’s some cheap or free projects you can do with that old clunker that can be done in a couple hours and with little skill. If you get frustrated or can’t figure something out there’s plenty of help online. YouTube has some pretty decent tutorials and if you can’t find it there you can always do an online search.
The coolest thing you can do with newer equipment is donate it to a local charity. Provided you don’t have an inner geek (and most of us do), you can find a local charity that will put the computer or laptop into the hands of someone who can put it to use. My stores’ policy is to prep systems for a very low fee if they’re going to charity.
Fool around with Linux. Linux was all the rage for years and many thought it would overtake Windows because it’s free. Although it didn’t overtake Windows it did manage to create a following. Ubuntu, in my opinion, is the easiest version to use and it isn’t likely you’ll get viruses because of the way its files are structured.
Create a network attached storage device or NAS. What the heck is that? A NAS is some type of computer that connects to your network and stores files that can be shared among all connected computers. FreeNAS is my NAS of choice because it allows almost all other operating systems to share files while maintaining perfect uptime.
Make a media center that you can stream through your television. I’ve been using Kodi for years because it supports commercial services like Netflix as well as allows you to install somewhat illegal plugins for watching live TV.
Convert that old computer into a gaming rig to play your favorite video games. MAME is arguably the most popular emulator because it will play games from many different platforms including arcade machines. MAME installs on top of Linux, Windows or OSX and can be played using the computer keyboard or custom controls. MAME itself is perfectly legal; however, downloading and installing games may not be.
Make money by turning your old computers into a Bitcoin mine. You’ll have to read up on Bitcoins to make sure they’re right for you, but a lot of people have made a lot of money by leveraging their computer hardware. CGMiner is my choice for mining software, but there are many more free titles available. It’s important to match your computer to the mining software requirements.
Your old computer can do so much more than take up space in your closet. Why not have some fun while putting your computer to good use as a server, a gaming console or a source of income? Hopefully I gave you some cool new things to do with that old equipment. Just don’t get yourself in trouble!
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. You can read past articles at www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)