As Friday day turned into night I decided to cleanse my mind of all thoughts and get in touch with nature while I waited for Nemo. During a two hour nature walk in the snow I came across a house with blaring music and a handful of strangers. I made my entrance, offered a party favor, and introduced myself to my new friends. The music was being broadcast from an old computer tucked behind the homeowner’s couch. This, I thought, is going to be the subject of my next article.
So without further ado, I’ve put together some great uses for old technology. When you outgrow old computers and other techie gadgets repurpose them for other applications . Of course there’s more uses, but these are some of the easy and fun applications. Here’s a few examples anyone with a little time and old stuff can try:
Media Center: An old computer may no longer have the horsepower to play current video games, but it most likely will have enough capacity to host music and movies. XBMC Media Center is a free software utility which installs over Windows and turns an old computer into a remarkable sound and movie system.
XBMC has an onscreen graphical menu, controllable from any computer remote. Connecting the computer to the TV requires either an HDMI cable or a VGA and 1/8″ audio cord. Once connected you can sit across the room and control your media from the comfort of your recliner. Because most movies are under 1GB, you should easily be able to fit thirty movies on a 40GB hard drive.
Backup Server: It’s a good idea to backup data regularly. Unfortunately most people have good intent, but never follow through. Using an old computer with a fairly decent sized hard drive, almost any computer capable of running XP may be suitable as a Microsoft Windows Home Server backup machine.
Windows Home Server costs approximately $75.00 per license and installs in place of the preinstalled Windows version. Once installed, the home server is connected to your network and paired with each computer in the house to allow automatic backups. Aside from the initial work, very little additional work is necessary.
MP3 Player: As smartphones take the cell phone market by storm, we’re left with a mass of old phones which serve little or no purpose. I hitched a ride with my brother one day and noticed he had two iPhones. One of his two phones was connected to the car radio and the other was plugged into the charger. As a phone, the old iPhone was out of date; however, it was perfect for taking the place of an iPod.
Donating: Many people can’t afford to own a computer for whatever their reason. I recently helped a single Mom and her three kids acquire a computer from another family. Because of funding a computer was her last priority, but it was necessary for school. I found another family in the area who donated their old computer to her. Though the original owners outgrew the system, it was perfect for a single mother and her three kids.
It’s a shame to let a perfectly good piece of equipment sit idle in a closet simply because it’s not fast enough for its original purchase. Many apparatus’ can be repurposed; either creating a novelty or filling a void in your technology portfolio. There’s so many cool and unique ways old devices can be reused it would be a shame not to try. Even though technology changes rapidly, it would be a disgrace to create an anchor from a perfectly functional device.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him directly at (978) 413-2840 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)